Legal discrimination

After nearly 30 years of anti-discrimination laws in Australia, churches and religious bodies are still able to exercise their power to discriminate when employing staff in their organisations.

Health, education, aged care, counselling and child care services operated by churches can refuse to employ people on the basis of their sexual relationships or sexual orientation.

The Australian Human Rights Commission is looking at contesting the churches right to be exempted from the anti – discrimination laws.

2SERs Kate Burraston, spoke with Reverend Harry Herbert, Executive Director of Uniting Care for New South Wales and the ACT.