Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks has raised concerns that the government's intention to allow religious schools to discriminate against non-religious children is "inconsistent with the purpose of discrimination laws and with internationally recognised human rights", and that it "will not provide the protection for religious schools that its proponents are seeking."
"Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff's attempt to entrench the right to discriminate in Tasmania's religious schools comes on top of his secret decision to increase public funding for non-government schools which was revealed by the Greens in parliament," said Greens Education spokesperson Nick McKim MP.
"Mr Rockliff has not only failed to understand equality or human rights. He has bungled the implementation of his ideologically driven agenda thanks to the Liberals' habitual mistake of not thinking things through."
"Not only is the government's agenda discriminatory, but as a result of an astounding display of incompetence it may not even deliver what the Minister is claiming."
"Mr Rockliff should withdraw his ham-fisted legislation because public funds should not be provided to organisations that want to operate outside the intent of Tasmania's anti-discrimination framework," Mr McKim said.