‘The Parliament and the parties have failed people of faith and LGBT students’, says Christian Schools Australia Director of Public Policy, Mark Spencer, ‘so we have stepped in with a plan to solve the issues they have left unaddressed by Christmas this year’.
‘Despite the fear of expulsion created in LGBT students by LGBT activists being totally unfounded, it is sincerely felt and must be addressed’, he said, ‘as schools that genuinely care about students, we have consistently supported attempts to fairly address concerns’.
Our Plan for Freedom and Equality released today by Christian Schools Australia provides a clear three step process to protect people of faith from discrimination, address the fears of expulsion of LGBT students and provide certainty to faith-based schools. A copy of the Plan was sent to all MPs, Senators and key candidates yesterday evening.
The plan calls for the next Parliament to:
· Pass the Religious Discrimination Bill 2022 as passed by the House of Representatives in February
· Immediately re-commence the ALRC Review into exemptions
· Pass amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act that update the drafting as recommended by the ALRC
‘Parliament has had four years to address these issues, our plan will ensure that they are resolved in a little over four months’, Mr Spencer said.
‘Activists who claimed a ‘win’ when the Bill did not proceed in February, and those MPs who claimed to be protecting LGBT students, are the only barrier to a solution being implemented’.
‘You cannot make claims to be supporting students without coming up with a concrete and realistic plan to address their concerns’, he said.
‘Our plan is clear, detailed, and provides an achievable path for these matters to be resolved’, Mr Spencer said, ‘political leaders need to support our plan if they are genuine about finding a solution’.
‘MPs who voted to remove existing protections under the guise of protecting students need to support our plan or provide their alternative plan – not merely make vague claims to be protecting students, or supporting religious freedom.’
‘The time for talk is over, we need a plan for action’, Mr Spencer said.
