Australian State Defeats Bill To Exempt Religious Groups From Some Equal Opportunity Requirements

Parliament in the Australian state of Victoria on Thursday defeated by a 44-43 vote a proposal to create an exemption for religious organizations from the state's Equal Opportunity Act 2010. The Act takes effect August 2011. (Background.) The amendment would have permitted faith-based groups to refuse to hire workers on the basis of religion, sexuality, marital status or gender. According to The Age, the defeat of the amendment proposed by the governing Liberal Party came because Women's Affairs Minister Mary Woolridge missed the vote and Liberal speaker Ken Smith voted against the bill. Woolridge said she was embarrassed at not making it to Parliament in time for the vote and would later explain what had happened. The government will try to have a new vote on the proposed amendments next week.