The coalition government’s religious discrimination laws have passed their first legislative hurdle, after Labor agreed to back them in the lower house while pushing for changes.
The bill passed just before 4am on Thursday by 90-6 following a mammoth 11-hour debate in the House of Representatives which included objections from Liberal moderates and independent MPs.
Rebel Liberal MP Bridget Archer voted with the crossbench against the government’s bill.
Labor had sought amendments including prohibiting vilification of and discrimination against children based on sexuality and gender identity.
Other proposed opposition amendments clarified a key pillar of the laws – a “statement of belief” clause designed by the government to shield people expressing religious beliefs even if they’re offensive – did not override existing discrimination protections.
The government did not agree to any of Labor’s proposed amendments.
“We support people’s right to practise their faith free from discrimination,” Labor leader Anthony Albanese said.
“But this should not remove protections that already exist to protect against other forms of discrimination.”
In the final speech of the night Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had “earnestly hoped” the bill would unite the parliament.
“Let me be very clear tonight – with the bill and the position taken by the government – that we reach out with nothing other than love, care, compassion and support to every child regardless of their sexual orientation or their gender identity,” he said.
The government made some small amendments which Labor agreed to, including that – other than the statement of belief clause – the bill will not override existing laws.
But moderate Liberals Trent Zimmerman and Ms Archer voted with Labor because the government would not agree to amend the bill to clarify the statement of belief clause.
Ms Archer also voted with Labor after the government did not amend the bill to outlaw vilification of people of faith.
Labor frontbencher Tony Burke questioned what the debate had been about if the government did not want legal protection against people being harassed, intimidated, threatened or vilified because of their faith.
He said the bill – without the amendment to prohibit vilification – does not match what the prime minister has said the bill is about.
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the government does not condone vilification or hate speech but Labor’s anti-vilification proposal was “complex” and required careful consideration to balance competing rights.
He said the proposed provisions would create further inconsistencies and confusion between Commonwealth, state and territory laws.
The coalition partyroom earlier this week agreed to amendments to add a clause to the Sex Discrimination Act prohibiting the expulsion of students because of their sexuality.
But it refused to extend the same protections to transgender children.
Liberal MP Angie Bell, who previously had problems with the bill, backed the legislation in the end because it represented a “net gain for gay rights”.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham wanted to see action to protect transgender students, but said it was complex and would have to wait.
“When it comes to the issue of gender identity, then on that front, there are other complex interplays when you’re dealing with, for example, same-sex schools and what rights they have,” he told the ABC.
Mr Morrison said the Australian Law Reform Commission would look at broader changes to s38 of the Sex Discrimination Act within six months of the bill becoming law.
Mr Albanese vowed Labor will insist its amendments are agreed to in the Senate.
The post Coalition’s religious discrimination bill passes Lower House after 11-hour debate appeared first on The New Daily.
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