Page 5138 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 27 November 1991
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MR STEVENSON (6.29): Dr Kinloch suggests that, if someone wants to put up a separate Bill, that would be more appropriate. He said that here we are talking about other things. I would have thought that people are purporting to talk about rights. If the right to not join something is not a right, then I do not know what is. I find it amazing that some rights are supposedly things that we should stand up and speak up for today and include in this Bill, but other rights should be relegated to some other time.
What better opportunity is there to bring up something that has been a major problem in Australia? I am not sure what the various student unions around Australia require as far as compulsory membership is concerned. I believe that most of them have compulsory membership. I am open to hearing from somebody who may know whether or not that is the case.
It is not just that type of group that Mr Stefaniak's amendment refers to. There are a number of different areas that it could refer to. Mr Collaery said, as did Mr Connolly, that perhaps Mr Stefaniak could go over the points to put us in the picture exactly as to what the amendment does relate to. I think that would be an excellent idea. If he would like to do that, I think it would be worthwhile; or perhaps one of the other Liberal members could do so.
MR DUBY (6.31): This amendment primarily involves students, according to what Mr Stefaniak has said. I have great concerns over the words "voluntary body". Adding this subparagraph would mean that this Act applies to discrimination on the ground of membership or non-membership of a voluntary body. That would be the effect.
Mr Berry: A wide net.
MR DUBY: It certainly is, Mr Berry. I have real concerns. If I were an employer, for example, and I wished to hire an accountant, I would have every right, in my opinion, to refuse to hire someone because he was not a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, which is a voluntary body. The same goes for a chiropractor who is not a member of the Australian Chiropractors Association or a psychologist who is not a member of the Australian Psychological Society. That is a general employment issue.
The point raised by Mr Collaery related to a childminder. I would have every right, in my view, not to hire a baby-sitting organisation or whatever that was not a member of a voluntary association, the childminders guild or the baby-sitters association and may not choose to be a member or may not be permitted to be a member, for very good reasons.
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