Morrison’s Religious Discrimination Bill Unlikely To Pass As Moderate Liberals Vow To Vote Against It

In the week following a Queensland school's withdrawal of a controversial gender and sexual identity contract, Morrison's proposed changes to the contentious religious discrimination bill could be quashed before it even crosses the floor.

Already driving a wedge between liberal party members, the Prime Minister, a Pentecostal Christian, introduced the bill to Parliament on November 25 last year.

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Following up on his 2018 election pitch, Scott Morrison promises the bill will give legal protection against discrimination for people of faith, including in employment and education.

However, in most states and territories, religious freedom is already protected, along with discrimination in relation to race, sex, disability, and age.

So, why change what is already working? That seems to be the question from many MP's including Tasmania's member for Bass, Bridget Archer who has clearly stated that she cannot support the bill in its current form, let alone "bridge the divide".

Ms Archer’s key objective is that the bill would override state anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBT+ students.

"Tasmania has very strong anti-discrimination laws and as a Tasmanian I know they have been very hard-fought laws," she told the ABC.

"We should do what we can to protect them and to continue to not discriminate or not allow discrimination against anyone on the basis of any attribute."

- MP Archer

Not alone in her concerns, fellow moderate Liberal Katie Allen says there is still work to be done on the proposed bill.

The member for Higgins in Victoria, Ms Allen told the ABC she will not hesitate to cross the floor if protections for students and teachers were not guaranteed.

"I'm never confident until it's been delivered to me. I haven't seen the final amendments," Ms Allen said.

"And I'm absolutely clear that my support for the religious discrimination bill is conditional on [those protections]."

- MP Allen

Set to be introduced to parliament on Tuesday, this may be one issue the Labour party won't need to gear up for, with the debate already raging within Liberal ranks.

More to come.

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