The Attorney General has tabled the Law Reform Commission's Review of Equal Opportunity Act 1984 report in parliament.
The Law Reform Commission made 163 recommendations to make the State's an-discrimination laws fair and effective.
The Government has broadly accepted the recommendations with further consideration to be given to the extent they will be implemented, however several key reforms are expected to be included in the Bill including:
- removing the outdated "disadvantage test" for sexual harassment complainants, in line with the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee's report into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry - "Enough is Enough";
- strengthening equal opportunity protections for LGBTIQA+ staff and students in religious schools;
- providing anti-discrimination protections to those who are trans, gender-diverse or non-binary without the need for recognition from the Gender Reassignment Board;
- extending the prohibition against sexual and racial harassment to members of Parliament and Parliament staff, judicial officers and court staff, local government councillors and staff, and unpaid or volunteer workers;
- protecting family and domestic violence victims from discrimination;
- introducing anti-vilification laws; and
- strengthening victimisation provisions.
