Religious Discrimination Bill

Mr HAWKE (Mitchell) (13:35): In a case of taking out the trash on Friday, the Prime Minister has breached another election promise—to faith communities this time—by indicating that the government will no longer pursue religious discrimination legislation. These vital protections are absolutely needed, and it's been a matter for parliament for many years now that both sides committed at elections to put in place protections from discrimination for people of faith. We have protections for discrimination for so many different things in Australia but no protections for faith communities.

The vital laws which were promised by the Albanese government have been junked quietly in the middle of the Olympics, and this important promise to faith communities has been broken. It is a travesty. It is a travesty that the Prime Minister sought to blame the coalition by saying they provided legislation to the coalition 'a long time ago'—three months—and there is no bipartisan support. I can say to the Prime Minister there absolutely is bipartisan support religious discrimination laws. We put the bill into the House. It was the Labor Party that voted against it while we were in government, and it was their commitment to do the bill again. Now we approach the next election, and the Prime Minister has revealed that he will break his election commitment to faith communities around Australia—and I think it is to their detriment.

When we are going through the most unprecedented time of discrimination in terms of faith because of the war in Gaza, we need these protections in place. We need them in place now, and this parliament should have come together to legislate them. This broken promise is a serious breach of faith for faith based communities in Australia today.