Proposed changes to Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act will restrict religious organisations and schools from employing staff with the same religious beliefs. Instead, religious schools may be required to hire staff who openly disagree with the school’s faith and values. “As a point of principle, this is a serious over-reach of the Government into the rightful freedoms of faith-based organisations in Victoria,” Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli wrote in a letter (pdf) addressed to the Victorian Parliament. “The proposed legislation diminishes the ability of faith organisations to confidently manage employment matters according to their faith and conscience.” Under the Equal Opportunity (Religious Exceptions) Amendment Bill 2021 (pdf), which is to be debated in the Victorian Parliament’s lower house this week, religious organisations and schools will only be able to make employment decisions based on an employee’s religious beliefs where these are “inherent” to the job. These could include positions of senior leaders such …