PM to introduce faith discrimination billPM to introduce faith discrimination bill (msn.com)Discrimination on the grounds of religious belief or activity will be made unlawful in the areas of employment, education and the provision of goods and services, under a bill to go to federal parliament this week.
© Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS Prime Minister Scott Morrison will personally introduce the government's religious freedoms bill.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will personally introduce the government's long-promised religious discrimination laws on Thursday.
Details of the bill were released late on Tuesday after the coalition joint partyroom backed it.
The laws will provide that making a statement of belief, in good faith, would not be discrimination under any Australian anti-discrimination law.
However this would not apply to statements which are malicious, or which a reasonable person would consider would threaten, intimidate, harass, or vilify a person or a group of persons.
The bill will restrict the ability of bodies to impose standards of behaviour on members of that profession, trade or occupation that would prevent a person from making a statement of belief in their private capacity.
And it will allow religious organisations such as schools to give preference to people of the same religion as the religious body in employment decisions.
The government says the bill will not allow discrimination on the basis of age, disability, race or sex.
It is expected the laws won't pass by the end of this year, as they will go to a Senate inquiry.
