Israel Folau: Barnaby Joyce says sports stars should be allowed to voice views

Barnaby Joyce says contracts that stop sports stars from voicing contrary views are “ridiculous”.

Barnaby Joyce says Israel Folau should have the right to air ‘dopey’ views.

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce says contracts which prevent sports stars like Israel Folau and a host of other professions from voicing controversial views are “ridiculous”, as Coalition MPs continue to formulate a plan to tackle religious discrimination.

Mr Joyce was among 20 government members who attended a highly confidential briefing with Attorney-General Christian Porter on Friday in Canberra over his planned Religious Discrimination Act.

A split is opening up in government ranks with some MPs wanting a narrow bill while others like rogue NSW senator Concetta Fierravanti Wells want a much broader bill to protect religious freedom.

The former Nationals leader today said the case of Folau — who is taking Rugby Australia to court over being sacked for sharing social media posts saying gay people go to hell — showed there had to be a distinction made in contracts over whether one’s views affected their work.

“If there is a nexus between what you do and what you say then there is a question over whether you can do the job. But if there is no nexus, in this case a man who is employed to run very fast, carry a white ball ... what it does it matter what their views are?,” Mr Joyce told ABC radio.

“I think a lot of what Israel Folau said is just completely and utterly dopey. But it’s his right to be dopey.

“It’s ridiculous ... if he was a school counsellor, you’d have every reason on earth to say you cannot say what you’re saying.”

Coalition MPs have been reluctant to say what was actually discussed in Mr Porter’s briefing on Friday, as the Attorney-General prepares to host more presentations for MPs across the country.

Mr Joyce today would not go into the details of the meeting or whether he back Senator Fierravanti Wells’ much broader plan to enshrine religious freedoms in law.

“It is still in a draft form so it would not be proper to start saying this is what will be in the bill, this won’t be,” he told ABC radio

“There was a quite thorough discussion over quite a long period of time on Friday. The Minister took that away and will come back. When the bill is tabled, we’ll all get a chance to a look at it and we’ll have a further discussion.”