Largely parroting the baseless scaremongering of anti-religious activists, they recommend the removal of proposed protections for statements of belief by people of faith. It is disappointing to see so-called “modern liberals” flag opposition to freedom of speech.
What they object to is protecting everyday religious Australians from activist lawfare for a “moderately expressed religious view” that does not “threaten, intimidate, harass or vilify”.
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They seem to have bought into unfounded propaganda that the bill would allow nurses to lawfully tell patients that HIV is a punishment from God, that disabilities are caused by the devil or that a waiter could tell a same-sex couple that their relationship is an abomination.
Any such statements would not meet the limitations on statements of belief under the bill. They could not be construed as moderately expressed, non-harassing or made in good faith. Further, the bill would not protect employees from the consequences of breaching workplace codes of conduct.
Unlike these “modern liberals”, additional comments provided by Labor committee members in Friday’s Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry Report were that “Labor members believe that the national Parliament has a role to play in reassuring people of faith that the mere expression of what the bill describes as ‘moderately expressed religious view’ do not contravene any Australian law.”
It looks like this parliamentary sitting week, people of faith and their right to protection from discrimination in this country could once again be kicked around like a political football.
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In 2017, the United Nations Human Rights Committee expressed concern at the lack of legal protections for religious freedom in Australia. But it may be that a small but powerful “modern liberal” group could ultimately determine the fate of this bill, which aims to finally allow Australia to fulfil our international human rights obligations and address discrimination against people of faith.
Fifty years ago, our country signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. How much longer must Australians continue to experience religious discrimination before our parliament adopts protections into domestic law?
No doubt people of faith right across our country are praying that, before this parliamentary sitting week is over, they will be able to see some small but significant progress towards protection of religious freedom.
John Steenhoff is the Principal Lawyer at Human Rights Law Alliance.
People of faith need this law, but it could be ‘modern liberals’ who scuttle it
Source: Philippines Alive
