In 1976, the Family Law Act 1975 introduced no-fault divorce.
In 1984, the Sex Discrimination Act made pregnancy discrimination unlawful at work.
In 1988, the ACT abolished ‘illegitimacy’ as a legal status, stopping second-class treatment of children born outside marriage.
In 1997, Tasmania joined the rest of the country in decriminalising homosexuality.
In 2013, the Sex Discrimination Act extended to cover discrimination on sexuality and gender identity.
And in 2017, I remember the joy felt across the country when the same-sex marriage plebiscite received a majority Yes, allowing same-sex couples to finally marry.
Yet, in 2026, it is still legal under federal laws for a religious school or college to fire a teacher for getting divorced, for falling pregnant without a wedding ring, or for marrying the person they love.
It is still legal for a school to expel a student for being gay. This means a student who is trying to understand their sexuality could face disciplinary action simply for confiding in a trusted teacher.
These are not hypothetical examples; these are people.
Many people assume these laws only affect LGBTQIA+ students and teacher. In reality, they reach much further, and women are among the most affected.
Let’s consider their stories.
One woman working at a Catholic diocesan school, lost her job after she became pregnant through IVF.
Another was threatened with the sack over a ‘non-recognised’ marriage. Her husband had been married before, and his marriage ended in divorce rather than annulment. She wasn’t threatened over her own divorce, but her husband’s.
Meanwhile women living in domestically violent or abusive situations, have been counselled by their senior colleagues to stay married.
And after divorce, some women teachers choose to wear their wedding rings to work, rather than run the risk of being fired.
These testimonies and stories are heartbreaking.
Since 2016, more than 70,000 individuals and organisations have made submissions to more than 10 inquiries, 260 hearings and consultations on the topic of removing religious exemptions from the Sex Discrimination Act.
In 2022, now Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged that a future Labor Government would end discrimination against students in religious educational institutions, and put a stop to discrimination against teachers, whilst ensuring that schools still have the opportunity to employ and prefer staff on the basis of faith.
But four years later we still have no action. So, this week, I introduced a Private Member’s Bill to fulfil the Government’s promise.
This Bill would remove the exemption in the Sex Discrimination Act that allows discrimination against students and teachers, while still preserving the ability of religious schools to both hire staff members on the basis of faith, and also promote staff to some leadership positions, based on faith.
This Government has made gender equality a genuine priority. There is more to do, as the heartbreaking toll of violence against women and girls has made especially painfully clear in recent months, but few governments have shown stronger intent on these issues.
That is exactly why the failure to protect students and teachers stands out. Allowing a school to sack a woman for being pregnant, divorced or unmarried, sits uneasily with a gender equality agenda, and with the Government’s commitment to equality for LGBTQIA+ Australians.
These commitments go to the heart of the kind of country we are, and who we expect to be.
Australians expect that our laws are applied equally to all. We expect schools to be places where the first priority is to students’ wellbeing. And we expect that people should not be discriminated against, for who they are.
I understand it is difficult. Religion is deeply personal, as are the choices that parents make when deciding where to send their child to be educated. These are not easy conversations to have, and they strike at the heart of deep trauma and pain for many.
In the days since tabling this Bill, I’ve received countless emails, DMs and comments; from ex-students and teachers sharing their stories.
It is unconscionable to me that we still allow this discrimination to continue.
I know it is unconscionable to many Australians as well.