The attorney general is defending the rights of religious people to discriminate. 

Attorney General Michaelia Cash says religious schools must be able to sack teachers for their views on sexuality.

Her department has revealed that changes to the Sex Discrimination Act will wait for a further review 12 months after the government Religious Discrimination bill passes.

However, reports say she has cut a deal with four Liberal MPs to prevent expulsion of gay students at in exchange for their support of the religious discrimination bill.

Public Interest Advocacy Centre policy manager, Alastair Lawrie, says the attorney general’s department is working on a plan to allow religious groups “to discriminate against LGBT people, but call it something else”.

“This means that, unless an LGBT student is prepared to affirm that ‘homosexuality is intrinsically disordered’, or that ‘god created only man and woman, therefore transgender people do not exist’, the religious school will be free to discriminate against them under the Bill,” he said. 

However, the government’s bills face serious opposition from state governments – including Liberal governments in Tasmania and New South Wales. Many do not support provisions that override state law on hiring practices, and statements of belief. 

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