A contentious bill to protect Australians from religious discrimination has passed the lower house of federal parliament after five Liberal MPs crossed the floor of parliament to support sticking-point amendments during a marathon overnight session which concluded just before 5 a.m. on Feb. 10. Five Liberal MPs crossed the floor to vote with Labor and the crossbench on amendments to the bill which they feared would result in discrimination against gay and transgender school students by religious schools if passed into law. The Liberal MPs who crossed the floor included Bridget Archer, Trent Zimmerman, Fiona Martin, Dave Sharma, and Katie Allen. It is expected the bill will be taken up in the Senate later on Feb. 10, where Labor intends to pursue other amendments that were voted down in the House of Representatives. But the amendments needed to secure the bill’s passage through the lower house were a “price too high to pay,” according …