Media Release
Thursday February 10th 2022
 
RELIGIOUS DISCRIM AMENDMENTS DON'T GO FAR ENOUGH
 
"We will never accept a deal that gives rights to one part of our community but actively takes them from another." - Rodney Croome
 
Just.Equal Australia says amendments to Religious Discrimination Bill made in the House of Representatives yesterday do not go far enough and the Bill must be voted down.
 
Moderate Liberals crossed the floor to support a Labor amendment protecting LGBTIQ+ students in faith-based schools. 
 
However, Labor waved through the Government's proposal to override existing protections for LGBTIQ+ teachers and other staff in Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT and Queensland. 
 
Just.Equal Australia spokesperson, Rodney Croome said,
 
"We will never accept a deal that gives rights to one part of our community but actively takes them from another."
 
"The amendment trying to protect LGBTIQ+ students does not go far enough because it does not remove the ability of schools to discriminate under cover of 'religious belief', as Citipointe College attempted."
 
"Meanwhile, the Government and Labor have agreed not to extend discrimination protections to teachers in faith-based schools, and have worked together to take these protections away from teachers and other staff where they already exist in Tasmania, Victoria, the ACT and Queensland."
 
"Simply put, Labor has joined with the Government to allow LGBTIQ+ teachers to be sacked starting the day after the legislation passes."
 
Mr Croome condemned public comments yesterday by the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart, Julian Porteous, who refused to rule out sacking gay teachers if the Religious Discrimination Bill passes in its current state.
 
"Archbishop Porteous and other church leaders have failed to explain why discrimination protections for teachers in faith-based schools, which have worked well in Tasmania for 24 years, suddenly need to be overridden."
 
"Parents of children in Catholic schools should be deeply concerned that the Archbishop wants teachers selected because they are heterosexula and married, not because of their skill and professionalism."
 
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.