Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Rice for the question. Senator Rice, the premise that you have put in relation to the Religious Discrimination Bill, which the Prime Minister today introduced into the House of Representatives, is wrong. It is actually wrong. You would be aware that Australia is a religiously and culturally diverse country. We have an age discrimination act, we have a racial discrimination act, we have a disability discrimination act and—as you know, Senator Rice—we have a sex discrimination act. But what we currently don't have in this country is protection for people of faith and those who don't have faith. We seek to fill that gap. Senator Rice, you would already be aware that, under the Sex Discrimination Act, these protections, or exemptions, for religious bodies have been in place for many, many years and supported by both sides of parliament. In fact, in 2013 Mr Dreyfus, when he was the Attorney-General, made amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act but ensured at the same time that the protections for religious bodies were maintained.

In relation to the Religious Discrimination Bill, this is about protecting from discrimination people of faith and those who don't have a faith. The summation you have put to the Senate, Senator Rice, is just wrong.