Bigots’ Charter passes despite growing community concern

Tasmanian gay rights advocates are bitterly disappointed the State Government has failed to heed growing community concern over its bill allowing religious discrimination.

After an exhausting two day debate, the Government this evening used its numbers to pass an exemption to the Anti-Discrimination Act allowing religious schools to discriminate against potential students on the grounds of their religion, despite a swath of concerns about the social, legal and constitutional impact of the legislation.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“The Government has failed to allay legitimate community concerns about this bad legislation.”

“In my view this is a Bigots’ Charter because it will allow prejudiced school authorities to turn away students for any number of tawdry reasons dressed up as ‘religious belief’.”

“It is is also likely to breach the Tasmanian Constitution according to Australia’s leading constitutional law academic, Professor George Williams.”

“We will now work with other community groups to ensure our concerns are heard by the Upper House.”

Concerns expressed about the exemption during the debate include

• it may allow discrimination against students with two mums or two dads, and against students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex
• it reduces the choice of Tasmanian parents about where they send their children to school
• as in other states, it will lead to lengthy and expensive court battles for religious schools where they will have to explain what their religious beliefs actually are
• it is likely to violate section 46 of the Tasmanian Constitution which protects every Tasmanian citizen from discrimination on the grounds of religion

The earliest the bill can be debated in the Upper House is the end of May.

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