EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
COMMISSION — JASON TEY
648. Hon CHARLES SMITH to the Leader of the House
representing the Attorney General:
I refer to the case of Western Australian
photographer Jason Tey, who was subject to a sexual orientation discrimination
complaint through the Western Australian Equal Opportunity Commission after he
disclosed his Christian beliefs to a same-sex couple who wanted him to
photograph their children. I note that the matter was escalated to the State
Administrative Tribunal but subsequently abandoned.
(1) Why was the
complaint against Mr Tey escalated and not dismissed by the WA Equal
Opportunity Commission?
(2) Does the
state government concede that the Tey case represents an infringement upon
religious freedom in Western Australia?
(3) Will the
state government take action to prevent anti-discrimination laws from being
further used to harass and coerce Christian service providers?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
Due
to the short time frame and the detail required, the Attorney General requests
that this question be put on notice.