Religious groups ‘blindsided’ by Porter draft bill

Faith-based groups to boycott Christian Porter speech over lack of consultation on draft bill.

Attorney-General Christian Porter. Picture: AAP

Faith-based groups will boycott a Christian Porter speech in Sydney after claiming they were blind­sided by government moves to release its religious discrimination draft bill today.

Religious organisations told The Australian they received invitations to attend the Attorney-General’s address on religious freedom earlier this week but were not informed about the government’s plan to unveil its exposure draft legislation.

While the event at the Great Synagogue in Sydney this morning will feature religious leaders, some intend to snub it after expressing private concerns they should have been consulted first. The draft bill, which Mr Porter has been working on since the May 18 election, passed through cabinet last week after Coalition MPs received briefings on the proposed religious discrimination act.

Christian Schools Australia executive officer Mark Spencer said they would have “appreciated … our input in the process before it was publicly released”.

“We got an invitation (on Tuesday) and it referred to a speech but no mention of the draft legislation being released publicly,” Mr Spencer told The Australian. “I would be far more interested to have consultation on this bill than having the Attorney-General deliver a speech. We would value some real consultation through this process.

“We haven’t seen this legislation. There were some discussions prior to the election and immediately after, which spoke about what it would look like in broad terms.

“We have expressed concern that it is being approached from a 40-year-old legislative framework. We’re going to have the same problems as we’ve faced with other discrimination acts. It’s a poor model.” Christian groups said they expected Catholic, Orthodox, Christian, and some school groups would not attend the event today, and expressed concerns the government was attempting to use them for a “photo-opportunity”. They also criticised the speed of the process and lack of consultation ahead of the bill’s public release. “They say we want a bill of rights but that simply is untrue,” a source said.

The Australian understands representatives from all major faiths will attend Mr Porter’s speech, and that the government’s intention was to engage with all stakeholder groups once the draft bill was released.

Mr Porter last week flagged the release of the draft bill ahead of parliament resuming next month. The government, which pledged support for the religious discrimination act ahead of the election, is pushing to have the legislation passed by the end of the year.

“That bill will form the basis of further consultations with members and senators from all parties, religious groups and other key stakeholders, including business and LGBTIQ+ groups,” Mr Porter said on August 20.

Further division in Coalition ranks emerged yesterday after NSW senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells told The Australian the government must strengthen the proposed bill.

The former frontbencher and leading conservative said it was “clear from my ongoing consultations and engagement with religious leaders” that the draft bill fell “far short of properly and fully addressing their requirements for religious freedom protection”.

“During the election period, Scott Morrison promised to protect religious freedom and many of those quiet Australians who voted for the Coalition, especially in culturally and religiously diverse communities in Labor’s heartland seats in western Sydney, did so in the expectation that their religious freedoms would be protected,” Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.

“He needs to meet those expectations to retain that electoral ­support.”

The Australian last week revealed the draft bill would ban discrimination on the basis of faith in areas including employment, housing and the use of services.