Government plans for Religious Freedom Commissioner at AHRC leaked
Image: Photo: Rodney Croome.
There are concerns that religious organisations are being supplied with inside information on the Government’s planned legislation covering so-called “religious discrimination” and freedom of religion after Christian groups leaked plans to introduce a new Religious Freedom Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Family Voice Australia emailed its members today, with the group’s national director Charles Newington revealing the plans to supporters.
“Three pieces of legislation are to be introduced: a Religious Discrimination Bill; a Religious Discrimination (Consequential Amendments Bill) which will amend other Commonwealth legislation to ensure consistency with the Religious Discrimination Bill; [and a] Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Freedom of Religion) Bill which includes the appointment of a Religious Freedom Commissioner,” he wrote.
Newington told his supporters that the government’s plans did not go far enough.
“The bottom line is that the above legislation will not provide comprehensive protection for all areas of religious freedom,” he wrote earlier today.
Family Voice Australia want the government to go even further by enshrining legal protection for “faith-based schools and other faith-based institutions such as charities; parents and children, who are concerned about teachings at school which contradict faith principles; [and] employees who wish to express faith-based views in the workplace or in public.”
“Religious freedom must be recognised as a positive and inalienable right, which existed long before the formation of governments,” Newington wrote to his supporters, urging to lobby their parliamentarians.
“None of the above essential protections are in the legislation, according to the best information we have.”
The first two bills were already on the radar of LGBTQI rights advocates, however the third, which would establish a new religion commissioner at the Human Rights Commission, was news to them.
Just.equal spokesperson Rodney Croome told the Star Observer he was concerned that religious groups were being given an inside track when it came to the government’s plans for this legislation.
“I am concerned that a conservative religious group appears to know what is in the Government’s proposed legislation before consultation with the LGBTI community has even begun,” Croome said this afternoon.
“I call on the Government to be honest and open with us about its legislation, and to be so immediately if it wants to maintain any semblance of trust and good faith.”
“I am also deeply concerned by what these religious groups are saying is a ‘religious freedom’ bill over and above religious discrimination legislation.”
“This has the potential to diminish existing protections for LGBTI people, particularly in states with strong protections like Tasmania.”
“LGBTI lobby groups must apply more pressure now to ensure the Coalition and Labor don’t go down the path of weakening discrimination protections in the name of ‘religious freedom’.”
Croome also said it would be unfair for religious people to have their own dedicated commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission when LGBTQI people did not.
“I am also concerned about plans to appoint a religious freedom commissioner to the Australian Human Rights Commission because their job would basically be to boost a religious freedom narrative that is anti-LGBTI to its very core,” Croome said.
“At the very least there also needs to be an LGBTI human rights commissioner to provide our rights with an advocate of equal authority.”
Wow. The idea of a religious freedom commissioner is hilarious. I’m going to tie them up for a while until the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is recognised in Australia as it is in many other countries, so I’m sure the Christians are going to enjoy that.
But yeah, what the Christians claim to want from this process is alarming stuff. It would be open season on abusing LGBTQI folks and hiding behind “religious freedom” but it would also be open season on abusing religious folks and again just hiding behind “religious freedom” too.
Then get into other issues where religion conflicts with real life and you’re into teaching creationism in school science class and all the other awful crap which American Christians have popularised. Exhibit A that Christians are morons.
Of course, Christians aren’t homogenous. But many are really stupid and these new laws will offer more opportunity than ever before to demonstrate how stupid they are.
I feel truly awful for the peaceful LGBTQI folks and supporters who are over all the battles and the fighting. It’s stressful and completely unnecessary. But if they’re going to bring it on in these particularly dumb ways I for one will be fighting harder than ever to highlight how dumb these clowns are. And there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel, there have been many campaigns against dumb Christians before now and many clever techniques developed, right up to inventing new churches.
This is solely to legitimise religious animus aganst the LGBT+ minorities. Enshrining into law the “freedom” to refuse LGBT+ people’s civil rights to education, housing, employment medical treatment and health insurance, transportation, and of course, all wedding services, such as ordinarily provided to heterosexual couples by bakers, printers, photographers, florists, hoteliers and car rental companies. So long as your god tells you it’s wrong to deal with LGBT+ people, your refusal is going to be legally protected and enforceable.
Why does Australia need these so-called “Religious Freedom” laws? The Australian Constitution already Guarantees total; Religious Freedom for all. Every one of us has the Right to Freedom of Religion – whether we are Jews, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, try to live according to the Buddhist Philosophy. We Have the Right to believe, or not believe, in any form of religion we like.
No-one, other than despotic dictatorships such as exist in China and North Korea, is trying to eliminate, destroy or ban anyone from practicing their religion.
These proposed laws are totally unnecessary.
What these ultra-right-wing Pentecostals and other Christian Extremists are demanding is the Right to spread Hatred and to do so on-line, by word of mouth and in print.
They want the Right to spread Hatred. They want the Right to stand in judgement of others and tell them they will go to Hell if they don’t conform to their beliefs.
Fortunately for the most part people no longer believe in the myths of there being a “heaven” of “hell”
They want to deny others the Right to criticise them and their beliefs.
‘… who wish to express faith-based views in the workplace or in public.” That’s a step too far. Religion should be practiced privately at home or in the church, not forced onto the public.
Don’t worry everyone, the Greens, Centre Alliance and Labor will team up by joint arrangement to block it within the Senate anyway! Remember the bills have not been introduced yet to glance over – so relax everyone.
I cannot believe this government
Religious freedom has been around here forever and a day
But when you gaveca hand waving hillsonger as pm what can you expect
Jesus said to loce all not just those who belueve in right wing christianity
Anna, it doesn’t take much research through history books to discover ALL religions have worshiped idols! The so-called Christian god, as well as the Muslim beliefs, are all based on an idol.
They don’t like to admit it, but none of their gods have lifted a finger to help a single living individual.
It’s also worth mentioning, none of the religious LNP or Labour politicians even whispered their overarching insistence on forcing all of us to believe in their religious nonsense, before they were elected!
They are all working diligently to overturn the recent Same Sex Marriage referendum and Federal laws passed with overwhelming support from the majority of our population. They lost that battle and they are fuming with hatred and indignation!
Now they have the power of government, which is supposed to be divorced from religion, they are working hard to impose their religious nonsense on all of us!
I’m a gay man and an atheist. I refuse to accept any of their sanctimonious nonsense. If there was such a place as hell, they can all go and burn there!
I honestly have not felt so afraid of what this is going to mean for the people I love and care about. I am not a religious person nor should I be forced to adhere to archaic notions of gods and drug induced prophecies from thousands of years ago.
Already this debate has inspired hate to enter my home in the form of violence towards my children and I. Our home graffitied with hate speech and our lives put in danger.
I am an intersex transwoman and have never harmed anyone before, so why is religion allowed to harm my family.
We are blessed with a Pentecostal Prime minister and many religious conservatives in cabinet and all are guilty of very unchristian behaviour in treatment of their fellow humans.
We are in bed with America and that is as bad as being tied to Russia in regard to human rights, our “Liberal” government is blatantly cruel to minority groups we are heading down a path to total discrimination of everyone who doesnt worship at the altar of Christianity.
It seems that it’s ok to worship idols after all
I am Transgender female and Lesbian.