The debate will be filmed before a live audience at the City Recital Hall in Angel Place and broadcast to a global audience of 70 million.

If you live in Sydney, you might like to attend. Details here.

TUESDAY, May 22nd 5:30PM FOR 6:00PM at PARLIAMENT HOUSE NSW, THEATRETTE

Hear Professor Priscilla Coleman in her only Sydney event. Professor Coleman, a highly acclaimed researcher will outline her new groundbreaking research recently published in the illustrious British Journal of Psychiatry.

The event is free but RSVP essential. A donation to help cover the costs of $5 or more would be appreciated. There are limited seats and there’s expected to be a lot of interest.

To RSVP call (02) 9299 8350 (leave a message if nobody answers) or email your name and phone number to rsvp@nswrtl.org.au.

Here is a bio on Professor Coleman from Real Choices Australia (if you wish to attend their conference on May 18 – 19 in Melbourne go to http://realchoices.org.au/2012conference/):

” Dr. Coleman is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Her Ph.D. training was in Lifespan Developmental Psychology at West Virginia University, graduating in 1998. After a four year post at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, Dr. Coleman joined the faculty at BGSU. Acknowledging that a rich understanding of the human condition is necessarily dependent on analysis of behavior from multiple perspectives and levels of analysis, her research has naturally brought her into contact with ideas and findings from diverse fields. The outlets for her nearly 50 peer-reviewed journal articles have been in various disciplines including psychology (developmental, clinical, and social areas), family studies, education, and medicine (psychiatry, general practice, obstetrics and gynecology) among others. She is currently on the editorial boards for five international psychology and medical journals. Dr. Coleman has published more peer-reviewed articles on the mental health implications of abortion than any other researcher in the world and she frequently presents her research to audiences across the U.S. and elsewhere. In recent years she has spoken in Australia, England, Chile, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Portugal. In the U.S., Dr. Coleman has been called to serve as an expert in several state and civil court cases, has spoken at the UN, and in 2007 she testified before U.S. Congress.”

Christian lobby: Every child has a right to a mother

It is not our right to impose a motherless Mothers’ Day on a child.

In our increasingly “rights” focused society, children’s rights, even to have a mother, are being increasingly overlooked.

There are increasing numbers of children who are at risk of growing up never knowing the joy of giving mum a mothers’ day card.

This is not because of tragedy, relationship breakdown or desertion; it is because adults decided they would be raised separated from their biological mother before they were born.

The Tasmanian Government, which we would expect to protect the rights of children, is potentially about to legislate this breach of kids’ rights into reality

The soon-to-be-voted on surrogacy legislation, which claims to uphold the best interests of children, will allow for singles and same-sex couples to acquire babies.

The question is: Does a child possess a right to at least begin life (and ideally grow up) in a naturally-occurring family environment wherever possible?

Everyone agrees rights are important, especially when they relate to us. But what happens when one person’s perceived rights clash with another’s? How do we decide whose rights are more legitimate – especially when children are completely voiceless in this decision?

A right is defined as a just claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive or moral.

So by nature rights have an aspect of justice and hence morality. What we are talking about then is also a clash of morals, what we perceive to be right and wrong.

In a pluralistic society we don’t all follow the same belief system that shapes our morality and we look to government to show moral leadership in determining the common good.

One of the key manifestations of this is in the way leaders protect society’s most vulnerable, especially its children.

As might be expected, research tells us that children do better on virtually every indicator when raised by a mother and a father than their counterparts, and numerous studies have reported the positive influence that a mother and father have on a child’s development.

Of course this is not to say that same-sex couples are incapable of raising well-adjusted children. However, they cannot ever replace the missing biological parent which must be deliberately excluded from the child’s raising.

Mothers’ day is a day when we celebrate the important contribution our mums make to our lives. Research tells us how the maternal role effectively reduces behavioural problems in children, as emotional and relational development seems to be passed through the maternal figure.

World renowned Tasmanian parenting author and psychologist Steve Biddulph, reports “…mother-baby interaction, in the first year especially, is the very foundation of human emotions and intelligence. In the most essential terms, love grows the brain. The capacities for what make us most human – empathy, co-operation, intimacy, the fine timing and sensitivity that makes a human being charismatic, loving, and self-assured – are passed from mother to baby…”

Laws which allow a single man or two men to acquire a baby through surrogacy will deny this right of a child.

