The 39-page Queensland Government final response released today to the over 400 page report from the Queensland Human Rights Commission demonstrates the complexity and far-reaching nature of the proposed changes to Queensland’s discrimination law.
‘The proposed changes to discrimination law reflect a radical reshaping of the law that will impact all Queenslanders, so it is vital that the Palaszczuk Government listen to the people of Queensland as they determine how these changes will be implemented’ said Mark Spencer, Director of Public Policy for Christian Schools Australia.
‘Christian schools welcome the Queensland Government’s commitment to further consultation to proposed changes that affect whether we can continue to employ staff who share our beliefs, as there is much more work needed to ensure that the rights of Queensland parents are not trashed in this process’.
Article 18(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requires signatories, including Australia, to protect “the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions”.
‘Nothing is more fundamental to parents than caring for their children’, Mr Spencer said, ‘and for many that includes ensuring an education aligned with their beliefs’.
‘The thousands of parents across Queensland choosing a Christian school deserve a school that lives up to that name’.
‘The results of a recent e-petition to “Protect the Rights of Christian Schools” confirms our polling undertaken across Queensland last year’, he said.
The polling, undertaken in October 2022, showed that more than 8 out 10 Queenslanders support the right of a religious school to employ teachers and other staff who support the clearly stated values and beliefs of the school. This support is strong among voters across the political spectrum.
‘It is clear that “modern community expectations” include an expectation that Christian and other faith-based schools can continue to employ staff who share their beliefs’, Mr Spencer said, ‘and this must be reflected in any changes to Queensland law’.
‘Parents and teachers are the people best placed to make decisions about educating children and how that education should be provided’, he said, ‘we don’t want activists and lawyers determining how schools should be run and who they can employ’.
‘We look forward to working with the Government to ensure that fundamental rights of parents and essential freedoms of religion can be maintained in any changes’.
