Federal government ministers have expressed interest in establishing a faith affairs advisory body that would give religious clerics privileged access to government ministers and influence in the policy-making process.
Email correspondence between Attorney-General Michelle Rowland and an Anglican Church leader — and which was tabled in the federal parliament this week — reveals the Albanese government is considering establishing a body similar to the New South Wales government’s controversial Faith Affairs Council.
In a letter to Ms Rowland (pictured), sent following a roundtable meeting between government ministers and a number of faith leaders in early December, the Anglican Bishop of South Sydney, Michael Stead, noted the Attorney-General and her colleagues expressed “some interest” in the NSW Faith Affairs Council and “whether that might be a blueprint for a similar federal body”.
Bishop Stead chairs the NSW Faith Affairs Council that provides 19 religious clerics with direct access to government ministers and the state bureaucracy to advise on wide-ranging policy matters.
As the Rationalist Society of Australia has reported, the Minns government excluded a non-religious leader when it established the Faith Affairs Council in 2023.
Since then, the RSA has reported on how the Faith Affairs Council has pursued the narrow religious interests of its members and sought to influence government policy making in a number of areas, including voluntary assisted dying, the scripture program in public schools, and equality laws.
The Faith Affairs Council has also failed to take up community concerns relating to the rights of non-religious people.
In his letter to Ms Rowland on 11 December, Bishop Stead attached a 2024 report of the Faith Affairs Council’s activities and said he would be “happy to discuss this further”.
Bishop Stead also praised New South Wales’ multiculturalism minister Steve Kamper for being the “key driver” behind the advisory body.
“… I am confident that (Mr Kamper) would commend it to you for your consideration,” he said.
In her reply in January, Ms Rowland said she “appreciated” receiving the report but did not discuss the issue further.
The RSA has long warned about the further privileging of religious voices and marginalisation of non-religious voices through the establishment of such faith advisory bodies, given that non-religious people have not been provided equal opportunity to participate in such bodies and advise on matters of religion and belief.
In a submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review into Australia’s human rights last year, the RSA, supported by a number of non-religious, pro-secular and ex-religious groups, highlighted the NSW Faith Affairs Council as an example of discriminatory treatment against non-religious people.
Ms Rowland — who told a Christian gathering that the “principles and values that Jesus lived by” underpin her role – has since failed to outline how the government will address concerns about discrimination against non-religious Australians in government institutions and programs.
As the RSA reported in February last year, a conservative Christian lobbyist declared he would call on the Albanese government to set up “faith offices” based on the one that was established by the new Trump Administration.
The documents tabled in the parliament this week reveal that the government met with 15 faith organisations in early December to discuss its commitment to introducing a Religious Discrimination Bill.
Also attending the roundtable meeting with faith leaders were the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, and the Minister for Education, Jason Clare.
In his email to Ms Rowland, Bishop Stead said that he was hopeful there may be a pathway for the government in reaching bipartisan support on such legislation and “of the amendments we suggested in 2024”.
“Thank you for the confirmation that the government remains committed to introducing a Religious Discrimination Bill provided that there is bipartisan support for this for moving ahead in parallel with amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act, and also for confirming that there are no plans for independent amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act,” he wrote.
In her response, Ms Rowland said every Australian, “no matter their race or religion”, should be able to enjoy their life without prejudice or discrimination.
“As discussed at our recent meeting, the Australian Government recognises the important role that faith-based schools play in our education system and the community,” she said.
“We remain committed to ensuring a balance between protecting students and teachers from discrimination and allowing schools to continue to operate in accordance with their religious ethos.”
With non-religious voices having been excluded from the NSW Faith Affairs Council, and not provided equal opportunities to have input into government decision-making on matters of religion and belief, the RSA has asked the Faith Affairs Council to take up issues of importance to the non-religious community.
Earlier this year, for example, the RSA wrote to the NSW Faith Affairs Council to urge it to speak up for the right of non-religious elected representatives to freedom of thought, conscience and religion where local governments impose acts of religious worship as part of formal meetings. In response, Bishop Stead told the RSA that the Faith Affairs Council’s meeting earlier this month had “ran out of time” to reach a decision on the matter.
Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.
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