The Rationalist Society of Australia has urged the Albanese government against further privileging the voices of religious communities through the establishment of a national faith advisory body, this week raising discrimination and constitutional concerns about the idea with the nation’s first law-officer.
In a letter to Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, the RSA argued that the establishment of an advisory body based on New South Wales’ controversial Faith Affairs Council would entrench religious favouritism and discrimination against non-religious people, and undermine social cohesion.
RSA Executive Director Si Gladman also said that appointing people to a Commonwealth body based on religious criteria would also likely raise constitutional questions, given Section 116 of the Australian Constitution prohibits religious tests for public office.
Last week, the RSA reported that Ms Rowland and some of her cabinet colleagues had, in a recent meeting with religious lobbyists, expressed an interest in the NSW Faith Affairs Council and “whether that might be a blueprint for a similar federal body”.
Mr Gladman wrote that the RSA was “deeply troubled” to learn of the government’s interest in setting up such a body.
“We urge your government against introducing any such body that appoints people based on religious criteria – as the New South Wales Faith Affairs Council does – and excludes non-religious voices,” he said.
“The establishment of a body … would, like in New South Wales, result in the further privileging of religious interests and the further marginalisation of Australia’s rapidly growing non-religious community.
“Government policy-making – including in regards to matters of particular concern to religious groups – affects all citizens and taxpayers.”
When the Minns government established the 19-member NSW Faith Affairs Council in 2023, it excluded non-religious representation, even rejecting an application from a non-religious leader who was endorsed by a Christian minister.
The RSA has since detailed how the NSW Faith Affairs Council has pursued narrow religious interests on wide-ranging policy matters and sought to use its privileged access to decision-makers to influence government policy.
It has also declined to take up matters of importance to non-religious communities in regards to their right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Last year, the RSA – supported by a number of non-religious, pro-secular and ex-religious groups – raised the issue of such faith advisory bodies in a submission to the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review into Australia’s human rights. The submission argued that it was an example of discriminatory and unfair treatment against non-religious people in Australian government institutions and programs, and that this constituted a breach of Australia’s international human rights commitments to protect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
In his letter, Mr Gladman pointed to Neil Francis’ Religiosity in Australia series to show how out of touch religious leaders are with modern society. In that research series – published by the RSA – public surveys show religious leaders are among the least trusted people in society and do not even represent the views of the their own faith communities, given that large majorities of religious people support social policies such as same-sex marriage, voluntary assisted dying, and access to abortion.
Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.
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