NT Anti-discrimination

CLP Government Falls Short on Religious Freedom Commitments

Concerns Over the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2025

Despite some positive changes, the Northern Territory Government has fallen far short of what faith communities had expected with its amendments to the Anti-Discrimination Act. Freedom for Faith sponsored a joint letter to the NT Attorney-General, signed by 12 leaders representing major faith communities and education providers. The letter expressed deep concern that the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2025 failed to fulfil the Country Liberal Party’s election commitment to restore key freedoms of religion and speech. You can read the full letter here.

Positive Steps — But Not Enough

The most welcome change in the Bill allows religious educational institutions to prefer the employment of staff who share and support their school’s beliefs. This reverses the Labor Government’s 2022 legislation, which had removed that right. However, the new amendment still restricts a school’s ability to respond when a staff member’s public conduct, statements, or lifestyle contradicts the school’s Christian ethos. Another positive development was the improvement to vilification laws — raising the standard from “offend, insult, intimidate or humiliate” to a higher threshold of “incites hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule.”

Key Concerns Remain

The Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACS), a signatory to the Freedom for Faith letter, has warned that serious concerns remain. The Bill explicitly excludes any consideration of staff conduct outside work hours, even when that conduct clearly conflicts with the school’s beliefs. “This disconnect between belief and lifestyle expectations threatens the integrity of Christian schooling and undermines parental trust,” said AACS CEO Vanessa Cheng. Other unresolved issues include: Student Enrolment Rights: The Bill fails to restore the right of religious schools to prioritise student enrolments based on shared faith. Representative Complaints System: The Bill retains serious flaws in the new “systematic discrimination” mechanism, which allows complaints to be made without identifying an actual complainant or obtaining consent from those allegedly affected.

Broken Promises and Missed Opportunities

Faith leaders had hoped for further consultation with the Government before finalising the Bill to ensure a balanced, lasting outcome that honoured the Government’s election commitments. The Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2025 follows a sustained three-year advocacy campaign by Christian denominational leaders and school associations seeking to reverse the restrictive changes introduced under the previous Labor government.

National Implications

Freedom for Faith is concerned that the NT’s limited reforms could set a precedent for other jurisdictions — including New South Wales and Western Australia — that are currently reviewing their own anti-discrimination laws. We will continue working alongside faith and education leaders to ensure a fair and balanced approach to protecting religious freedom across Australia.