Chris Burns, Luke Gosling, Jane Aagaard, Charles Gauci attend protest against Anti-Discrimination Bill

Respected former Labor government ministers have called for changes to the Anti-Discrimination Bill to be halted. Find out why.

A former Territory Labor attorney-general says the NT government should delay its contentious anti-discrimination legislation until a federal government review is complete.

Chris Burns, the long-time member for the Darwin seat of Johnston and former attorney-general, joined dozens of protesters on the steps of St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday morning to argue against the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill.

Former Member for Nightcliff and speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jane Aagaard also stood with protesters in sweltering heat while Solomon MHR Luke Gosling watched on as Catholic Bishop Charles Gauci warned that the Bill would remove religious freedoms and hit human rights in the Northern Territory.

Protesters assembled on the steps of St Mary's Cathedral to protest against Territory Labor's Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill

Bishop Gauci criticised the government for failing to consult with stakeholders and said the Bill threatened the existence of faith-based schools.

“If we cannot have proper Catholic schools, and I’m sure that would be true for any other of the faith schools as well, if you cannot be authentic, what’s the point of having it? Just as well close it,” he said.

Bishop Gauci said the Catholic Church did not discriminate based on sexuality and would employ gay teachers.

‘I’m not about discriminating anyone about their sexuality. If they are respecting the ethos and the teachings of the Church within that school, I’m not gong to examine their private life and secret lives. It’s none of my business.

“If a person is gay or whatever and are respectful of our ethos of course, they are human beings. We love them. We respect them – students, teachers whatever. We’re not about discriminating against people in that sense.

About 60 protesters assemble at St Mary’s Cathedral to protest anti-discrimination changes.

“When they come to our school the teaching they uphold in the public stance needs to be in-line and respectful, not criticising or undermining what we teach.”

Mr Burns said some of the proposed Bill “looks like a grievance wandering about looking for offence”.

He called on Attorney-General Chansey Paech to wait until an Australian Law Reform Commission report into what changes should be made to anti-discrimination laws was complete.

“I’m very surprised the government is pushing ahead with this legislation when commonwealth Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has got a review to report back and legislate next year on these issues.

“Bearing in mind commonwealth legislation overrides and supersedes Territory legislation, I think it would be wise for the government to hold off on this legislation and wait to see the outcome of the commonwealth review.

“I think there’s a lot of challenges in the Northern Territory and Indigenous disadvantage is one of those major challenges and education is the key.

“I’m just dumbfounded. Why would you pick a fight with some of the major providers of Indigenous education in the Territory?”

Solomon MHR Luke Gosling watched on as protesters try to up-end Territory Labor's Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill

Ms Aagaard said that as a practising Anglican who believed in freedom of religion and freedom of speech, she held serious concerns about the provisions in the legislation around insults.

“I’m concerned that places of worship in particular could suddenly become a place where there could be people who feel that they’re insulted or offended and can disrupt things and take legal action,” she said.

“This seems to be crazy and way beyond normal feelings of ill towards somebody of a religious belief. I also think it’s ludicrous if you have a religious school not to try to employ people who believe in the ethos of that school.

“You don’t have to be Christian, you don’t have to be Catholic, you don’t have to be anything but you just have to agree that you will work within the ethos of the school and it seems to have worked quite well. I don’t agree with any discrimination in school and this hasn’t been happening in the Northern Territory to my best knowledge.”

Territory Labor is expected to use its numbers in the single-chamber Legislative Assembly to vote the changes through this week’s Parliamentary sittings.

The changes include reforms around offending people and making representative complaints of discrimination and a “vilification provision” making it an offence to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone or a group.

Deputy Opposition Leader Gerard Maley said the CLP would oppose the Bill.

A spokeswoman for Mr Paech said the legislation would not be delayed.