MARK DREYFUS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION
The Prime Minister's decision to break his promise to introduce a religious discrimination bill this year confirms yet again hes a man with no idea how to govern.
Today's decision caps off a horror week for Mr Morrison, which has exposed his lack of integrity, and totally wrong priorities.
Lets be clear, the only person to blame for this is Scott Morrison.
It is Mr Morrison, not Labor, who repeatedly promised legislation before the end of the year, but now, under fire from all sides over his failure to properly consult has thrown a tantrum and pulled the bill.
And of course it was also Scott Morrison who promised in the Wentworth by-election to protect kids from being discriminated against in schools, and over a year later has still failed to deliver.
Unlike Mr Morrison, Labor has been consulting widely across the entire community, holding dozens of meetings with religious organisations, LGBTIQ groups, legal experts and other community representatives.
Labor agrees with the core principle that all Australians should be able to go about their lives free from discrimination.
Consistent with that principle, we have made clear that any laws aimed at protecting Australians from discrimination because of their religious belief must not remove protections that already exist in the law to protect Australians from other forms of discrimination.
The Liberals are now into their 7th year in office and its long past time they started governing and stopped blaming Labor for their consistent failures.
SATURDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2019
