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Australia: Scott Morrison backtracks on law to expel gay students

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Scott Morrison has said that schools should not be able to expel students based on their sexuality, just hours after arguing schools should be run consistent with their religious principles and “no one” is suggesting their right to discriminate should be repealed.

Morrison told Sky News on Thursday that he’ll “happily take the criticism” that he should have ruled out discrimination based on sexuality sooner but claimed the Ruddock religious freedom report had been misrepresented.


The Ruddock review recommended the commonwealth amend the federal Sex Discrimination Act to provide “that religious schools may discriminate in relation to students on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status”. This positive right would replace existing religious exemptions in federal law that allow discrimination but do not override state laws.

LGBTI advocates fear the effect of the recommendation could be to override state discrimination laws that provide more protection for students – including in Queensland and Tasmania – and Phillip Ruddock himself has not ruled out a federal takeover. Read more via the Guardian