Rights eroded — again

Rights eroded — again

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Dr Helen Szoke has raised concerns about proposed changes to Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act 2010, introduced by the Baillieu Government to Parliament last week.

Szoke said while the Commission is pleased the Government has chosen to retain the original objectives and structure of the Act, it is disappointed that a number of exceptions that had been removed from previous legislation would be restored.

Among the major amendments is the removal of the ‘inherent requirements test’ in the exception for employment in a religious body or school. The new bill explained that this change was to “restore the freedom of faith-based organisations to engage staff who uphold the values of the organisation”.

The former Brumby Government legislation included the test, which would have made it more difficult for religious organisations to discriminate on the basis of sexuality or marital status.

“Reinstating these exceptions will restrict Victorians’ rights and will clearly limit their ability to seek redress when they experience discrimination,” Szoke said.

There were also alterations to exceptions relating to membership of clubs and competitive sporting bodies, youth wages and standards of dress and behaviour in schools.

Other proposed amendments to the Act include a proposal to remove the Commission’s ability to conduct public inquiries.

“These changes will affect our ability to respond effectively to systemic discrimination,” Szoke said.

In comments to the Star Observer earlier in the year, Australian Christian Lobby Victorian director Rob Ward played down what the reversal might mean.

“I would say somebody who was of homosexual orientation would not generally seek employment in a circumstance where the teaching of that organisation or the values of that organisation differed from their personal beliefs, so I don’t think the issue generally arises,” he said.

The Equal Rights Victoria website has been set up by concerned community members to encourage the GLBT community, and others, to send a message of protest to their local MP about the proposed amendments.

info: Visit www.equalrightsvictoria.com.au

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One response to “Rights eroded — again”

  1. Fuck off Ted!

    Ted Baillieu has given a monopoply of thousands of jobs and the funding exclusively to religious institutions to run on behalf of the government. He has then allowed them to discriminate in aged care services, schools, soup kitchens, carers of those with a disability and more, against worker on the basis of their sexuality.

    I have to ask why are the resources of the State being used to carry out acts of deep hate by the Liberal Party? You can stay late, work hard, and get the sack and go bankrupt losing your house, and have your life turned upside down, simply because of your sexuality.

    The answer is the Liberal as we know is infested with Christian Fundamentalist who are busy increasing funding to religious studies that vilifies Same-Sex attracted school children and getting them to take their own life, while all the time cutting important literacy programs and educational services in disadvantaged areas.

    In Victoria, Ted Baillieu runs the most corrupt government in Australia, and has broken almost every election promise within a few months of government. Importantly he has broken the trust of all in the community, lying to us all prior to the election. He never said he would take a baseball bat to our rights, but that is what he had done.

    The Liberal Party will allow alpine grazing for cattle in the high country and has spent millions on this, but it will not all you to work, live , and love freely for your entire life.