Push to make religious beliefs exempt from workplace contracts after Israel Folau was sacked for saying gays will go to hell
- Attorney-General Christian Porter is due to bring a Religious Discrimination Act
- But Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells wants a Religious Freedom Act
- Nationals MP Mr Joyce has jumped on the bandwagon and is supporting her
- It comes after Wallabies star Israel Folau was sacked over a religious post
Barnaby Joyce is among conservative MPs who want a new religious freedom law to stop employers sacking someone for promoting their beliefs.
Attorney-General Christian Porter is due to bring a Religious Discrimination Act to parliament in July as part of an election promise.
But Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells wants a more hardline Religious Freedom Act - and Nationals MP Mr Joyce has jumped on the bandwagon.
Barnaby Joyce (pictured with his girlfriend Vikki Campion) is among conservative MPs who want a new religious freedom law to stop employers sacking someone for their beliefs
After Wallabies star Israel Folau (pictured with his wife) was sacked over a religious Instagram post, Mr Joyce wants a specific law to stop employers penalising someone over religious beliefs
After Wallabies star Israel Folau was sacked over a religious Instagram post, Mr Joyce wants a specific law to stop employers penalising someone over religious beliefs.
'You can't bring people's faith beliefs into a contract,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
'Your own views on who God is, where God is or whether there's a God should remain your own personal views and not part of any contractual obligation.'
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Folau, 30, found himself in hot water after an Instagram post in April that said homosexuals are sinners and are going to hell.
He did not have a clause in his contract relating to religion - but was deemed to have breached the Rugby Australia code of conduct by not treating everyone 'equally, fairly and with dignity.'
Talking about the sacking, Mr Joyce said: 'People were a little bit shocked that someone could lose their job because of what they believe. It made everyone feel a bit awkward and uneasy.'
Folau was found guilty of a high-level code of conduct breach after he posted this picture to social media, claiming homosexuals, among others, were going to hell
After Folau was fired, Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle said the code accepted the termination was unavoidable but it was still a 'painful situation'.
'Rugby Australia did not choose to be in this situation, but Rugby Australia's position remains that Israel, through his actions, left us with no choice but to pursue this course of action,' Miss Castle said in a statement.
'I've communicated directly with the players to make it clear that Rugby Australia fully supports their right to their own beliefs and nothing that has happened changes that.
'But when we are talking about inclusiveness in our game, we're talking about respecting differences as well.'
After Folau was fired, Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle (pictured) said the code accepted the termination was unavoidable but it was still a 'painful situation'
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