Northern Territory Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby yesterday introduced the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill to Parliament, reinstating an exception for religious schools to hire on the basis of faith and removing the word “offence” from vilification protections. Source: NT News.
The Northern Territory anti-discrimination watchdog has expressed concern over the proposed legislation, warning the reforms undermine the very purpose of the protections.
The proposed rewording means discriminatory conduct would have to “incite hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule” to be considered hate speech.
Ms Boothby said the changes aimed to strike the balance between safeguarding freedom of speech, religion, and belief and protecting Territorians from harm.
“We want Territorians to feel safe, and also free to speak their mind without fear,” she said.
It comes three years after the previous Labor government overhauled the Anti-Discrimination Act, which the Country Liberal Party said blurred the line between unlawful discrimination and everyday conversation.
The amendments also allow schools to discriminate when hiring, including for non-faith based roles such as math teachers, cleaners or admin staff.
Ms Boothby confirmed there had been no complaints from Territory schools in relation to the current hiring laws, but reforms allowed for schools “to be really confident” in choosing teachers based on faith.
Australian Association of Christian Schools chief executive Vanessa Cheng welcomed the reforms, as the Territory is the only place in Australia with “no legal protections for religious schools to employ people of the same faith”.
“We applaud the CLP government for taking this important step to fulfil their election commitment and restore fundamental human freedoms,” she said.
In contrast, the Independent Education Union said the changes did not reflect “modern community values” and it was evident religious schools had the “capacity and resilience to continue to operate in the absence of discrimination exemptions”.
FULL STORY
Anti-Discrimination commissioner speaks out as reforms introduced to NT Parliament (By Zizi Averill and Fia Walsh, NT News)
