Equality Tasmania releases religious discrimination fact sheets

Equality Tasmania releases religious discrimination fact sheets
Image: Federal Attorney General Christian Porter. Image: file photo.

The Equality Tasmania group has released two new fact sheets highlighting the adverse effects of the draft Religious Discrimination Bill on Tasmanians.

The aim of the fact sheets is to encourage Tasmanians to make their views on the draft bill known to the federal government, and protect Tasmania’s strong anti-discrimination legislation from a proposed federal government override.

Tasmania is singled out for special treatment under the draft Religious Discrimination Bill because it has stronger discrimination protections than other Australian states.

In the new fact sheets, the benefits of Tasmania’s existing discrimination law are explained, while the federal government’s rationale for overriding the Tasmanian law is countered.

Equality Tasmania spokesperson Andrew Badcock said the group hoped to rally Tasmanians against the federal government’s proposed changes.

“We are circulating these fact sheets to mobilise Tasmanians to defend our gold standard Anti-Discrimination Act from attack,” said Badcock in a media statement.

“Tasmania has gone from having the worst laws on [LGBTQI] human rights to having the best, and we will not allow our progress to be rolled back.

“We want all Tasmanians who will be adversely impacted by this override, including everyone who falls foul of traditional religious dogma, to take action,” he said.

One of the two fact sheets examines the potential impact of the Religious Discrimination Bill on LGBTQI Tasmanians.

The other looks at the impact of the proposed federal government override on a broad range of Tasmanians including LGBTQI people, people with a disability, single parents, unmarried partners, racial minorities and more.

Copies of the fact sheets can be downloaded online at equal.org.au/equality_tasmania_religious_discrimination_fact_sheets.

Submissions to the federal government providing feedback on the draft Religious Discrimination Bill close on Wednesday, 2 October.

They can be sent by email to ‘Religious Discrimination Bill consultation’ at [email protected] or can be made via the Attorney General Christian Porter’s website at ag.gov.au/Consultations/Pages/religious-freedom-bills.aspx.

 

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One response to “Equality Tasmania releases religious discrimination fact sheets”

  1. Interesting isn’t it that our esteemed Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, Christian Fundamentalist whilst on his latest ego-trip overseas, this time to see his pal Donald trump and big-note himself at the UN would rather attend a meeting to discuss “Religious Freedoms and Rights” than attend the UN’s most important conference on Climate Change.
    A fat lot of bloody good all the religious Freedoms and Rights ( both of which Morrison wants to give religious businesses the Freedom and Right to Vilify and denigrate anyone who does not agree with them) Morrison grants will be when the human race dies out because of Morrison and his pals refusal to address in a meaningful way the now very serious issue of Climate Change.
    At least when Tony Abbott was around we knew that he was a Climate Change Denier.
    Morrison stands for whatever is mentioned at any time. One second he is a Climate Change Denier, the next a believer, next second he supports the Coal Industry and Australia exporting the stuff so that India and China can continue to be the World’s biggest polluters, all the while he claims Australia is doing its bit to address the very real issue of Climate Change. What a Hypocrite.