Faith leaders and the federal Coalition warn the Northern Territory Government’s push to protect religious freedoms would only restrict the right of schools to employ teachers who embody their values. Source: The Australian.
The legislation, acting on an election promise by the NT’s Country Liberal Party to restore freedom of speech and religion, will bolster the rights of schools to hire staff from their own faith but fall short of requiring teachers to live by the religious ethos outside work hours.
As the NT Government legislation threatens to reignite political debate about the need to legislate a commonwealth religious protection bill, NT senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has called on governments to resist intervening in the ability of faith-based schools to educate students on the basis of their values.
The warning comes amid expectations that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s hand-picked special envoy on Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, will table his report into anti-Muslim bigotry this month, which could reignite the national debate about religious discrimination.
After the Morrison government’s push to pass a religious discrimination bill collapsed in 2022, in part over the rights of religious schools to uphold their values, Mr Albanese abandoned the reforms last year over a lack of consensus.
Senator Price said the “highest threshold” should be in place for government intervention in religious schools, with education institutions being required to educate students based on the expectations of parents.
“Whether it’s here in the Territory, or in states around the nation, schools should be, first and foremost, delivering an education based on the expectations of parents,” she said.
“This is especially important for parents who send their children to faith-based schools to be educated in accordance with the values of that faith.”
Freedom for Faith chair and Anglican Bishop of South Sydney, Michael Stead, said the legislation would restrict schools’ abilities to hire staff who genuinely upheld the faith-based values of the institution.
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Loss of faith: Leaders warn against NT religious freedom reforms (By Rhiannon Down, The Australian)
