Proposed changes to Queensland law would ‘betray’ faith communities

Proposed changes to the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act would be a “betrayal of all faith communities” in the state, an open letter from Queensland Churches Together has warned. Source: The Catholic leader.

Current law in Queensland allows religious schools and organizations to make employment decisions and select and maintain a workforce that broadly upholds their beliefs, practices and moral beliefs.

The changes introduced by the Miles government in response to recommendations from the Queensland Human Rights Commission limit these powers.

Religious organizations could favor their employment decisions only “on the basis of religious belief or religious activity,” and only when religious belief and religious activity are a “genuine occupational requirement.”

Queensland Churches Together, of which the Archdiocese of Brisbane is a signatory, argues in its submission to the inquiry that it would fall to a secular court to decide which roles in a religious organization have a religious belief or activity as a “genuine occupational requirement”.

They argue that this “entails a significant risk of imposing a secular perspective on a theological issue, which would seriously undermine the religious freedom of groups.”

In his contribution to the study, Alex Deagon, a law professor at Queensland University of Technology, said the narrow standard of “genuine occupational requirements” perpetuates the stereotype that “only a principal and a chaplain need to be religious” at a religious school.

“A culture of faith requires a critical mass of employees who share the beliefs and practices that underpin the school,” he wrote.

“Furthermore, the explicit prohibition of discrimination on the basis of other characteristics, such as sexuality characteristics, ignores the fact that there are religious beliefs and practices around sex that can make people unsuitable for work in a religious context.”

Queensland Churches Together said faith communities participated in the government’s review “in good faith” but their concerns had not been listened to.

“We pointed out the need to protect all human rights and proposed solutions,” they said.

“None of our concerns, nor suggestions for a positive path forward, are addressed in this bill.”

FULL STORY

Queensland churches call proposals for anti-discrimination law a ‘betrayal’ (by Joe Higgins, The Catholic leader)

RELATED COVERAGE

Catholic, Muslim and Jewish leaders condemn proposed anti-discrimination in Queensland (The Australian)