Christian leaders in New South Wales Australia have raised concerns about a potential threat to the freedoms of private schools following the release of a review by the state’s Law Reform Commission into the 1977 Anti-Discrimination Act (ADA).
Newsroom (June 02, 2025, 09:07, Gaudium Press) The 267-page consultation paper, published on 20 May, examines whether faith-based and non-religious schools should retain the right to hire staff who align with their values.
The report draws on preliminary submissions from various organizations and individuals received two years ago. Public feedback on the paper is open until 15 August. While the document appears balanced, Joshua Rowe, NSW Director for the Australian Christian Lobby, warns it carries a “subtle but ominous” bias. He cautions that a major fight over religious freedom is on the horizon.
Targeting Faith-Based Protections
Rowe pointed to Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, a key figure in decriminalising abortion and legalising assisted suicide, as someone now seeking to overhaul faith-based protections. Last year, Greenwich told the Star Observer, Sydney’s leading LGBT newspaper, that reforms would extend protections to sex workers, teachers, and students. “That’s going to happen,” he declared.
“We’re not prophesying something we haven’t seen before,” Rowe told The Catholic Weekly. “Lobby groups like Equality Australia have aggressively pushed for these legal changes. To think this won’t become a battle soon would be naïve.”
Calls for Reform Amid Controversy
The ADA, frequently amended over the years, has been criticized as “cumbersome, wordy, opaque, repetitive and confusing.” The report acknowledges the current law contains a “complex web of exceptions,” some of which allow religious bodies to operate according to their beliefs. However, it also questions whether these exemptions should remain, particularly regarding faith-based schools’ hiring practices.
Christian leaders fear the reform is heading in the wrong direction. They argue that framing religious freedom as an “exception” rather than a fundamental right could have serious consequences. Bishop Michael Stead of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney said the approach has been flawed since the 2018 Ruddock review. “Religious freedom is not an exception—it’s a human right,” he stressed.
Defending School Ethos
Monica Doumit, Director of Public Affairs for the Sydney Archdiocese, said the ability of religious schools to hire staff who share their faith “should be uncontroversial.” She lamented that defending such rights has become a recurring battle in every parliamentary term.
Vanessa Cheng of the Australian Association of Christian Schools added that parents choose faith-based schools not just for academics but for character formation. “Teachers are role models of lived faith,” she said. “This isn’t just about religion classes—it’s about embedding values across the curriculum.”
Avoiding Victoria’s Path
Faith leaders also warned against following Victoria’s model, where schools can only consider religion in hiring if it is an “inherent requirement” of the role. Dallas McInerney, CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, said current laws are vital to maintaining school ethos and fulfilling promises to families.
John Steenhof of the Human Rights Law Alliance previously warned that restrictive laws could violate international covenants protecting parents’ rights to ensure their children’s education aligns with their beliefs.
As the consultation period continues, Christian leaders are urging vigilance, fearing the reforms could erode long-standing religious freedoms.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic Weekly
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