Labor to move to prevent gay teachers being sacked from religious schools

Labor has announced it will move to prevent religious schools sacking gay teachers and staff, a further evolution after first Labor then the Coalition promised to prevent discrimination against students.

Students attend a class at Alexandria Park Community School in Sydney. Source: AAP Image/Paul Miller

The policy shift announced by Bill Shorten on Monday follows widespread backlash against religious schools’ right to discriminate on the grounds of sexuality after a leak of the Ruddock religious freedom review revealed the panel recommended entrenching exemptions to discrimination law, albeit with safeguards.

In a statement Shorten said he was pleased that “both sides of politics are now united in the view that exemptions allowing religious schools to discriminate against children should be removed”.

Australian voters have strongly rejected laws to allow religious schools to discriminate against gay students and teachers, in a widening political storm over special exemptions to be challenged in Parliament this week.

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