The report, chaired by former Attorney-General Philip Ruddock, is yet to go to federal cabinet for a decision on the government’s official response, although some ministers and advisers have seen the document. Fairfax Media has posted key sections of the report online today. Mr Morrison declared on Thursday the government would not weaken the protections for children in religious schools, arguing the Ruddock review outlined new measures that would restrict discrimination. "What has been proposed to us by Philip Ruddock is we should be tightening that law to ensure that the interest of the child is put at the centre of the consideration and I think religious schools will support that strongly," Mr Morrison said. "I don’t think people should have a right to discriminate against people on the basis of their race, on the basis of their gender, or on the basis of their religion, or any of these things – or their sexuality."

Recommendation seven in the Ruddock report would keep the right of religious schools to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status. It would require schools to disclose this policy and to make the "best interests of the child" the priority. Attorney-General Christian Porter appeared open to that proposal. "I think that the balance that we’ve got at the moment probably could do with a little bit of fine tuning, but I don’t think, and it's not recommended, that the balance be shifted further towards schools being able to discriminate," Mr Porter said. Mr Morrison also signalled he was inclined to accept the idea of a Religious Discrimination Act, saying he believed that protecting people from discrimination on the basis of their faith was just as important as protecting them from racial discrimination. Recommendation 15 calls on the government to amend the Racial Discrimination Act or enact a new Religious Discrimination Act to set up this new power.

The Ruddock review made no finding on what that would mean for vilification laws, but its proposal has sparked concerns from IPA chief John Roskam that this could limit free speech by allowing people to complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission if they were offended on the basis of their religion. The review warns against blasphemy laws as "out of step with a modern, tolerant, multicultural society" and says they should be abolished. Former international development minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, a leading conservative within the Liberal Party, is urging the government to release the report. "Many people who voted yes to same sex marriage, did so in the belief that religious freedoms would be protected. "I welcomed the establishment of the Ruddock committee and encouraged submissions to it. Regrettably, these were not made public and concerns have been expressed to me about the process.

"It is very important for the report to be released as soon as possible, so that we can progress to ensuring that the religious freedoms of Australians are protected." Mr Roskam said the prospect of the Wentworth byelection in eastern Sydney on October 20 should be no reason for delaying the report's release. "It should be released as soon as possible and there should be a full and engaged public debate," Mr Roskam said. Mr Shorten would not say if Labor would consider amending or abolishing the ability of religious schools to exclude or to expel gay students, saying instead that it was up to Mr Morrison to reveal his intentions. "Frankly, I am shocked that the current Prime Minister hasn’t ruled out, right now, already, extending new laws allowing the discrimination against children who are gay," Mr Shorten said.

The Opposition Leader added: "The Morrison government could short-cut this very divisive debate, which divides our community, which leads kids and parents to be worried, simply by releasing the report." Greens leader Richard Di Natale is also demanding the release of the report after his party moved an order in the Senate last month to force the government to produce the document.