This article was originally published by the Star Observer. You can find the original article here.
The newly elected Northern Territory Country Liberal Party (CLP) government has confirmed its intent to repeal key anti-discrimination protections introduced by Labor in 2022.
The move has sparked alarm within the LGBTQIA+ community, with advocates warning it could open the door to increased discrimination and hate speech.
Anti-Discrimination Law Changes In Northern Territory Focussed on Religion
Newly elected Northern Territory Attorney General Marie-Clare Boothby has confirmed the CLP’s commitment to reversing the amendments made by the former Labor government, arguing that the legislation curbed free speech and infringed on religious freedoms.
“Before the election, we promised we would restore the freedom of speech and religion Labor’s Anti-Discrimination Bill destroyed,” Boothby said.
“We are not repealing the law in full — our changes will … restore religious freedoms to religious schools so they can hire and accept persons of the same religion” she continued.
The changes are also set to “remove the vilification provision introduced by Labor that prohibits behaviour that could offend.”
“We believe Territorians should not have their speech policed or be attacked for telling a joke by a bureaucratic agency” she concluded.
The changes enacted by Labor made it unlawful to “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” individuals based on personal characteristics such as race, gender, or sexuality.
Additionally, religious schools were barred from exclusively hiring staff who shared their faith.
Boothby stated that the CLP will remove these provisions, arguing that individuals should not be “attacked for telling a joke” or have their speech “policed” by a bureaucratic agency.
The decision has been met with strong opposition from the NT’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Jeswynn Yogaratnam, who expressed concern about the potential consequences of weakening protections against vilification.
“In this time where we are dealing with a lot of antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia … there is a need to have provisions like that to protect our community,” he said.
“Some of those comments that have impacts regarding their race, their sexual orientation, even their religion, [create] a deep, deep sense that they do not belong. And that is not a joke.”
“I think you’re opening the doors for a very dangerous stream of hate speech here in the Northern Territory.”
LGBTQIA+ advocates have echoed these concerns including former NT Young Australian of the Year nominee Paige Horrigan, who campaigned for Labor’s reforms in 2022, described the CLP’s decision as a devastating setback.
“I wasn’t expecting this sort of topic to come around again so soon as a political football, for the various parties to play around with people’s human rights,” they said.
However, some religious groups have welcomed the rollback. Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci argued that religious organisations should be able to maintain hiring practices that align with their faith.
“We certainly believe we should have rights for our schools to be able to teach according to our faith beliefs,” he said.
The news also follows recent controversial decisions to remove pride flags and Torres Strait Islander flags from the states hospitasls.
In February it was revealed that flags had been removed from Royal Darwin and Palmerston hospitals in the Northern Territory as they “did not comply with protocol.”
Country Liberal Party take power in the Northern Territory
The CLP’s decision to prioritise reversing Labor’s anti-discrimination laws follows their landslide victory in the Northern Territory election late last year.
After nearly a decade in opposition, the CLP formed a majority government under the leadership of Lia Finocchiaro, marking a dramatic shift in the NT’s political landscape.
The election was dominated by concerns over law and order, with voters delivering a harsh verdict on Territory Labor’s handling of crime and social issues.
The party suffered devastating losses, particularly in urban areas like Palmerston and Darwin’s northern suburbs, which had been traditional Labor strongholds.
Former Chief Minister Eva Lawler not only lost power but was also unseated from her own electorate, a stunning political downfall.
While Finocchiaro has pledged to take a tough-on-crime approach, including lowering the age of criminal responsibility back to 10, her government’s ability to address the deeper systemic issues remains uncertain.
As the CLP moves forward with its legislative agenda, including the repeal of Labor’s anti-discrimination provisions, it remains to be seen how this shift will impact marginalised communities including the LGBTQIA+ community.
