The Federal government is set to bring in a new – its third – draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill later this year, but a growing number of Liberal MPs are voicing their concerns about its impact on marriage equality and LGBTQI+ rights in Australia.The latest to add his voice to the growing chorus in the Coalition against the current draft of the Bill is Wentworth MP Dave Sharma.
In an email interview with Star Observer, Sharma said that while he supports a law that protects people from discrimination on the basis of their religious beliefs, it cannot be at the expense of the LGBTQI+ community. “I will be looking at the draft legislation very closely, and working to ensure it does not undermine or detract from the rights of the LGBTIQ.