Reprieve for Incursions into Religions Freedom in Victoria … For Now

Reprieve for Incursions into Religions Freedom in Victoria … For Now December 11, 2016

In the Australian state of Victoria (or the Socialist Republic of Victoria as its more fondly known in the current climate), the incumbent Labour Government has been defeated in the state legislative council with proposed laws which would inhibit houses of worship, schools, and charities from operating according to their faith, soundly defeated.

There is a great article in the The Spectator by Simon Kennedy of The Institute for Civil Society: Freedom of Association: Sanity Succeeds on Spring Street.

The Bill would have restricted religious organisations; churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples, along with faith-based schools, welfare agencies and healthcare organisations from choosing to hire people who agreed with the religion. The bill would have also diminished freedom of association for those who choose to associate around a common cause or set of values. Many people choose to associate with particular groups because of a shared set of values or having a particular cause or quality in common, such as same political or religious beliefs, advancing the cause of a race or ethnicity, sexual preference or other cause such as relief of poverty. But only religious groups and values would have been restricted by this Bill. Not political parties or clubs, not clubs for advancing minority cultures.

Neil Foster, a Newcastle Uni law professor, also blogs on the issues here.


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