To the committee secretaries for the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and for the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee,

The Religious Discrimination Bill takes Australia backwards by allowing denigrating and discriminatory behaviour which most Australians abhor and which is presently prevented in some states.

This Bill was meant to prevent discrimination in the name of faith but actually allows discrimination in the name of faith.

This Bill is said to protect religious freedom but actually entrenches legal privilege for those with harmful prejudices.

The people who will lose rights, freedoms and dignity under this Bill are LGBTIQ+ people, people with disability, women, people in de facto relationships, members of minority cultural and religious communities, and anyone who traditionally faces stigma.

Inclusive workplaces, schools and community services will be undermined by demeaning and discriminatory statements.

For example, a principal could tell a female teacher that the role of women is to submit to their husbands, stay home and have babies.

Faith-based organisations like schools, hospitals, aged care homes and charities will be given the green light to discriminate against employees.

For example, a faith-based school could feel empowered to pry into the private lives of staff members who are LGBTIQ+ or in a de facto relationship.

Professional bodies won’t be able to stop religious statements that violate professional standards and risk safe access to vital professional services.

For example, a professional organisation for doctors could not deregister a doctor for continually making demeaning public comments about LGBTIQ+ people or other doctors who perform terminations.

State laws that presently disallow humiliating and offensive conduct will be overridden.

This means someone with disability in Tasmania, who has been protected from statements such as “you have a disability because your parents were sinners”, will no longer have any protection.

State laws that protect teachers in faith-based schools from discrimination will also be overridden.

This means LGBTIQ+ teachers in Tasmania, the ACT or Victoria who has been protected from discrimination will suddenly lose that protection.

The Religious Discrimination Bill will result in more discrimination, not less.

I condemn the Bill and urge you recommend it be discarded forthwith.