Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Consumers make an informed choice to select a service provider such as a school, an aged-care facility or a hospital identified as being associated with that religion because they have an expectation that the service will be provided according to the ethos of that religion. The legislation contains safeguards to ensure that statements of belief made in good faith are protected only to the extent that they are not malicious, vilifying or inciteful. Provided that a statement of belief is not intended to harass or intimidate, the individual making it must be protected from discrimination.

In our society, with free speech comes civic responsibilities. Free speech does not exist in a vacuum. Many religious texts are thousands of years old and contain idioms and metaphors, the meaning of which have changed over time. Their literal meanings must be interpreted with care and caution. Common sense and the reasonableness test must always apply in the interpretation of legislation. Making an honest statement of belief in a social environment during the course of one's daily activities must be protected. Individuals must not face sanctions such as the loss of employment, loss of licence or loss of professional registration for expressing their religious beliefs in good faith.

As a Christian, I seek your indulgence in making reference to a very important statement of belief to me, the Nicene Creed, which dates back to 381 AD. This forms the defining statement of belief of mainstream Christianity, which is almost universally adhered to by most Christian denominations. This legislation will protect in law Christians expressing their belief, as they have done for the past 2,000 years. Millions of Christians around the world recite the Creed in church services each week as their legitimate statement of belief. Permit me to read a version from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by

the holy Ghost, Born of the virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius

Pilate, Was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into Hell, The

third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven,

And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From

thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in

the holy Ghost, The holy Catholick Churche, The Communion of

Saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And

the life everlasting. Amen.

This creed forms the fundamental basis of the Christian faith. There is nothing extreme about it, and Christians ought to have the freedom to be able to express these beliefs free from discrimination in their homes, workplaces and community. This legislation enshrines this freedom in law. There is nothing objectionable in this statement of belief, made in good faith. Not everyone may agree with it, but this bill will defend the rights of Christians to express their beliefs free from discrimination, detriment or harassment from non-believers.

This legislation was drafted after extensive consultation with key stakeholders and faith leaders by the Attorney-General, who dedicated herself to working with all parties in a spirit of cooperation to maintain the integrity of the legislation. Our government ought to protect the right of Australians to worship freely according to their faith, beliefs, values and conscience. The exception is in the instances where hate, violence or illegal acts against others are incited. Simply disagreeing with the religious views of another person or group of persons should not be grounds for discrimination against them in the workplace or in broader society.

In summary, although we live in a tolerant society, there are many instances of religious discrimination in Australia, which this legislation aims to address. It is the intent of this bill to provide legal protections for people based on their religion in line with the existing legislation in place, which protects individuals based on other attributes such as their age, sex, race or disability. I commend the bill to the House.

See this speech in context