The group has also secured a meeting this week with Senator Cash,who has re-engaged with the issue after the pandemic put it on the backburner last year under predecessor Christian Porter.
As it stands the Religious Discrimination Billwould prohibit discrimination based on faith and provide greater freedom to individuals such as Israel Folau,as well as religious organisations and charities,to act on their beliefs.
For example,the proposed law makes it unlawful for a company with revenue above $50 million to limit an employee’s ability to express their religious views outside work,unless the employer can show this is necessary to prevent “unjustifiable financial hardship” to their business.
Senator Cash told a Senate estimates inquiry on May 26 that she had conducted one formal meeting about the Religious Discrimination Bill,as well as several conversations. She would not disclose who the meeting was with.
“The Attorney-General and her office are engaging with numerous stakeholders about this bill to ensure that all views are carefully considered,” a spokesman said. “It is important that we get this legislation right.”
The bill arose from recommendations of former Howard government minister Philip Ruddock’s religious freedom review in 2018,but has been repeatedly delayed. A separate Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry into exemptions that allow religious schools to discriminate against LGBTQI students has also stalled,pending the passage of the bill.
On May 20,in a written answer to a question on notice from Labor senator Deborah O’Neil,the Attorney-General’s department revealed it had not conducted any consultations on the bill,nor related legislation,since January 2020.