No rights rollback

NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith (pictured) has reiterated that his Government will not roll back LGBTI rights protections that currently exist.

Smith made the comments while being questioned during Estimates hearings about a speech he gave at a Family Voice Australia event in September titled ‘Religious Vilification: will it be illegal… telling the truth about homosexuality and Islam?’.

“Do you have any plans for law reform in the area of religious vilification?” Labor MLC Adam Searle asked Smith. “Do you have any planned changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act?”
Smith replied “No” to both questions.

“Are you committed to maintaining the existing rights, therefore, for same-sex couples in New South Wales?” Searle then asked. “Are you committed to maintaining the law in its current form in relation to that subject matter?”

Smith replied “Yes” to both questions.

Labor’s Penny Sharpe MLC and the Greens’ David Shoebridge MLC were both concerned that a flyer for the event had listed Smith as a speaker in his capacity as NSW Attorney-General.

Smith said it was incorrect for Family Voice Australia to imply he was appearing as the NSW Attorney-General and the views he expressed were his personal views alone.