19 May 2025 – Unions, faith, women’s and LGBTIQ+ groups have signed a joint letter urging the NT Government to retain protections that ensure vulnerable communities are not exposed to hate speech or discrimination.
The letter to the NT Chief Minister was signed by 28 organisations, including Anglicare NT, Australian Services Union SA & NT Branch, NTCOSS, Darwin Community Legal Service, Independent Education Union of Australia, Top End Pride and Equality Australia.
Since coming to office, the Country Liberal Party has repeatedly stated that it plans to repeal vilification protections and reinstate an exemption that permits unfair discrimination against teachers and other workers in religious schools.
“The Anti-Discrimination Act 1992 (ADA) was modernised for the 21st century in 2023, following other states and territories which had passed similar reforms,” the letter states.
“Your government’s planned changes to the ADA would send us backwards, stripping vulnerable Territorians of protections and wilfully exposing them to hate speech and discrimination.”
Sally Sievers, CEO Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS):
“Across the social services sector, we are deeply concerned about the impact the proposed changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act would have. They risk undermining the work of people, organisations, and communities across the Territory – work that is essential to fostering equality and safety for all.
“The current vilification provisions provide important protection for a broad range of Territorians. All Territorians should be protected from abuse and harm.
“Finding workforce in the Territory is hard enough - why would we reintroduce legislation that could restrict the pool of workers even further?"
Brad Hayes, IEU Federal Secretary:
“School staff and students shouldn’t suffer discrimination due to their personal lives. Such treatment would be unlawful in every other industry. It has no place in today’s workplace.
“Faith-based school employers simply don’t need these exemptions. They have shown their capacity to prosper and build communities of faith without a special right to discriminate.
“Our community expects progress towards greater equality and fairness, the NT government’s proposal is the exact opposite and would be a massive step backwards.”
Equality Australia Legal Director Heather Corkhill:
“Every Territorian should be able to walk down the street without the threat of being harassed or abused, and no staff member should ever fear losing their job because of the family they go home to at the end of the day.
“At a time when hate is rising across the country and many communities are feeling unsafe, the Northern Territory should be strengthening protections – not taking them away. If these changes go ahead, the NT will become a stark outlier as the only place in Australia with zero protections against vilification.
“The government needs to meet with the people who will be directly impacted by this planned rollback of their rights. They should meet with communities, listen to their voices, and understand the real harm these changes will cause.”
Nina Rose Pardo, Chairperson Top End Pride:
“Top End Pride is gravely concerned at the proposed changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act.
“The NT Government's proposed reforms increase the risk to women, LGBTQIASB+ people, single parents and other minority communities of being victims of vilification and hate in public, and discrimination in educational institutions.
“This year we celebrate 40 years of Darwin Pride and in doing so platform the rich contributions our community has made to the Territory. It is with great disappointment that instead of partnering with the government, we are required to call on the government to protect and support the LGBTIQASB+ community.
“We are calling on the NT Government to carefully consider the detrimental effects changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act will have on minority communities in Territory.
“We call on the NT Government to demonstrate that our LGBTIQASB+ community is respected and deserves to live and contribute to the Territory free from harm and discrimination.”
Fair Agenda, Executive Director Renee Carr:
“If these changes go ahead, single mothers, women who fall pregnant outside of marriage, and people in defacto relationships could be fired or forced out of their jobs.
“These broad exemptions will hit women harder than men. A male teacher can have a child outside of marriage without anyone knowing - but a pregnant woman can’t hide it.
“In 2025 our governments should be driving reforms that bring us closer to equity; not dragging us backward."
Scott Cowen, ASU Assistant Branch Secretary:
“Our members across the Territory currently have the benefit of world-leading anti-discrimination protections in their workplaces. These have helped create safer workplaces for some of the most vulnerable workers. They should be a source of pride and celebration for Territorians, not something targeted to be removed by the Government.
“The Government’s plan is yet another ideological attack on workplaces rights and conditions, which will be of concern to the majority of Territorians.
“It’s entirely hypocritical for the NT Government to on the one hand say that it wants to take steps to improve community safety while simultaneously using its power to remove the legal protections for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
“We call on the Chief Minister to reverse her decision and consult with unions and community organisations impacted by these proposals rather than steamrolling these misguided changes through the Parliament.”
Signatories:
- Anglicare NT
- Amnesty International Australia
- Australian Association of Social Workers NT Branch
- Australian Services Union SA & NT Branch
- Australian Lawyers for Human Rights
- Darwin Community Legal Service
- Dowson Turco Lawyers
- Fair Agenda
- Equality Australia
- GLADD - The Association of LGBTQIA+ Drs and Dentists Australia
- Human Rights Law Centre
- Independent Education Union of Australia (IEU)
- Rainbow Families
- Rainbow Catholics Interagency Australia
- Trans Justice Project
- Justice Equity Centre
- Mable
- Milkwood Steiner School
- Melaleuca Australia
- National Union of Students
- Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS)
- NT Mental Health Coalition
- Ruby Gaea Darwin Centre Against Sexual Violence
- Saltwater Radio
- Sweet Story Theatre Co
- Top End Pride
- Twenty10
- United Workers Union
Full copy of the letter can be found here: https://equalityaustralia.org.au/equality-in-the-nt/
Contact: Tara Ravens - tara.ravens@equalityaustralia.org.au, 0408 898 154 or Mike Hitch - mike.hitch@equalityaustralia.org.au
