Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the amendments to the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation (Respect at Work) Bill 2022, circulated by the member for Wentworth. While there is much to commend, the scope of the 'Respect at Work' bill does not extend the same protections to everyone who is protected under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 and that's why I support this amendment—because everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect at work.

The attribute of sex only is too narrow. In its submission to the Senate inquiry, Equality Australia argued that the new protections regarding hostile work environments and the positive duty to eliminate discrimination should apply to all protected attributes under the Sex Discrimination Act, including sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status. This would ensure consistency and coherence in federal discrimination law, and ensure that all protections in the Sex Discrimination Act apply equally to people regardless of their gender, sexual orientation or sex characteristics. As the Prime Minister said in this chamber today, statistics show that LGBTIQA+ people experience high rates of discrimination, including harassment and sexual harassment. In the largest study of its kind, Private Lives 3 documented the experiences of almost 7,000 LGBTIQ+ plus people living in Australia. Around one in four said they had experienced harassment in the past 12 months because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Young transgender people are one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, experiencing discrimination, bullying, harassment, often a lack of family acceptance, and barriers to medical care.

Life can be challenging enough for these groups. It should not be that way in the workplace too. No-one should feel unsafe or uncomfortable in their place of work, and this reform, therefore, shouldn't stop with the Sex Discrimination Act. There's also a place for a positive duty to eliminate discrimination in all federal discrimination laws: the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Age Discrimination Act 2004. I urge the government to make a comprehension review of its federal discrimination laws as a matter of priority, and I commend this amendment to the House.

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