Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

What have you ever done? Not a thing! And in 2013, Labor expanded the protections under the Sex Discrimination Act to cover sexual orientation and gender identity. We did that in 2013, with those opposite supporting the legislation that retained the discrimination exemptions to the Sex Discrimination Act that were there from the time that the SDA was written in 1984. Those opposite have been very conveniently forgetting that in the debate this week. They have been pretending that we inserted discrimination into the act. We extended protections that were welcomed at that time by the LGBTI community.

Now it's time to take the next step. I'm proud that we on this side are ready to take that next step; yes, in favour of removing discrimination against children—and we welcome the support of those opposite on that—but also to remove discrimination against adults, because if it's not right to discriminate against kids then it's not right to discriminate against adults.

The government are saying that they can't change this until we've released and debated the Ruddock review. Well, I mean, honestly? This government has had that review for five months. It cannot be so hard to read that they need longer to have the review sitting on their desks. Philip Ruddock; Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM; Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett AO SC; Father Frank Brennan SJ AO; and Professor Dr Nicholas Aroney received 15,500 submissions. They've obviously given some thought to this issue of religious schooling. We would love to be able to benefit from the consideration that these eminent Australians have given this issue. Why can't we? We can't because it's not politically convenient for the government to release this review before the Wentworth by-election. Nobody thinks for a second that if this had not been leaked last week we would have any inkling of what the recommendations are. The fact that it was leaked was very inconvenient for the government, but it has brought this debate on. Let's have it with the full benefit of this report.

The government should immediately release the review to give this parliament and the Australian community the benefit of the thinking of these eminent Australians, because if the government are sincere in saying they want to see legislation introduced this week then that legislation could rightly comprehend not just students but also teachers and school staff. We are up for that conversation. I've held discussions with representatives of religious schools and I'll continue to do so, but their very clear message is that they don't want to discriminate against students. They don't discriminate against teachers and school staff. I've got to say this: I think it is beyond time that we deal with this—one of the last areas of discrimination against LGBTI Australians. It is beyond time that we get this done, and all we hear from those opposite is delay, excuse and obfuscation.

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