Melbourne Archbishop Peter A. Comensoli has backed the Coalition’s proposal to amend Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act to allow religious schools to hire staff on the basis of faith. Source: Guardian Australia.
Archbishop Comensoli said he supported the Victorian opposition’s election pledge, arguing “any leader who supports fairness to religious organisations is simply doing the right thing by all Australians”.
He said faith-based organisations “should be protected by the law, so that they can employ staff who support their faith, values and mission”.
However, Emiliano Zucchi, chief executive of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, said the peak body did not support the opposition’s proposed change.
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria had not raised amending the existing laws during its regular meetings with government and opposition MPs, while Independent Schools Victoria and the Independent Education Union were not consulted by the Coalition.
The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria’s executive director, Jim Miles, said the sector’s schools had “always sought the religious right to employ staff who support the ethos of our schools”.
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Catholic archbishop backs Victorian Liberals’ proposed religious discrimination changes (Adeshola Ore and Benita Kolovos, Guardian Australia)
