A national Christian group is lobbying for the Disability Discrimination Act to be changed so that it can discriminate against people with mental illnesses, on the basis they could upset the "sacred" nature of church services.
FamilyVoice has called for a religious exemption to the Act, arguing it interferes with freedom of religion.
In a submission to a federal parliamentary inquiry on freedom of belief, FamilyVoice said a person with a mental illness had the potential to interfere with a church service.
"For very good reasons a religion may not wish to engage a person who has a mental illness and displays disturbed behaviour," the submission read.
"Such behaviour would adversely affect a church service, which is sacred in nature.
"A simple provision should be added for an exemption from the act for persons ... whose conscientious beliefs do not allow them to comply."
FamilyVoice national director Ashley Saunders "strongly repudiated" any suggestion the group did not want to support people with mental illness or disability.
"Our submission did not say we should be able to discriminate with a blank canvas in areas of mental disability," Rev Saunders said.
"It is appropriate in some circumstances to discriminate justifiably where the person is involved in disturbed behaviour that is contrary to the best interests of the organisation.
"Nowhere does the submission say that we don't want people with disturbed behaviour to be part of a church.
"What we have said is that church organisations should be able, in making decisions about employment, who leads the service, it is entirely appropriate that people who fulfil those roles not be people who manifest disturbed behaviour."
In an earlier statement, he said "we have absolutely no desire to exclude disabled persons" and "our policy submission raises concerns about problematic behaviours, not disability status".
More:
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-13/familyvoice-wants-to-discriminated-against-disabled-sex-change/8612052
