Activist independent MP, Alex Greenwich, has announced plans for a sweeping bill which will decimate religious freedom in New South Wales.
The controversial MP, effectively the political arm of Equality Australia, has indicated that he hopes the bill would be ready in time for the NSW State Election and WorldPride 2023. He is reported as indicating that he 'will hold multi-partisan and stakeholder consultation on the proposed equality bill until July 1, with draft legislation expected by the end of the year'.
The proposed legislation will 'advance the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community' through:
- 'Ensuring LGBTIQ+ communities have a seat at the table, by appointing a Minister for Equality;
- Ensuring all LGBTIQ+ people are protected under anti-discrimination laws, including by removing carve-outs that allow private schools and religious organisations to sack, expel or deny service to LGBTIQ+ people.
- Ending harmful conversion practices and ensuring support for survivors
- Removing legal barriers to ensure trans and gender diverse people can access ID that aligns with their gender
- Ending unnecessary medical procedures on people with intersex variations without their consent'
These points could be alternatively expressed as including:
- establishing a government-funded LGBTIQ+ political advocacy service
- removing the last vestiges of religious freedom in NSW legislation
- removing freedom of speech, including prayer, and the ability of adults to seek a range of desired medical treatments
- replacing sex by chosen gender on primary identification documents
Schools in New South Wales need only look to Victoria and the ACT for examples of the type of legislation being proposed.
We will continue to keep schools updated as more information is known.