Anthony Albanese changes his position on religious discrimination reforms: now open to negotiating with Greens

Anthony Albanese has changed his position on the passage of religious discrimination reforms and is now leaving open the option of negotiating an outcome with the Greens instead of the Coalition.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Caucus room at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese has changed his position on the passage of religious discrimination reforms and is now leaving open the option of negotiating an outcome with the Greens instead of the Coalition, if the minor party supports the rights of people of faith to practise their religion.

In a significant concession, the Prime Minister told his caucus on Tuesday there were two pathways forward after one of his colleagues expressed their concern about the future of the changes, particularly for LGBTQI+ children.

Last week Mr Albanese said he wouldn’t proceed with reforms to religious freedoms – a key election promise – if Peter Dutton didn’t offer bipartisan support.

“The PM responded ‘we are concerned about all the forms of discrimination. If the Greens are willing to support the rights of people to practise their faith, then that would be a way forward, but we don’t currently have that’,” Mr Albanese said, according to a caucus spokesman.

The Prime Minister offered examples of discrimination the government didn’t want to see, including a woman in Bankstown having a hijab removed or a Jewish student being harassed, or a student being discriminated against “because of who they are”, in reference to their gender or sexuality.

“I do not want to see a reckless debate without achieving an outcome,” Mr Albanese said, according to the spokesman.

“There are two pathways, either with support from the Greens or with support for the opposition.”