The Liberal candidate in the Wentworth by-election, Dave Sharma, says he's told prime minister Scott Morrison that religious schools should not have the right to discriminate against LGBT students or teachers.
In a candidate debate on Monday Sharma said the current law, which allows for discrimination, should be repealed.
"I'm fundamentally opposed to discrimination in schools, for pupils or for teachers, on the basis of sexual orientation, gender, or really anything else for that matter," he said. "I believe that right should be removed to the extent that it exists in laws passed in 2013 by the previous Labor government."
Sharma said he had spoken to the prime minister and made his position "very clear".
“Personally, I would be opposed to any new measures that impose forms of discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, or anything else for that matter," he said.
Sharma isn't the only Liberal speaking out.
When asked on Monday by ABC radio about the laws, which allow discrimination against LGBT teachers, treasurer Josh Frydenberg said: “I don’t think these laws are right, and I think we need to ensure there is no discrimination in either our workplaces or our schools.”
Please enjoy this video of the prime minister and opposition leader arguing about who is standing up more for kids being discriminated against because of their sexuality in schools. https://t.co/kpMi2bTIQJ
The debate about religious freedoms has been in the headlines for a week after Fairfax Media reported that a panel chaired by former Liberal MP Philip Ruddock proposed that religious schools should be allowed to discriminate against students based on sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status.
That is already the case in some states, where teachers can be fired for being gay in a religious school. Fairfax reported that the review proposed extending discriminations nationally, targeting new enrolments, meaning current students could not be kicked out.
The government has been sitting on the Ruddock report since May.
The prime minister told Question Time on Monday that the government had yet to consider the Ruddock report. It has repeatedly refused to release the report publicly.
Morrison said the government is currently drafting laws that will scrap the exemptions that allow religious schools to expel LGBT students, and that they could be introduced to parliament as soon as next week.
But the PM also took a swipe at Labor for creating the laws.
"We don't take kindly to being lectured on these issues when you [Labor] created the laws that created the discrimination," Morrison said.
Labor leader Bill Shorten agrees that the laws, which were introduced by the Gillard Labor government in 2013, were "no longer appropriate".
"As a father, I try to teach my children to treat everyone with respect, and to view everyone as equal," Shorten told parliament.
"I’m pleased both sides of politics are now united in the view that exemptions allowing religious schools to discriminate against children should be removed.
A bid by senator Derryn Hinch to debate religious freedoms was voted down by the upper house 31 to 30.
Hinch wants the government to withhold federal funding to any school that engages in discrimination against teachers or students on the basis of sexual orientation. He has also has called on the government to deny charity tax concessions to any organisation or commission responsible for a school that engages in discrimination.