In 2019, the Attorney-General's Department proposed a second version of a proposed package of legislative reforms about religious freedom.
In summary, the APS supports the introduction of protection against discrimination on the grounds of religious activity and beliefs in line with protections on the grounds of race, sex, disability and age.
However, the second exposure drafts have not addressed the privileging of religious expression. The APS is concerned that the Religious Discrimination Bill in its current form would provide protection to religious belief or activity at the expense of other rights, and furthermore would lead to adverse health outcomes.
The APS is also concerned about several areas of potential conflict between the proposed Religious Freedoms Bills and our professional Code of Ethics.
In alignment with our first submission in response to this legislative package, the APS continues to urge the Australian Government not to support laws that privilege religious interests over the interests of other Australians, such as LGBTQI+ people, women, and people with disability.
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