Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Obviously, in the light of the leaking of the Ruddock report, there has been quite a flurry of activity around this particular subject, and concern about laws in this place in recent times. It's worth reflecting, of course, that until the report was leaked so many people were pretty much unaware of the laws as they exist at the moment. But I, like other members in this House and other members in the government, completely reject discrimination of all types, including on sexuality.

At the moment, religious schools do have the right to discriminate against both students and teachers on the basis of sexuality, which, as I said, was something most Australians were blissfully unaware of until the last week or so. In fact, the ability to do so was legislated in 2013 by the Labor Party, and that position was supported as recently as January this year by their deputy leader. So at that stage there was no great urgency to change things.

I'm not aware of any schools within Grey—indeed, I don't think any have been raised Australia-wide—that have actually been discriminating on this basis or been using those laws. If there is—certainly, on my own patch—I will be highly surprised. But because of the leaks, apparently, it needs to be fixed yesterday.

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