The flaws in the Coalition’s religious discrimination bill are “so serious” it cannot be supported in its current form, the Sydney Anglican diocese has warned. Bishop Michael Stead has warned the bill would force Anglican youth camps to host Satanist masses at its campsites and has the “perverse effect” of encouraging companies such as Qantas to threaten to withdraw sponsorship to justify restrictions on religious speech in cases like Rugby Australia’s sacking of Israel Folau. In a separate submission , the Freedom for Faith group has claimed the bill fails a commitment by the prime minister, Scott Morrison, “that the law would not take faith groups backwards in terms of protection of religious freedom”. Both groups have called for the bill to go further in protecting religious organisations, raising the prospect of internal division in the Coalition over attorney general Christian Porter’s draft bill. Jacqui Lambie says she sees no case for religious discrimination bill Read more The Anglican church diocese of Sydney submission warned that although the bill said religious bodies did not discriminate by conduct that could reasonably be regarded as in accordance with their faith, the exemption did not apply to bodies engaging “solely or primarily […]
