3 June 2024 – For Immediate Release
Democracy Means Listening To The People
Christian schools are calling on Minn’s Government to do better than the Committee on Community Services, listen to the people of New South Wales, and reject the misnamed Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023.
In their report into the Bill released earlier today the Committee on Community Services failed to provide any clear direction to Parliament or make any substantive findings about the Bill. The only clarity from the inquiry process came from the online survey conducted by the Committee. With over 13,000 responses the message was clear – more than 85% of people opposed the Bill. The majority of responses for all questions was to oppose the amendments – the results could not have been clearer.
‘Considering amendments to discrimination law, which has already been referred to the Law Reform Commission for review, would undermine due process,’ said Vanessa Cheng, Executive Officer of the Australian Association of Christian Schools.
‘Christian schools need protections to ensure that can continue to be authentic Christian schools and employ staff who share their beliefs’, she said.
‘This sweeping bill needs to be completely rejected’, said Mark Spencer, Director of Public Policy at Christian Schools Australia, ‘it reaches into a broad range of areas making significant changes without proper consideration’.
‘The Government already has proposals it has indicated will be introduced across a range of areas which need full and proper consideration, this Bill is a distraction that will draw resources away from where they are needed’, Mr Spencer indicated.
ENDS
About us:
Christian Schools Australia (CSA) and Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACS) are national bodies that support and represent schools for whom religious formation is an integral part of the education process.
In combination, CSA, and AACS schools educate more than 120,000 students across more than 250 locations nationally.
Contact details:
For all media enquiries:
Mark Spencer, Christian Schools Australia, 0419 419 224
Vanessa Cheng, Australian Association of Christian Schools, 0416 277 372