Christian groups have accused Scott Morrison of “betraying” the intent of the Coalition’s religious discrimination bill by announcing an amendment that would prevent students being expelled for their sexuality or gender.
Morrison made the surprise announcement on Brisbane radio on Thursday morning in a bid to distance the federal government from Citipointe Christian College’s attempt to get families to sign an anti-gay and anti-trans enrolment contract. The school has now withdrawn the contracts.
Morrison pledged in October 2018 he would prevent LGBTQ+ students from being expelled but the reform was never implemented because it would still have allowed religious schools to discriminate against LGBTQ+ students in other ways.
A group of four moderate Liberals had demanded an exemption allowing religious schools to discriminate be removed from the Sex Discrimination Act at the same time as the religious discrimination bill was passed.
But the attorney general, Michaelia Cash, subsequently appeared to renege on that purported deal, telling Christian lobby group FamilyVoice in mid-December that changes to protect LGBTQ+ students would have to wait for 12 months and a review.
As recently as Wednesday evening, the assistant attorney general, Amanda Stoker, had said amendments to protect children would be dealt with separately to the religious bill.
But on Thursday, Morrison told B105.3 radio that he did not support Citipointe’s attempt to get families to sign statements that homosexual acts were “immoral” and “offensive to God” and that transgender people would not be recognised.
“My kids go to a Christian school, I wouldn’t want my school doing that either,” Morrison said.
“The bill we’re going to be taking through the parliament, we will have an amendment that will deal with that to ensure kids cannot be discriminated against on that basis. I’ve been saying that for years. That’s always been my view.”
Morrison added that schools “should be able to teach kids” consistently with their faith – whether they be Christian, Muslim or Jewish.
He said the religious discrimination bill would protect Australians “whether they have a faith or they don’t”.
Guardian Australia understands Morrison told Liberal moderates and wrote to the opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, in early December stating he would introduce the amendment that would change the SDA.
“In keeping with my second reading speech, where I stated that there is no place in our education system for any form of discrimination against a student on the basis of the sexuality of gender identity, the government will move an amendment to remove the provisions of the [SDA] which were included in 2013 which limited the protections provided under this Act,” Morrison wrote to Albanese on 1 December.
FamilyVoice reacted with fury on Thursday, with spokesperson Greg Bondar telling Guardian Australia the proposed amendment was “inconsistent” with Cash’s commitment to the group.
“Scott Morrison has betrayed the foundation of the religious discrimination bill,” he said.
“Morrison has fallen into the same trap as Bill Shorten in 2019, ignoring the voice of the Christian community.”
Bondar also complained about Citipointe’s backdown, defending the school for “simply wanting to uphold scientific truth and the Christian worldview of human sexuality”. “This is a sad day for all Australians and particularly faith schools as it has put religious freedom and free speech at risk,” he said.
The Australian Christian Lobby and Christian Schools Australia have both previously threatened to withdraw their support for the religious discrimination bill if amendments regarding LGBTQ+ students were added.
National LGBTQ+ rights organisation, Equality Australia, cautiously welcomed the commitment but still called for the bill to be scrapped.
Ghassan Kassisieh, the legal director at Equality Australia, said the proposed reform was “long overdue and better protections must apply to both teachers and students”.
“But the Morrison government’s religious discrimination bill will invite exactly this type of practice in employment across faith-based organisations, from schools, aged-care services, emergency accommodation and hospitals,” he said.
“The prime minister may be putting out one small fire, but [the bill] will unleash a firestorm of discrimination in religious organisations against anyone that holds a different belief from their faith-based employer – even when they can faithfully do the job that is required of them.”
Just Equal spokesperson Rodney Croome said an amendment to the SDA would be pointless because the religious discrimination bill broadened the scope for faith schools to discriminate against LGBTQ+ students and teachers on the grounds of religious belief.
“As the actions by Citipointe Christian College clearly show, there are faith-schools camouflaging discrimination against LGBTIQ+ students by invoking religious beliefs rather than discriminating directly on the grounds of sexuality or gender identity,” he said.
The text of the proposed amendment is yet to be released and Morrison has not committed to preventing teachers being fired for their sexuality – despite claiming in November it had also “always” been his view they should not.
On Friday, two parliamentary inquiries into the religious discrimination bill are due to report before a short parliamentary sitting in which Labor support would probably be required to pass the proposed legislation.
In both committees, the Coalition and Labor are collaborating with the aim of writing a joint report, but Labor could go further in expressing significant concerns about the statements of belief clause and expanded hiring and firing powers over teachers. The Greens oppose the bill.
