Today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told media that his timeframe for achieving bipartisan agreement on religious discrimination legislation had now passed.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s comments, Archbishop Comensoli said, ‘It is regrettable that such important legislation is not proceeding. However, I trust that the Prime Minister will be true to his word that protections for people of faith will not go backwards under his leadership. In the absence of any new protections, today’s announcement should also mean that existing protections remain in place.’
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has been engaged in discussions with the Government and the Opposition about the legislation over a number of months. The Bishops Conference provided the Government and Opposition with detailed proposals to address concerns with the initial draft and ensure that it did not take protections for people of faith backwards.
