The Greens will introduce bill to remove religious exemptions

The Greens leader Richard Di Natale has announced his plans to introduce a private members bill that will remove the provisions with allow religious based schools to expel gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, and fire teachers who reveal their sexuality or gender history.

Di Natale said there was no need for the exemptions in modern Australian society and they should be removed.

“I don’t believe that people should be free to discriminate on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, we’re in the 21st century, not the 1950’s” The Greens leader told Sky News earlier today.

“The reality is we, as a secular nation, need to make a very clear statement about the values that we uphold. There shouldn’t be any exemptions.” Di Natale said.

“If people want to show that we uphold those secular values, then the way to do that is to abolish discrimination – wherever it occurs, within our community, in business and in our schools.

Di Natale said the amendment to the sex discrimination act that he will be putting forward will stop discrimination “anywhere, anytime, any place.”

OIP Staff