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

I rise to support the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and associated legislation. Australian society is diverse and multicultural in nature. It is made up of immigrants from more than 200 different nations around the world, with very different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. It is a credit to our tolerant society that Australians from varied cultures have been able to live together peaceably and in relative harmony, compared with the many countries in the world which are marred by civil unrest and conflict. Although we live in a tolerant society, there have been recent instances of discrimination in Australia based on religion, as reported in the media, which this legislation aims to address. It is the intent of this bill to add further protections for people based on their religion, in line with the existing legislation in place, which protects individuals based on attributes such as their age, sex, race or disability.

Religion is important to Australians. The 2016 Census of Population and Housing revealed that 61 per cent of the Australian population, which equates to 14 million people, are affiliated with a religion or spiritual belief. Christianity is the dominant religion in Australia, with 12 million people, and 86 per cent of religious Australians, identifying as Christians. However, just over two million Australians observe a religion other than Christianity, accounting for 14 per cent of religious people, or eight per cent of the total population. As a migrant nation, Australia is home to a diverse collection of people, and this is apparent through the wide variety of different religions recorded on the census. The most prominent non-Christian religions are Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism. Although Australia is a predominantly religious country, about one third of all Australians—30 per cent, or seven million people—indicated that they had either no religion or a secular belief, such as atheism, humanism or agnosticism. This legislation also aims to equally protect people who do not adhere to any faith.

My electorate, in the northern suburbs of Perth, with a large proportion of overseas born migrants, is home to many different faith communities. The world's mainstream religions have a lot in common when it comes to concepts such as morality, ethics and charity. However, there have been a number of instances of religious discrimination against people of faith, with unfair criticism of individuals for actively exercising their democratic right to participate in community affairs. For example, I have been subjected to personal attacks by the media over several years for being a Christian, as have a number of my supporters and colleagues. Political opponents have questioned the right of people of faith to participate in the political process and have used slurs to denigrate mainstream Christian beliefs by referring to my supporters and me as being part of a cult. This is why a religious discrimination bill is required—to give lawful protection to people of faith the right to participate in society.

In the current debate on religious freedom, it is important that we are respectful and tolerant of the religious beliefs of all Australians. The legislation before us may well be more accurately described as promoting religious harmony, as opposed to religious freedom. As a lifelong Christian I am a strong supporter of traditional family values, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and multiculturalism. Governments should not restrict the rights of Australians to worship freely according to their faith, beliefs, values and conscience, except in instances where hate, violence or illegal acts are incited. Simply disagreeing with the religious views of another person or group of persons should not be grounds for government intervention.

Religious freedom extends into the realm of cultural freedom, which is important in our multicultural society. Individuals must be free to live their lives according to deeply held beliefs and values, which are not only religious but cultural in nature, without impinging on the rights of others to exercise their rights and freedoms. For example, Christmas is both a religious and a cultural festival in nature. The freedom to believe in Christ and the freedom to celebrate with customary carols and festive traditions are religious and cultural freedoms which must be preserved.

Religious beliefs often guide our choices in life. There is a distinct difference between the notions of discernment and discrimination. Individuals must be free to discern what is good from what is bad. They must have the freedom to choose between what is right and wrong and to determine what is appropriate and inappropriate. These choices are quite distinct from discrimination which legislation seeks to curtail. Each day, we make discernments in our choices and our behaviour and with whom we choose to associate. These choices must not be confused with discrimination. Legislation and regulation should not infringe on basic human rights to discern. Discernment is often required with activities that are legal, such as moderation in the consumption of alcohol, in gambling or in smoking tobacco.

Individuals, parents and families should be free to express their values and beliefs to their children. This legislation provides the necessary legal protection to make law personal choices based on religious belief. Many families of faith in my electorate choose to send their children to private schools operated by religious institutions, because they see value in the religious ethos of the school as part of a well-rounded education which not only prepares students for the workforce but equips them with faith based values and life skills for adult life. These parents make considerable financial sacrifices to send their children to religious schools and are justified in their expectation that the school will uphold the faith, doctrines and tenets of the respective religion. Although I'm an Anglican, I completed my high school education at Aranmore Catholic College, run by the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Mercy, and I certainly benefited from the school's religious education program, which contributed to developing my Christian faith.

Similarly, at the other end of the life spectrum, many religious organisations operate aged-care facilities of a particular faith, and senior citizens feel more comfortable by being able to attend chapel services and observe within the facility the familiar traditions of festivals and holy days in keeping with their religious heritage. So it is not unreasonable for religious organisations to recruit staff who adhere or are sympathetic to a particular faith. The public is aware of the religious affiliation of the facility and has made a conscious choice to preference it over a secular service provider. The ability of religious institutions to preference applicants for employment who adhere to the faith, doctrines and tenets of the particular religion provides the opportunity for individual choice—

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