The Public Interest Advocacy Centre is extremely concerned at media reports that the Albanese Government may backtrack on its promise to reform federal discrimination law to protect LGBTQ students and teachers in religious schools against discrimination.
According to media reports the Prime Minister has said the reforms will only proceed if the Dutton Opposition agrees to support them.
Any failure to protect LGBTQ students and teachers in this term would be a clear breach of Labor’s 2022 election promises.
The following quotes can be attributed to Alastair Lawrie, Director of Policy and Advocacy at PIAC:
‘The previous Coalition government failed to protect LGBTQ students in religious schools against discrimination, despite promises from then Prime Minister Scott Morrison in October 2018.’
‘Labor went to the May 2022 federal election with clear commitments to remove the special legal privileges that allow religious schools to discriminate against students and teachers on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
‘The Albanese Government must fulfil their promise to protect LGBTQ students and teachers in religious schools against discrimination, rather than give a veto to Mr Dutton.’
‘LGBTQ teachers, and especially students, have waited far too long already to enjoy their rights to teach and learn free from the fear of mistreatment on the basis of who they are.’
‘Despite the attempts by some to make this another culture war, these are not controversial reforms. LGBTQ students and teachers are already protected in Victoria, the ACT, the Northern Territory and also Tasmania where protections have existed for a quarter of a century.’
‘There is no reason why straight-forward amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act to achieve the same outcome at Commonwealth level cannot be progressed as a matter of urgency.’
Media contact: PIAC Media and Communications Manager, Dan Buhagiar: 0478 739 280