Media release – Equality Tasmania, 19 November 2021
TAS PREMIER’S STAND AGAINST FEDERAL DISCRIMINATION OVERRIDE WELCOMED
Tasmanian advocates have welcomed Premier Peter Gutwein’s opposition to a federal override of the state’s gold-standard Anti-Discrimination Act.
The Federal Government’s proposed Religious Discrimination Bill takes aim at Tasmania’s provision against humiliating, intimidating and other bullying behaviour, as well as its law protecting LGBTIQ+ staff from discrimination in faith-based organisations.
Tasmania is the only state with these provisions.
Yesterday, Mr Gutwein told a media conference, “We don’t want to see our anti-discrimination laws weakened. The Commonwealth is well aware of that. I understand that they’re taking on board our concerns and we’ll have further discussions with them.” (media report attached)
Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said, “The federal Religious Discrimination Bill specifically targets Tasmania more than the other states because we have the nation’s best anti-discrimination laws.”
“The provisions on the chopping block have been in place for decades, and in that time have helped create a much more inclusive and tolerant Tasmania, so I am bewildered why the Federal Government suddenly wants to weaken them.”
“I applaud the Premier’s comments and call on him to do all he can to protect the Anti-Discrimination Act and the more inclusive Tasmania that Act has fostered.”
Disability Voices Tasmania spokesperson, Fiona Strahan, said, “People with disability have a lot to lose from the proposed federal override because the biggest proportion of complaints about humiliating, intimidating and other bullying behaviour are from people with disability, and too much of the humiliation and intimidation we experience is in the name of religion.”
“Now is the time for all Tasmanians to stand up for our Anti-Discrimination Act and the more inclusive Tasmania it has helped forge for people with disability.”
According to news reports, the proposed Religious Discrimination Bill will single out Tasmania by overriding two landmark discrimination provisions that are only found in the island state.
The first is section 17(1) of the Anti-Discrimination Act. It prevents humiliating, intimidating, insulting, ridiculing and other bullying behaviour on a range of grounds, with the highest proportion of complaints being from people with disability.
The second provision in the Anti-Discrimination Act prevents discrimination against LGBTIQ+ employees of faith-based organisations including schools, hospitals and charities. This provision has been in place for almost a quarter of a century.
The Religious Discrimination Bill will reportedly allow humiliation etc if it is in the name of religion, and will allow faith-based organisations to refuse to hire and to fire employees solely on the grounds of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Mr Croome said LGBTIQ+ employees who felt safe to come out in Tasmanian faith-based workplaces will be at great risk if the reported federal override passes.
