Healthcare and equality for all would be jeopardised by deeply unbalanced Religious Discrimination Bill
People’s healthcare will be undermined, while religious bodies are given unprecedented privileges to discriminate in the revised Religious Discrimination Bill, the Human Rights Law Centre has warned in a submission to the Attorney-General’s Department.
Adrianne Walters, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the current Bill alarmingly elevates freedom of religion above the right to access healthcare.
“This proposed law will make it harder for Australians to access the healthcare they need. Women and LGBTIQ+ people seeking healthcare shouldn’t have to fear being judged and abandoned by their doctor,” said Walters.
The Human Rights Law Centre has condemned changes to the Bill that expand unprecedented privileges for religious freedom at the expense of rights to equality, non-discrimination and health for all.
“This proposed law prioritises the personal religious views of doctors who object to providing health services over their patient’s health. It is inconsistent with the ethical and professional duties of doctors and will make it harder for people to access essential healthcare, like emergency contraception and abortion. Our laws should protect all, rather than privileging a few,” said Walters.
The Morrison Government’s proposed law has also been revised to give religious bodies, including charities, schools and hospitals, a greater licence to discriminate against people of different or no religion.
“The Bill should protect people of faith from discrimination, not give religious bodies a new licence to discriminate against others. The Morrison Government needs to go back to the drawing board and redraft the bill so that it doesn’t enable new forms of discrimination,” said Walters.
Walters also expressed concern about further delays in ending discrimination against LGBTIQ+ children in religious schools.
“It’s outrageous that children can still be discriminated against by religious schools because of their sexuality or gender identity. If anything, this law would gives greater power to religious schools to discriminate. The Prime Minister should act on his commitment in 2018 and make sure no child is discriminated against by their school because of who they are,” said Walters.
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