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| Philip Ruddock to examine if Australian law protects religious freedom | Philip Ruddock to examine if Australian law protects religious freedom |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former Liberal minister Philip Ruddock has been appointed to examine if Australian law adequately protects the human right to religious freedom. | The former Liberal minister Philip Ruddock has been appointed to examine if Australian law adequately protects the human right to religious freedom. |
| Ruddock’s appointment by cabinet, announced on Wednesday, is designed to head off a bruising debate about religious amendments in a same-sex marriage bill, but the treasurer, Scott Morrison, said the review was “no substitute” for those amendments. | |
| The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said it was important to look at the issue of religious freedom carefully, in light of the yes vote and impending legislation on marriage equality. | The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said it was important to look at the issue of religious freedom carefully, in light of the yes vote and impending legislation on marriage equality. |
| While senior conservatives including Peter Dutton and Mathias Cormann have publicly suggested a religious freedom bill can be considered in 2018, separately to a marriage bill, others including Morrison and Liberal senator, David Fawcett, have insisted it be considered at the same time. Ruddock has been asked to report by 31 March. | |
| Turnbull said a variety of proposals for legislative changes to protect freedom of religion have been put forward in recent months but many of them go beyond the immediate issue of marriage, and parliament needed to be wary of them. | |
| “Any reforms to protect religious freedom at large should be undertaken carefully,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. | “Any reforms to protect religious freedom at large should be undertaken carefully,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. |
| “There is a high risk of unintended consequences when parliament attempts to legislate protections for basic rights and freedoms, such as freedom of religion. The government is particularly concerned to prevent uncertainties caused by generally worded bill of rights-style declarations. | “There is a high risk of unintended consequences when parliament attempts to legislate protections for basic rights and freedoms, such as freedom of religion. The government is particularly concerned to prevent uncertainties caused by generally worded bill of rights-style declarations. |
| “This will be a timely expert stocktake to inform consideration of any necessary legislative reforms.” | “This will be a timely expert stocktake to inform consideration of any necessary legislative reforms.” |
| Turnbull said Ruddock was the right person to conduct the review because he had served as Australia’s special envoy for human rights. | Turnbull said Ruddock was the right person to conduct the review because he had served as Australia’s special envoy for human rights. |
| Ruddock will be helped by an expert panel consisting of the recently appointed president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Rosalind Croucher, the Hon Annabelle Bennett and Father Frank Brennan. | Ruddock will be helped by an expert panel consisting of the recently appointed president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Rosalind Croucher, the Hon Annabelle Bennett and Father Frank Brennan. |
| Morrison said he and Turnbull had been working on this appointment since the same-sex marriage postal survey returned a yes vote last week. | |
| “This is not a substitute for not dealing with amendments to the same-sex marriage bill in the parliament,” Morrison told the ABC’s AM program on Wednesday. | “This is not a substitute for not dealing with amendments to the same-sex marriage bill in the parliament,” Morrison told the ABC’s AM program on Wednesday. |
| “Those amendments, as individual members of parliament, will still be pursued and as you know I’ve a view that they should be supported. | “Those amendments, as individual members of parliament, will still be pursued and as you know I’ve a view that they should be supported. |
| “What this does is says to 4.9 million Australians who [voted no], and I think to many more Australians who also believe religious protections to be looked after, that we will do a thorough review of this.” | “What this does is says to 4.9 million Australians who [voted no], and I think to many more Australians who also believe religious protections to be looked after, that we will do a thorough review of this.” |
| He said Ruddock would listen to the anxieties and fears of people who were concerned about the consequences that same-sex marriage could have for religious freedom. | He said Ruddock would listen to the anxieties and fears of people who were concerned about the consequences that same-sex marriage could have for religious freedom. |
| “I think this is a positive move,” he said. | “I think this is a positive move,” he said. |
| Australian Christian Lobby director, Lyle Shelton, displayed hostility to the proposed review, suggesting it was not sufficient because “the freedom of speech of 5 million Australians is about to be wiped out before Christmas”. | |
| “Sadly the new civic totalism can’t even by resisted by [the Liberal Party],” he said. | |
| When the freedom of speech of 5 million Australians is about to be wiped out before Christmas, this is the Govt’s response. Sadly the new 🏳️🌈 civic totalism can’t even be resisted by @LiberalAus. https://t.co/c811zBmJQG | |
| In a statement the Institute of Public Affairs research fellow, Morgan Begg, said that section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act – which prohibits speech that offends, insults or intimidates people based on their race – “must be included in any review of religious freedoms”. | |
| “Freedom of speech is at the heart of freedom of religion,” he said. “You can’t live with a religious worldview if you don’t also have the freedom to express that worldview without threat of legal restriction.” | |
| Ruddock recently became the mayor of Hornsby shire council in Sydney. | Ruddock recently became the mayor of Hornsby shire council in Sydney. |
| He was Australia’s second-longest serving member of federal parliament, sitting in the House of Representatives for 43 years from 1973 to 2016. | He was Australia’s second-longest serving member of federal parliament, sitting in the House of Representatives for 43 years from 1973 to 2016. |