Protecting religious freedom after “Yes”

Posted on November 14, 2017 
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion

“Outrage has erupted in the press and in Parliament over the Exposure Draft of a Bill designed to implement a possible “Yes” vote in the same-sex marriage survey.

Senator James Paterson, a Liberal Party member who personally supports same sex marriage, has released a Draft Marriage Amendment (Definition and Protection of Freedoms) Bill 2017 designed to effect this change, but also to provide protection for the religious freedom of those whose faith will not allow them to approve it. But the Bill has been excoriated as ‘legalising homophobic discrimination’ (Senator Hinch, in a question to the Attorney-General, Senate Hansard, 14 Nov 2017, p 21 of draft proceedings), and as a ‘licence to discriminate’ (Senator Wong, as reported by the ABC.) …”

At Law and Religion Australia, Associate Professor Neil Foster looks at proposed legislation and what might happen next.