WA laws to prevent discrimination against LGBTQIA+ community and people with disabilities

Western Australia is set to introduce new laws aimed at preventing sexual discrimination against staff and students at religious schools. The proposed laws, which will rewrite the state's Equal Opportunity Act, will ensure that religious schools can no longer discriminate against teachers or students based on their sexuality or disability.

Attorney General Tony Buti said that while religious institutions, including schools, would still be allowed to discriminate based on religion, they would not be able to do so on other grounds. "The exemption is purely on religion, not on sexual orientation," he said.

The proposed laws will also include broader protections against discriminating against a person's disabilities in all circumstances, including schools. Felicity Creagh, a mother of two autistic children, said she was "relieved and encouraged" to see the government's proposed laws. "For families like mine, this is about more than legislation. It means we have a greater chance of being heard, believed, and taken seriously," she said alongside Dr Buti at a press conference.

Creagh added, "It means stronger protections when we ask for reasonable adjustments and accommodations for our children."

Dr Buti said the bill was the biggest overhaul of the state's anti-discrimination laws in more than 40 years, and would widen the scope of who was protected. It will seek to outlaw discrimination against people who are homeless, exposed to domestic violence, who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or involved in union activity.

WA Premier Roger Cook said his message was clear: "Hate is not OK in WA." "Anti-Semitism, Islamaphobia, discrimination, acts of violence or intimidation, have taken hold in Australia and in WA in recent times," he said. "Nobody should face discrimination or abuse based on their race, religion, sexuality or disability."

Shadow Attorney General Nick Goiran said the opposition would carefully scrutinise the bill once it was introduced in parliament. "The current Equal Opportunity Act is more than 200 pages, so it is reasonable to expect the government's proposed rewrite is at least as long," he said. "In that context, the Opposition will carefully scrutinise the bill once it is introduced, consult with those impacted, and test the premier's assertion that these changes will bring Western Australia into line with other states."