A coalition of non-religious, ex-religious and pro-secular groups is seeking answers from the Albanese government on how it will address ongoing discrimination against non-religious Australians in government institutions and programs.
In a letter to the Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland (pictured), the Rationalist Society of Australia and seven other organisations have detailed a number of examples of discriminatory and unfair treatment against non-religious people in breach of Australia’s international human rights commitments.
Such examples of discrimination include: the imposition of acts of religious worship as part of formal proceedings in federal and state parliaments, and in local government meetings; the lack of non-religious frontline wellbeing support for the Australian Defence Force’s majority non-religious workforce; the government funding of religious chaplains in government schools based on religious criteria for their employment; and the state-sponsored disruption of public school students’ formal academic learning time by poorly-attended religious instruction programs.
The other supporting organisations to the joint letter were Humanists Australia, Atheist Foundation of Australia, Recovering From Religion Australia, National Secular Lobby, Sydney Atheists, Fairness in Religions in Schools NSW, and Queensland Parents for Secular State Schools.
The letter informed Ms Rowland that the organisations had, earlier this year, detailed the discriminatory and unfair treatment of non-religious Australians in a submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) (Fourth Cycle) into Australia’s human rights.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights protect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and provide for equal treatment of religion and belief.
The letter also noted that Australia is a member of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, which advocates for “freedom of religion or belief for all, including the right of individuals to hold any belief, to change it or to hold none”.
“We believe this continued discriminatory and unfair treatment against non-religious people breaches Australia’s commitments to international human rights treaties and declarations …,” said the letter.
“The imposition of religion erects barriers to equal participation and contributes to the alienation of non-religious and ex-religious people.
“Attorney-General, what actions will you take to address this discriminatory and unfair treatment against non-religious people, on the grounds of religion and belief, in government institutions and programs?”
The letter noted that the Australian Attorney-General’s own departmental website recognises that Australia’s international commitments protect equally religious and non-religious beliefs.
The website also explains that the government must ensure that legislation, policies and programs “respect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief”, and may not impose religious or other beliefs.
The UPR is a peer-review process that considers the human rights records of each UN member state every four and a half years. Australian officials are expected to appear at the UPR in early 2026.
Earlier this month, the RSA reported that Ms Rowland had told a Christian prayer breakfast that the “principles and values that Jesus lived by” underpin her role.
Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.
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Photo: Michelle Rowland MP (Facebook)