Eric Abetz says “vast bulk” of Australians don’t agree with Israel Folau’s sacking

Eric Abetz says “vast bulk” of Australians don’t agree with Israel Folau’s sacking
Image: Eric Abetz. Image: Facebook.

Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has called for an investigation into the recent termination of Israel Folau’s rugby contract, saying that the “vast bulk” of Australians thought it was “completely unacceptable”.

Israel Folau’s contract with Rugby Australia was terminated last month following a code of conduct hearing.

The three-member panel tasked with providing Rugby Australia with a recommendation on how to proceed ruled that Folau’s four-year contract, reportedly worth $4 million, should be severed as a result of his recent anti-LGBTI social media posts.

In April, Folau posted on Twitter that Tasmania’s legal reforms for trans and gender diverse people were a sign that people should “REPENT and turn away from your evil ways”, drawing criticism from Rugby Australia’s major sponsor Qantas.

He later posted an image on Instagram which stated that “hell awaits” gay people, similar to the social media posts that landed him in hot water last year.

Following Folau’s sacking, Abetz wrote to the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to request they investigate the decision to terminate his contract, according to The Examiner.

“The fundamental point of the need to protect freedom of speech and freedom of religion is in the DNA of every true Liberal and that is why I am seeking to pursue it,” he told The Examiner.

“I thought about these issues [regarding Folau] during the election and then after the election was able to devote my time to it a bit more and give some considered thought [to it].

“In this parliament, we’ve got a majority in the lower house and, in the Senate, depending on how things fall, there may be a very real opportunity to bring about some fundamental reform to protect individual freedoms.”

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter is expected to table a religious discrimination bill in parliament this year.

Abetz said the legislation should ensure that fundamental rights that “used to be an absolute given in our community are restored to people”.

“The vast bulk of people in Australia just get that it is completely unacceptable that Israel Folau has been treated in the way that he has,” he said.

“You don’t have to be a man or woman of faith of any kind to understand the huge injustice that has been dealt to Israel Folau.”

In his letter to Ombudsman Sandra Parker, Abetz reportedly stated that the termination of Folau’s contract could be in breach of the Fair Work Act, citing sections 342 and 351, which prohibit employers from engaging in adverse action and discrimination against an employee.

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5 responses to “Eric Abetz says “vast bulk” of Australians don’t agree with Israel Folau’s sacking”

  1. Freedom of speech is not an absolute, ‘God-given’ right. Speech carries with it certain responibilities including many provided legislatively that proscribe hate speech; or speech that incites violence against others; or speech that may defame or be offensive or profane in public places, for example.
    Many employers constrain what their employees may say about them on, or in, their social media forums, so that staff may not bring into disrepute, or otherwise misrepresent the position of, the brand.

    As I understand it, this footballer had a contract that sought, I think, similarly, to protect his employer’s brand. Instead he used his status, enabled by that contract, to preach and was dealt with under the code of conduct, in effect to terminate that contract. This is not just ‘practising his religion’, but if he wants to do so now, he’s free of those constraints, at least.

    And, by the way, if you enable, in the interests of religious freedom, this kind of speech, unconstrained by what employers may require, where does it stop? Will we enable, and cope with, say, an Islamic believer ‘preaching, (wiithin the context of their workplace, in a major banking corporation, or public sector organisation) that women should be more demurely dresed? Or, if working in a butcher shop, that his employer should not sell pork? Or, will this ‘freedom’ protect only good, fine, God-fearing Christian folk, to the detriment of all others?

    Mr Abetz, if you want to be a little more productive in the protection of freedoms and liberties in this country, how about working to overturn the legislation that proscribes what journalists may do in respect of reporting on public interest issues? Recent AFP raids and other so-called ‘national security’ protection measures (e.g. to enable meta-data retention and other, more covert surveillance of citizens) are not sufficiently providing security – they are threatening the privacy, liberty and security of us all.

  2. Eric Abetz is completely wrong when he suggests that the “vast bulk” of Australians support Folau. From where does he get this idea? From his congregation? Certainly not from the Australian electorate. If I were to say, all Fijians are stupid I would rightly be condemned. But I could justify it by saying it accords with my religious beliefs! What nonsense!

    Unfortunately religion has always been a force for division, bigotry and hatred. The world would be better without religion and its bitterness. After all, it is based on myth not fact. However, I support anyone who has religious faith and their right to practise a peaceful and compassionate lifestyle.

  3. Eric Abetz is still bitter over the same sex marriage vote
    He lost and now will do anything to push his hate agenda
    Please go away and stay away

  4. Just where is Erich Abetz’ proof? Or is it just Erich expressing his ultra-right-wing, neo-fascist views. Google “Abetz”‘ and you will see his family history and it’s not pretty.
    Of course Folau is now saying he wanted to remove his homophobic, anti-Catholic, anti-everything spray and , as usual today, he refuses to take any responsibility for leaving it there. “It’s Daddy who stopped me, but I wanted to take it down, I am only a little under-age boy and always do as Daddy tells me”! “Never mind that I am going to lose all that lovely money, money is my new God” is what he is really saying.
    What a load of hypocritical, un-Christian garbage. Israel should actually learn what it wqas that Jesus actually taught for he quite obviously hasn’t a clue what it is to be a “Christian”
    Go to Hell, Israel Folau, just go to Hell, you’ll find lots of Christians just like you rotting there!

  5. Eric Abetz needs to be careful what he wishes for. Australia has done well to tone down the secular aggression which used to dominate Australian lives. The anti-immigrant crowd wish for a return to the “good old days” when every one was white, completely forgetting that there used to be catholic vs protestant brawls in the streets such was the tension and violence.

    Although it’s correct to criticise Folau for being homophobic and Ian Roberts’ comments needed to be said, I think it’s been a bit weird that Folau’s comments have been criticised for being anti-gay yet the anti-catholic aspect of his comment has been ignored. Folau is on record as saying that catholics are idolators, it’s a common view among fundamentalist protestants. So he was condemning all catholics to hell in his post as well as all gay people and atheists and drinkers and such.

    All this “religious freedom” might well just produce a free-for-all brawl between the different faiths. I for one will laugh if that is how it turns out.