Clearly our children should be given every opportunity to grow and thrive in as natural, or as near to natural, an environment as we can give them.

So too we expect legislators to ensure children get the best opportunities to shine emotionally, relationally and psychologically and not bow to pressure groups who would advocate otherwise.

The Parliament clearly should reject the surrogacy legislation, particularly the aspects which sever a child from her biological mother or father.

Sure, not everyone will be happy – toes will be stepped on. The question is whose toes would we rather be stepping on – adults’ or children’s?

It is not our right to impose a motherless mothers’ day on any child.

Professor resigns over anti gay stand – Ninemsn

ACL welcomes Victorian Government’s support for Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissioner – Christian Today

Human Rights Commission member pressured into resigning after supporting traditional marriage – LifeSiteNews

Christian lobby: Every child has a right to a mother – The Examiner

PM shrugs off Obama’s gay marriage stance – SMH

Coalition won’t keep aid commitment - SMH

The Victorian Director Dan Flynn’s letter to supporters in the state is now available online.

First of all, let me introduce myself – I am the new Victorian State Director – something I consider a privilege, having commenced in March 2012.

Click here to read the rest of Dan’s letter.

The Tasmanian Director Mark Brown’s letter to supporters in the state is now available online.

May/June is looking like being a busy time with some important events scheduled

Click here to read the rest of Mark’s letter.

The Queensland Director Wendy Francis’s letter to supporters in the state is now available online.

Since February this year we have run Meet Your Candidate forums for 28 electorates around the state. This has opened some incredible doors already in regards to relationships with new MPs and also churches.

Click here to read the rest of Wendy’s letter.

The New South Wales Director David Hutt’s letter to supporters in the state is now available online.

Thank you to those of you who made a submission to the recent parliamentary inquiry into same-sex marriage.

Click here to read the rest of David’s letter.

The ACL’s latest monthly newsletter, which includes a column from ACL’s Managing Director Jim Wallace, is out now. This month’s newsletter includes stories on the National Marriage Webcast. Click here to read the May newsletter.

ACL compiles a daily media monitoring service of stories of interest to the Christian constituency relating to children, family, drugs and alcohol, marriage, human rights, religious freedom etc. Visit the ACL’s website each day to see what’s of interest in the news. Please note that selection of the articles does not represent ACL endorsement of the content.
Abortion
Abortion patients sue clinic for passing on hep C
Sophie Gosper – The Australian
FIFTY women who contracted hepatitis C after having abortions at a Melbourne clinic yesterday launched a class action in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
It is believed to be the first time a personal injury class action has been lodged against a medical practitioner regulator in Australia.

Euthanasia
Call for action on Euthanasia
Lisa Cox, SMH.
When he talks about euthanasia, Professor Bob Douglas borrows a line from a former health minister by saying it’s an issue that has politicians ”hiding under their desks”. Studies have shown that the number of Australians who support voluntary euthanasia is greater than the number that oppose it.

Family
Grandparents doing their share of Child minding
Rachel Wells, SMH
MORE Australian children are being cared for by their grandparents than by formal childcare providers, such as long day care, according to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The figures show that while half of all Australian children under 12 received childcare of some form last year, just 24 per cent were in formal care, compared with 26 per cent who were cared for by their grandparents.

Gambling
New Approach to Gambling
Daniel Hamilton, ABC Online
For ten years Julia Karpathakis gambled on the pokies, but instead of a jackpot payout all she won was a bag loneliness, while she lost everything from her life savings, family and friends, to her self esteem and sense of morality. The decade long struggle ended when Julia reached out for support and became educated on the design of gambling and the realisation she would never beat a system designed to always profit the house.

TV Stations turn backs on Anti pokies’ adverts
9 News
Anti-pokies crusaders have turned to SBS and cinemas to air an advertisement highlighting the ownership of gambling machines by supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths.The major television networks have refused to air the advertisement, GetUp spokesman Simon Sheikh says. “So far every (commercial) network has refused to run it,” Mr Sheikh said.

Marriage
Same Sex Marriage seals Obama’s fate as one term President
Mike McManus, The Baltimore Sun
Barack Obama made himself a one-term president last week by telling ABC, “I think that same-sex couples should be able to get married.” Up till now, he was politically savvy, saying his position was “evolving.” But in repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, he revealed to sophisticates where he stood. