New laws to combat religious discrimination to be introduced

The government’s response to the Ruddock review will make it unlawful to discriminate against someone for their religious beliefs.

The government says the bill does not create a positive right to freedom of religion. Source: AAP

Religious discrimination will soon be unlawful in Australia under new laws announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday, as the government unveiled its long-awaited response to the Ruddock review.

The government will draft a new Religious Discrimination Act, making ‘religious beliefs’ a protected characteristic and extending similar protections to those that apply to race, age, gender, sexuality and disability.

But unlike the controversial Section 18C in the Racial Discrimination Act, it will not be unlawful to “offend, insult or humiliate” someone based on their religious beliefs.

 

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