In the Australian newspaper in an opinion piece published on Tuesday 2 September 2025, I understand that Mr. Mark Fowler, the Principal of Fowler Charity Law, stated that the current proposed amendment Bill, that the NT CLP Government introduced into the NT Parliament to amend the NT Anti Discrimination Act (NT), would only deal with employees and their adherence to the religious values and or ethos of the religious institution that they work for, only when the employees are at the workplace during their normal work hours, not outside of their normal work hours and or outside of the workplace.

This could be a major reason the NT CLP Government withdrew the Bill from this week’s sittings of NT parliament to go back to revisit the wording in the Bill.

I note with interest that section 351 (1) (c) of the Fair Work Act (Cth) of the Commonwealth Parliament states –

351 (2) However, subsection (1) does not apply to action that is:

(c) if the action is taken against a staff member of an institution conducted in accordance with the doctrines, tenets, beliefs or teachings of a particular religion or creed–taken:

(i) in good faith; and

(ii) to avoid injury to the religious susceptibilities of adherents of that religion or creed.