Proposed amendments to Northern Territory 1992 anti-discrimination legislation is set to abolish religious freedom, as well as erode freedom of speech.
The bill, sponsored by NT Labor Attorney-General, and LGBTQ+ activist Chanston Paech, ‘will narrow or remove a number of exemptions for religious bodies in the areas of education, work, and accommodation’.
Clause 15 of the proposed bill seeks to eliminate the right of religious organisations to operate within the boundaries of their faith, conscience, and creed, by removing from these organisations the right to ‘operate in accordance with their religious beliefs’.
Clause 17 doubles-down, removing the rights of Churches, missions, and Christian schools to hire staff based on shared goals, beliefs, and values.
Christian schools will ‘not longer be permitted to “discriminate” when employing staff on the basis of sexuality or religious belief or activity’.
The proposal means Christian schools and churches will be forced to fill a vacancy on the grounds of weaponised Pro-LGBTQ+ government directives, and not whether that person was suitable for the role, or fit for the job.
Based on the extreme proposal government gets to dictate to Christian organisations who they hire, who they can fire, and on what grounds they can do so.
Seen elsewhere in the world, the LGBTQ+ activist amendments also potentially harm parental rights. The suggested removals place parents in firing line by removing legal protections for dissent, if mums and dads were to oppose state-backed LGBTQ+ indoctrination of their children.
Should a Drag Queen or member of the “Church” of Satan decide to teach in a Christian school, there would be no solid legal ground for that Christian school to reasonably refuse employment.
Tacked onto NT Labor’s amendments to the 1992 anti-discrimination act are vague protections for the perpetually offended.
After smashing freedom of religion, the amendments attack freedom of speech, with Section 20A banning any public behaviour perceived to be offensive – such as comedy, commentary, or criticism on social media – that is:
‘Reasonably likely to, in all circumstances, offend, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people; and is done because of an attribute of the other person or of some or all of the people in the group.’
Subsection 3 of 20A ‘does not apply to an act done in private’.
Section 3 defines an act as:
‘Causes, words, sounds, images or writing communicated in public or done in a public place; or is done in the sight or hearing of people who are in a public place.’
Exempted from Section 20A is anything, and anyone deemed to being acting ‘reasonably, in good faith’, or in the ‘public’s interest’.
Such as artistic works, performances, exhibitions; any statement, publication, or debate from any ‘genuine academic’, or artistic, scientific, endeavor, or any publishing that is fair, and accurate.
LGBTQ+ PRIDE groups are said to be happy with the proposed legislation, however some are saying the amendments ‘don’t go far enough’.
Promoting the overreach, an online LGBTQ+ news site argued that the proposed banning of ‘religious institutions from refusing to hire or [for] sacking staff [who identify as] LGBTQ+’ was just the beginning in the fight for so-called ‘equality’.
The Independent Education Union, is backing the repeal of the religious freedom exemptions.
Branch Secretary, Terry Burke told, ‘non-Murdoch aligned’ Mirage News:
‘The removal of these exemptions is long overdue […] religious discrimination exemptions are unnecessary and cause harm to vulnerable staff and students.’
The Teachers Union representative declared – with a clear tone of contempt:
‘Practices in faith-based schools, and indeed in any endeavour conducted for the public by faith-based organisations, should reflect community standards and expectations – especially when such organisations are in receipt of public funds.’
Speaking on behalf of the Union, and its alleged 17,000+ members in the Northern Territory and Queensland, he said:
‘Our union sees the introduction of the proposed bill as a significant step towards fostering inclusion and we welcome it!’
In addition to this, while asserting so-called LGBTQ+ civil rights, Burke justified religious schools being stripped of their civil liberties.
Should the bill pass, hiring an employee on merit will be replaced with a Woke quota system, where NGOs are forced to hire an employee based on their shade of melanin, sexual activity, and subsequent identity.
This probable outcome proves the NT Labor amendments are about achieving the exact opposite.
What this bill does is exalt a minority as lord over the majority.
What this bill leaves behind is a molly-coddled, authoritarian political class, whose special rights mean other groups can have none.
Disguised as protecting the minority who identify as LGBTQ+, the NT Attorney-General’s (clearly biased) proposal, weaponises the law, unlocking a door for activists in government, like Chanston Paech, to discriminate against anyone who does not tow the party line.
In this instance, it’s bullying Christians into subservience, by unfairly demanding their submission.
Note the timing of this news from the NT follows the New Zealand Labour, and Greens cabal, who, supported by the Māori Party, passed compelled speech legislation, moving NZ closer towards replacing free speech with forced speech.
As I’ve argued in the past (see here), where civil rights are exalted over civil liberties, hell on earth is sure to follow.
Rod Lampard is an independent scholar, with a keen interest in political theology. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Ministry & Theology. Rod Tweets at @rod_lampard. First published on Caldron Pool, October 22, 2022
