Amnesty International has written to the Australian Federal Attorney-General Michaelia Cash regarding the soon to be introduced Religious Discrimination Bill, expressing concerns about the Bills scope to to wind back hard fought protections for LGBTQIA+ people, women, people with disabilities and even other people of faith by allowing people to use religion to discriminate against others.
The Religious Discrimination Bill provides protection and preferential treatment to religious beliefs or activities at the expense of other fundamental human rights. Amnesty is concerned that if the Bill is passed, it would endanger access to essential services such as health, education, accommodation, aged care and compromise safe and inclusive workplaces.
People of faith must be protected against discrimination, vilification and persecution based on their religious beliefs. Yet this Bill privileges religious belief over other human rights, flipping anti-discrimination law on its head. The rights of one group cannot come at the expense of the rights of others.
