On Thursday 16th October 2025 the Northern Territory Goverment under Lia Finnocchiaro is planning to change the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Act, rolling back recently won protections for vulnerable community members.
The vilification provision in the current NT Anti-Discrimination Act has been called “one of the strongest pieces of vilification law that is currently in place” and “highly visionary” by the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner.
The Finnocchiaro government intends to:
Amend Section 20A of the Act to provide a “higher threshold” for what is considered vilification, allowing for increased levels of hate speech against marginalised communities in the Northern Territory. This is occurring in a political climate where racist rhetoric and anti - Sistergirl Brotherboy LGBTQIA sentiment are high.
Add Section 35B, allowing religious organisations to discriminate against employees “on the ground of religious belief” or “to avoid offending religious sensibilities”. This has grave implications for Sistergirl Brotherboy LGBTQIA+ teachers working in religious schools, and creates unsafe school environments for Sistergirl Brotherboy LGBTQIA+ students and families. Students and teachers deserve a safe environment in which to thrive and learn free from discrimination.
This is one amongst many sustained attacks on community safety by the CLP government. We cannot allow this erosion of our hard-won protections.
