Coalition’s wary approach to religious freedom laws

Scott Morrison has been warned to tread carefully on religious freedoms.

A religious discrimination act, to be introduced to parliament this year, is a priority for the Morrison government. Picture: Kym Smith

Scott Morrison has been warned to tread carefully on religious freedoms, as Coalition MPs line up to receive highly confidential briefings on the Prime Minister’s religious discrimination bill.

More than 20 Coalition members and senators took part in Attorney-General Christian Porter’s first workshop at Parliament House on Friday, which comprised a two-hour PowerPoint presentation and questions about the proposed laws.

“We really need to think through very carefully all the potential unintended consequences of legislation in this space, as it can be a minefield,” Liberal MP Craig Kelly told The Australian.

Mr Kelly did not attend the first “religious freedom workshop”, as he had to return to his electorate of Hughes in southern Sydney, but plans to go to the second briefing, which he expects will be held in Sydney this week.

Other workshops are planned for Melbourne and Brisbane in coming weeks. One Canberra attendee, who asked not to be named, said the changes proposed by the bill were “substantial but sensible”, although he would reserve judgment until the final bill was circulated.

Others said they were impressed with Mr Porter’s presentation and felt confident he would be able to protect the rights of ordinary religious people, worried after the recent sacking of former Wallabies star Israel Folau.

NSW Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells launched a parliamentary petition last week to ensure “freedom to manifest one’s religion” would be limited only by the need to protect public safety, health or rights and freedoms of others. She said the ­Coalition could face voter backlash at the next election if they took a minimalist approach to ensuring religious freedoms.

A religious discrimination act, to be introduced to parliament this year, is a priority for the Morrison government after its flagship $158 billion tax cuts package passed with bipartisan support last week.

Mr Porter said the workshops were aimed at getting feedback and testing the bill’s “ultimate workability”. “I had a productive session with colleagues on the legislation to which the government committed in its response to the Ruddock review,” he said.

“The purpose is to ensure the final form of the legislation is the result of proper input and testing for its workability. Those consultations with colleagues will continue over coming weeks and then shift to religious bodies and other stakeholders, as the draft bill is refined in response to issues raised ahead of presentation to parliament.”

Anthony Albanese has noted a willingness to work with the government in forging a bipartisan approach to a religious discrimination law.