EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ACT — REVIEW

1144. Hon ALISON XAMON to the Leader of the House representing the Attorney General:

I refer to the terms of reference for the review of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984.

(1)  Has the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia established whether there is a need for reform?

(2)  If yes to (1) —

(a)  please table the scope of the reform;

(b)  will a discussion paper on the review be made available for public comment;

(c)  if yes to (b), when will the paper be released; and

(d)  if no to (b), why not?

(3)  If no to (1), when is the Law Reform Commission scheduled to deliver its opinion on whether there is a need for reform?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1)–(3) The Attorney General has requested that the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia review the Equal Opportunity Act 1984. The LRCWA will consult extensively on this reference and will release a discussion paper during 2020. Recommendations on whether there is a need for reform, and, if so, the nature of that reform, will be set out in the LRCWA’s final report to the Attorney General, which will be tabled in Parliament. As part of this reference, the LRCWA will also consider the commonwealth Religious Discrimination Bill 2019 and the Australian Law Reform Commission’s inquiry into the framework of religious exemptions in anti-discrimination legislation. The LRCWA final report is due on 30 June 2021.

 

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