THE Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has alerted Queenslanders to plans by the Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG) has invited feedback from Queenslanders on a proposed new Anti-Discrimination Bill 2024 which will restrict the practice of religious belief and activity in work and education.
The Bill would give the Queensland Labor Party the opportunity to repeat the actions of the ACT Labor-Green coalition who ruthlessly and dishonestly, by legislation, seized the Calvary Hospital, a Catholic institution, last year. The 44-year-old hospital was established before the ACT government.
Calvary Public Hospital was funded by the ACT government and operated as a Catholic healthcare provider under the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary. Labor and the Greens despised the hospital because if refused to provide abortions or “full reproductive health services in accordance with human rights”.
Meanwhile Queensland Labor has given Queenslanders only until 5pm Friday 22 March to respond. They plan to push their new proposals through before the election in October. This legislation is the moral equivalent of a fire department being forced to employ arsonists.
The ACL says a stated purpose of the bill is to remove key exceptions for religious bodies which allow them to hire and operate according to their faith and ethos. Theoretically a religious school could be prosecuted for employing a person advocating faith in preference to a militant atheist.
“The Queensland Government want to dictate whether or not a position in a Christian school requires a person who conforms to the faith of the organisation, or whether it sits outside that purview,” warns the ACL’s Queensland state director Rob Norman.
“The new Act would prohibit faith-based schools and organisations from the right to select staff who align with their religious belief, unless it is deemed that observance of the religion is a genuine occupational requirement.
“A science teacher is used as an example of someone who would not need to be an adherent of the faith of the school. This entirely misses the point of Christianity which is a lived faith – we teach by word and life and example. Every subject in a school curriculum is relevant to a Christian worldview, not just chapel or religious instruction classes.”
The ACL, which represents many Christian denominations in the political sphere, maintains Christianity is a living faith. “It is not something that can be privatised, or sectioned, excluded in our workplace and educational institutions. Christian beliefs shape our values, our character and our convictions in every area of life,” Mr Norman said.
He said the Queensland Government’s discussion paper says they want to strike the right balance, and yet go on to state that, “in order to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of others, the freedom to manifest religion or belief (which includes through religious instruction, worship, observance and practice) may be subject to restriction.”
“It’s important that we let the Queensland Government and the Queensland Human Rights Commission that there is no hierarchy of human rights. All human rights have equal status.,” he said.
“The Queensland government seem intent on restricting freedom of religion in our State. Please speak up for freedom of belief and conscience, for parents to have the right to choose their child’s education, and for Queensland to remain free to practice and share your faith.”
The ACL urges supporters to this link to send a quick email voicing your concern to the Premier, the Attorney General, the Opposition Leader and Shadow Attorney General, along with your local member.
A major religious freedom issue pursued by the ACL arose in the Australian Capital Territory when the government there “compulsorily acquired “ the Calvary Hospital run by the Catholic Church.
The Hospital’s injunction to stop the takeover by the ACT Government was dismissed by the Supreme Court last year, and according to the ACL the decision revealed that the ordinary person or business has little to no protection against a state determined to impose its ideological views on its people.
“This takeover is just the latest example of the urgent need to defend religious freedom in Australia. Together, we must continue to oppose any attempt by governments to seize control of faith-based institutions and erode religious freedom,” the ACL said.