Anti-discrimination changes on hold

CHANGES to the state’s AntiDiscrimination Act have stalled with debate on the Government’s Bill delayed until at least mid-August.

Not wanting to risk a possible third legislative defeat in the Upper House in a week, the Government set the Bill aside until after Parliament’s seven-week winter break.

The Liberals’ amendments to the Act seek to broaden protections against being prosecuted for offending people, particularly in the context of state and national debates on issues including same-sex marriage.

Offending someone on the grounds of their sexuality, for instance, would be defendable if done for a “religious purpose” under the changes. The changes were proposed in the interests of freedom of speech.

Churches had pushed for the changes, including the section prohibiting “offending” people.

However, groups representing the legal and multicultural communities, people with disabilities, the LGBTI community and others have strongly urged MLCs to reject the changes for fear they will lead to increased hate speech.

Former Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks also warned against the changes, saying a time of increasingly extreme political rhetoric was not the time to water down protections for vulnerable people.

The next opportunity for the Bill to face a vote will be when Parliament resumes in mid-August.

The Bill has been with the Upper House since November and debate has been repeatedly pushed back.

The amendments are considered to be at high risk of failure with Labor opposed and several independent MLCs expressing doubt about the need for the changes.

Rather than debating the Anti-Discrimination Bill yesterday, the Legislative Council’s last sitting afternoon for seven weeks was spent debating planned legislation to address neighbourhood disputes over trees.