Government senators on the inquiry into the religious discrimination bills have recommended it pass with minor amendments, and say it should be the role of future governments to "monitor the impacts" of contentious provisions allowing "statements of belief" and overriding state-based protections against discrimination in employment by faith-based bodies.
Tasmania's government and NGOs - including unions - have united in opposition to the proposed Religious Discrimination Bill because of provisions that override "gold standard" State anti-discrimination legislation that protects LGBTIQ+ employees in faith-based workplaces.
A senior Attorney-General's official has denied that the department failed to comply with its obligation to act with "honesty and integrity" when it asserted in the Religious Discrimination Bill's explanatory memorandum that the "statements of belief" provisions had no effect on other laws.
The "statement of beliefs" provisions in the Morrison Government's religious discrimination legislation would enable a "free-for-all" to make degrading, hostile and harmful comments in the workplace, a parliamentary inquiry heard today.
WA IR Minister Stephen Dawson says he is urgently seeking Federal IR Minister Michaelia Cash's agreement to having the McGowan Government regulate all WA local government workers, following yesterday's passage of legislation overhauling the State IR system.
The newly-announced review of the 1973 Maternity Leave Act provides an opportunity for the Federal Government to resume its role as a pacesetter, according to Sydney University's Professor Marian Baird.
The Morrison Government's religious discrimination legislation permits faith-based employers to discriminate against workers on the basis of their "religious belief or activity" if it is connected to their position as an employee or prevents them performing inherent requirements.
Unions and employer organisations will be barred from refusing membership or the benefits of it on the basis of religious beliefs or activity, but faith-based organisations will be allowed to engage in biased employment practices under the Morrison Government's proposed religious discrimination legislation, which is likely to be introduced to Federal Parliament tomorrow.
The Attorney-General's Department will open a consultation process in December on six of the outstanding recommendations in Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins' landmark Respect@Work report, but the Opposition says the timeline leaves no room for legislation ahead of the federal election, expected by May.
The resource sector's peak body has backed Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins' call for the Morrison Government to include her "positive duty" recommendation in the Respect at Work legislation.
