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RESULTS: Survey of Federal parties and candidates on their policies on the Religious Discrimination Bill and religious schools

A broad based group of faith leaders (Christian, Muslim and Jewish) sent a questionnaire to parties and over 900 candidates in April 2022 to understand their policies on the Religious Discrimination Bill and Religious Schools. Go to the survey page to access the responses received on behalf of most parties and 500+ candidates. You can search for responses by

By | May 10th, 2022|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Submission to the Inquiry on the Religious Discrimination Bill

The Institute for Civil Society supports the Religious Discrimination Bill and accompanying Bills as a long overdue protection of people of faith and their organisations from being discriminated against on the ground of their religious belief or religious activity. In January 2022, ICS made a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry into

By | May 10th, 2022|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Victoria’s frontal attack on freedoms of religious bodies and educational institutions

Discrimination can be good or bad and lawful or unlawful. Victoria’s anti-discrimination laws start with broad rules that discrimination on certain grounds (e.g. sex, age, lawful sexual activity) is unlawful but then apply many “exceptions” so that good discrimination on those grounds is lawful. These “exceptions” protect other human rights and interests in society. For

By | November 12th, 2021|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

ICS strongly supports the NSW Joint Select Committee Report on the Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill 2020 (NSW)

An all-party NSW Parliamentary Joint Select Committee Report has made detailed recommendations for a NSW Government Bill to protect people and organisations from discrimination based on their religious belief or activity.[1] The Committee’s Report deserves strong support. Federal, State and Territory anti-discrimination laws all prohibit discrimination based on race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation and

By | July 10th, 2021|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Briefing Sheet – Victorian Conversion Practices Bill

Victoria set to create the broadest and harshest limits on free speech and access to advice, health care, counselling and prayer for same-sex attracted and gender dysphoric people A PDF version of this brief is available here. Summary The Victorian Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 started with a good idea of banning coerced

By | January 28th, 2021|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Problems and Proposed Amendments: Victoria’s ‘Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020’

A PDF of this document is available here and a summary here. A.   Summary of Issues with the Bill The Bill’s bans are far too broad and make beneficial conduct and practices illegal This Bill has been introduced in response to reports by people of practices they experienced as harmful and traumatic (at the time or later) which were

By | January 17th, 2021|Freedom of Conscience and Religion, Uncategorized|