Discrimination
Media and commentary related to our work to strengthen and modernise anti-discrimination laws, to protect human rights and ensure fair access to services, education, work and culture.
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Liberal Dave Sharma rejects giving religious schools right to expel gay students
‘The Liberal candidate for Wentworth, Dave Sharma, has rejected “any new measures” to extend religious schools’ power to expel gay students and sack gay teachers. ‘Sharma made the comments at a doorstop in Wentworth on Wednesday, as the Coalition struggled to contain fallout from the leak of one section of the Ruddock religious freedom review…
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Discrimination law explainer: how to protect LGBTI students and teachers
How can we protect LGBT students and teachers from discrimination? Following reporting by Fairfax media of the recommendations of the Ruddock Review into religious freedom, attention has been focused on the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and teachers by religious schools. Here we set out what needs to be done to protect…
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Banking Royal Commission hears: TAL refuses to pay cancer claim and cancels income protection policy because of visits to psychologist
Unfair and discriminatory treatment by insurance companies has been under the spotlight at the Banking Royal Commission, with insurance company TAL being grilled in relation to their treatment of a client who made a claim for income protection while being treated for cancer. PIAC’s client, referred to in the Commission as ‘the second insured,’ obtained…
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Opinion: Royal Commission highlights appalling conduct of insurers re mental health
Round 6 of the Royal Commission into the Financial Services Industry opened this week, with the spotlight turning to insurers. Among the cache of reprehensible conduct laid out in the opening statement of Rowena Orr QC, was how life insurers treat people with mental illness, and often refuse to provide cover for mental health conditions.…
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Banking Royal Commission: insurers must end mental health discrimination
PIAC has called for urgent action by insurers to make policies and practices fair for people who have experienced a past or current symptom of a mental health condition, on the first day of the Banking Royal Commission’s hearings in relation to the insurance industry. PIAC has published a list of insurers that impose mental…
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Banking royal commission: Insurers might be breaking anti-discrimination laws
‘Insurers are using eating disorders from teenage years, wedding anxiety symptoms and “low feelings” to deny coverage and claims on mental health grounds, potentially breaking anti-discrimination laws, mental health advocates say…’
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Mental Health Matters Forum
Thanks to everyone who came along to our forum on mental health and mental illness on Tuesday evening. The Mental Health Matters event was the fourth in an annual series of public forums that PIAC organises with Sydney Grammar School to promote public discussion about public interest and social justice issues. Moderated by journalist and…
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NSW public school will have pants option for girls
‘EVERY public school will be forced to offer girls the option of wearing shorts and pants instead of a dress under a statewide overhaul to the government’s uniform policy. ‘The new policy also mandates that schools give parents at least three years’ notice before making any significant changes — like adding a blazer — to…
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A win for girls: ending school uniform discrimination
Great news!! Public schools across NSW will now make shorts and pants available to girls as part of the standard school uniform. Congratulations to our client, Melissa Mibus, for helping bring about this sensible, practical change. We took legal action for Melissa last year so that her daughter and other girls at John Palmer Public…
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NSW Reforms Vilification Offences
PIAC welcomes the Crimes Amendment (Publicly Threatening and Inciting Violence) Act 2018 (NSW), passed this week by the NSW Parliament. This legislation makes significant changes to anti-vilification provisions in NSW, implementing some of the key recommendations of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice’s 2013 inquiry into Racial vilification law in New South Wales. The…