Independent senator Jacqui Lambie says she has no intention of voting for the Religious Discrimination bill when it reaches the senate, declaring the legislation to be “dead on arrival”.

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The Tasmanian senator made the comment during an interview on Sky News this morning.

“I’m not voting for it” she told Sky News.

“I can’t speak for the other two crossbenchers, but what I’m hearing is when it comes to Senator Patrick and Senator Griff is, and they’ll have to come out and confirm themselves, but I don’t believe they have any intention for voting for it.”

“If they don’t, I would like to get that out on the table so the LGBTI community can have a bloody Merry Christmas and not have this hanging on their shoulders.” Lambie said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison introduced the bill into the parliament last Thursday. The long promised legislation is now on its third draft and the PM said the government had promised to pass it during this term of government. With only today remaining on the 2021 parliamentary calendar and only a handful of sitting days scheduled in early 2022 that is looking unlikely to happen.

Labor has indicated they will likely support the bill in the lower house, but have not guaranteed it passage through the senate.

It has been reported that the Prime Minister has s truck a deal with some of the moderate Liberals who had concerns over some elements of the bill, promising to separately fast-track changes to the Sex Discrimination act. The move means the bill may be debated in the House of Representatives today.

OIP Staff

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