The union representing teachers and support staff in Northern Territory non-government schools has condemned the NT government's plans to reverse changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act passed by the previous government.
Three years ago the former Labor government of the Territory reformed the Act to remove religious discrimination exemptions that allowed non-government school employers to discriminate against staff and students.
Independent Education Union – Queensland and Northern Territory Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the decision to reinstate the religious discrimination exemptions was unacceptable.
"The reinstatement of religious discrimination exemptions is unnecessary, divisive and harmful," Mr Burke said.
"Staff and students in schools should not be discriminated against on the basis of their personal lives."
Mr Burke said faith-based schools were more than capable of functioning in the absence of these exemptions.
"We believe faith-based schools have the capacity and resilience to continue to operate in the absence of discrimination exemptions - the vast majority of them already do so. Indeed, they have done so quite adequately under the legislation which has been in place," he said.
Mr Burke noted that many faith-based organisations receive public funds, and that under the current laws employers already had the opportunity at the point of engagement to determine if an employee was suitable for the position advertised.
The CLP government's changes will also remove the vilification provision in the Act introduced three years ago by the Labor government, which made it unlawful to "offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate" another person or group based on characteristics such as race and gender.
"We urge the NT government to reconsider its decision and abandon the proposed changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act," Mr Burke said.
NT Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby told National Indigenous Times the Country Liberals had promised to "restore the freedom of speech and religion Labor's Anti-Discrimination Bill destroyed".
"We are not repealing the law in full. Our changes will: Restore religious freedoms to religious schools so they can hire and accept persons of the same religion. Remove the vilification provision introduced by Labor that prohibits behaviour that could offend," she said.
National Indigenous Times asked if the operation of faith-based non-government schools had been hindered in any way under the current laws but the Attorney-General did not answer.
Ms Boothby was also asked in what way the vilification provision of the Anti-Discrimination Act had been detrimental to the NT public and what benefit to the public, if any, would arise from removing it.
"We believe Territorians should not have their speech policed or be attacked for telling a joke by a bureaucratic agency," she said.
"Laws already exist under the NT's Criminal Code and Summary Offences Act to protect people against abuse and threats. We believe all people should be treated equally regardless of race, religion, and gender, and these changes will not take any rights away from the community."
