Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This Racial Discrimination Bill in its current form is one that I honestly wish were not before the parliament. In our society, everyone—absolutely everyone—should be able to live free from discrimination, including people of faith. I don't want to see anyone treated unfairly, whether it's because of their gender, disability, sexuality, age or marital status or because they are pregnant. Likewise, I do not believe anyone should be discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. The fact that these bills were brought to the parliament with next to no consultation in the dying days of this term is an indication in itself of the Prime Minister's desperation to tragically weaponise this issue and unnecessarily create division and harm.

I was raised as a Christian. I have had ministers and missionaries in my family going back many generations. I was taught to love everyone, regardless of who they are or their beliefs. This bill does not represent that. Over recent days, hearing more and more from my constituents on this issue, I stand here tonight sick to the stomach about this bill. I want to thank publicly the hundreds and hundreds of people who have taken the time to contact me—individuals; family members concerned about children and grandchildren; teachers; churches; organisations—and I want to assure you that your comments have been heard loud and clear.

I have grave concerns about some aspects of the bill, particularly in relation to students, teachers and the vulnerable, and the lack of antivilification provisions. I became an MP to stand up for vulnerable people, but what is before us, which the coalition government has presented, is not that. I can accept that freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief is a fundamental human right. I can also accept the extension of the federal antidiscrimination framework to ensure people are not discriminated against because of their religious beliefs or activities, just as Commonwealth law currently prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, race, sex, gender identity, sex characteristics and sexual orientation. And I know that Labor governments across Australia have strong records when it comes to protecting people of faith against discrimination. But what I can't accept is this hasty bill. Even with the government's amendment, this bill has huge flaws and the potential to victimise some of our most vulnerable people—including our young people.

While I would dearly like to vote no to this bill, because it just doesn't pass the pub test, I'm not going to. I'm not going to allow the Prime Minister and the coalition to weaponise religious discrimination. I'm going to do what Labor and Labor governments do. We will make this legislation right so that it does not discriminate or allow religious vilification. We will strengthen and protect our most vulnerable. We owe people that. I wholeheartedly support Labor's amendments to fix this bill, including to prohibit religious vilification and to prohibit discrimination against children on the grounds of sexuality and gender identity. I support making it clear that in-home aged-care service providers cannot discriminate on the basis of religion in the provision of aged-care services, and making it clear that the statement of belief provision does not remove or diminish any existing protections against discrimination. We will move our amendments in the House and the Senate. If any of our amendments are successful in either the House or the Senate, we will insist on them.

Before the last election the Prime Minister promised to make it unlawful to discriminate against all students. He should deliver on that promise, and agreed to Labor's amendments. He also made an election commitment to work across the parliament, in the spirit of bipartisanship, to introduce a religious discrimination bill. He broke that promise and is now trying to rush through this bill. I remain hopeful that, either here in the House or in the Senate, Labor's amendments will get up because it's the right thing to do. But notwithstanding that, I affirm our commitment that in government we will legislate to prevent discrimination against people of faith and we will act to protect all children and teachers from discrimination. I ask members from across the political divide, in the spirit of bipartisanship and to protect our most vulnerable, please support Labor's amendments.

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