Media release – various groups, 2 December 2021
COMMUNITY GROUPS FORM ALLIANCE TO DEFEND TASMANIA’S GOLD-STANDARD ANTI-BIAS LAW
GROUPS SEEK SUPPORT FOR STATEMENT CONDEMNING OVERRIDE
A coalition of Tasmanian community organisations has formed to stop the proposed override of the state’s gold-standard Anti-Discrimination by the federal Religious Discrimination Bill.
The groups have launched a community statement which they hope a wide range of community organisations and prominent Tasmanians will endorse (see below).
Spokesperson and former Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, said:
“Tasmania has more to lose than any other state because our Anti-Discrimination Act is the strongest in the nation.”
“Protections from humiliating and offensive conduct, and from discrimination by faith-based organisations, which have been in place up to 23 years, are threatened by the Religious Discrimination Act.”
“These protections have fostered a fairer and more inclusive Tasmania. Rather than weakening our Anti-Discrimination Act, the federal government should adopt it as a national standard.”
“We have come together as representatives of diverse communities to say with one voice that we won’t allow a roll-back of the Anti-Discrimination Act, and we won’t allow Tasmania’s journey toward greater inclusion and fairness to be threatened.”
“We will be seeking support for our statement from a broad range of community groups and prominent Tasmanians in order to show that Tasmania is united behind the Anti-Discrimination Act and the values it represents.”
The coalition is made up of the following groups:
Disability Voices Tasmania
The Multi-Cultural Council of Tasmania
Women’s Health Tasmania
Unions Tasmania
Family Planning Tasmania
Equality Tasmania
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[COMMUNITY STATEMENT LAUNCHED TODAY]
EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL, NOT SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR SOME
Tasmania’s gold-standard Anti-Discrimination Act is the best in Australia and has made Tasmania a better place for everyone.
People with disability and people from multicultural backgrounds are protected from humiliation and denigration.
Teachers in faith-based schools are protected from being sacked because they are gay or in a de-facto relationship.
Nurses can work in faith-based hospitals if they are unmarried parents.
People of faith also have some of the strongest protections in Australia.
Our workplaces, schools and hospitals are safer and more inclusive.
The Anti-Discrimination Act sends the message that abuse and mistreatment is unacceptable, no matter who you are, who you love, where you work, or what faith you have.
The Federal Religious Discrimination Bill will trash all that by giving some people a special right to treat others badly.
It will allow denigration and discrimination if it is in the name of faith.
It will take away discrimination protections that have been in place for almost a quarter century.
It will foster discrimination against people with disability, LGBTIQ+ people, religious and cultural minorities, unmarried partners and women.
It will take our state backwards.
Stand up for Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act and the fairer Tasmania is has fostered.
Stand up for the rights of Tasmanians to make our own human rights laws without Canberra overriding them.
Oppose the Religious Discrimination Bill.
Media release – TasCOSS, 2 December 2021
Tasmania’s nation-leading anti-discrimination protections under threat
TasCOSS is urging all Tasmanian politicians to stand up and speak out against the proposed Religious Discrimination Bill currently before Parliament, which if passed will override Tasmania’s nation-leading anti-discrimination laws, cause considerable harm and division in the community, and put vulnerable children at risk.
TasCOSS CEO Ms Adrienne Picone said as the only state that protects its citizens from objectively humiliating, intimidating, insulting, ridiculing and offensive behaviour, Tasmanians have the most to lose if the Religious Discrimination Bill is passed.*
“The Religious Discrimination Bill would override these hard-fought for protections, allowing harmful statements in the name of religion,” Ms Picone said.
“The proposed bill would also have the biggest impact on Tasmanians living with a disability, who currently make up one-third of discrimination complaints, along with women, older Tasmanians and racial minorities.
“We support fair and equal discrimination laws, which protect us all equally, rather than laws which privilege the right to religious beliefs over other rights.”
Ms Picone said if it became law, the Religious Discrimination Bill could also jeopardise the jobs of hard working Tasmanians, potentially putting vulnerable children at risk and making it harder for everyday Tasmanians to access services.
“Allowing our state’s strong laws which protect against discrimination to be overruled would cause considerable harm in our community and undermine the strong culture of diversity and inclusion that Tasmanians have fought so long and hard to build,” she said. “For example, under this bill a support worker could tell their client their disability is a ‘punishment from God’.
“If passed, this bill would override existing Tasmanian protections against discrimination for people who work in faith-based schools. Of equal concern is the bill could allow for faith-based services to be denied to some clients.
“TasCOSS is calling on all Tasmanian politicians to contact their federal colleagues to highlight the disproportionate damage this bill would have on Tasmania if passed and urge them to vote against this bill.
“Let’s not allow our inclusive anti-discrimination protections, that Tasmanians have fought so hard for, to be overruled by legislation that doesn’t treat all Tasmanians fairly.”
* For more information, refer to section 17(1) of the Anti-Discrimination Act.
