Cory Bernardi says religious freedom laws should strike balance

Doctors must be allowed to make faith-based calls on issues such as abortion, Cory Bernardi says.

Senator Cory Bernardi has spoken out on new religious freedom laws. Picture: AAP

Independent Senator Cory Bernardi has argued Australians should be free to criticise the behaviour of others if it doesn’t align with their views, while canvassing the potential for proposed religious freedom laws to cover those working in the medical profession.

Speaking on Sky News this morning, Senator Bernardi said he believed doctors shouldn’t be expected to perform an abortion, or refer a woman to have an abortion, if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.

“If you are a religious organisation and expect certain behaviours of those in your employ you should be free to uphold those standards,” he said.

“Just as I would argue in the case of a religious hospital — doctors shouldn’t be forced to perform an abortion or refer people for abortion.”

However, he acknowledged it was “very difficult” to codify legislation in a way that protects individual freedoms.

Federal cabinet will meet today to discuss draft proposals for federal laws that would protect faith-based organisations from vexatious cases launched through state anti-discrimination tribunals.

As revealed in today’s The Australian, Attorney-General Christian Porter’s proposals aim to provide religious groups with exemptions from discriminations laws, which the government argues will satisfy their demands and offer protection for faith-based schools.

Senator Bernardi told Sky News he had been assured by the Prime Minister and Mr Porter that the bill would “strike a balance”.

But the senator acknowledged legislating such freedoms was “a very fraught area” and Australians were living in a “brave new world” where one person’s rights seemed to supersede another.

“The minister and the Attorney-General assure me they’ll strike the balance with this bill and I hope that’s the case,” he said. “I’ll examine it when it’s ready.”

Labor frontbencher Stephen Jones said the right to practice faith should be protected.

“But we don’t want to be going down a path where we are fixing a problem that doesn’t exist ... and creates unintended consequences,” he told Sky News.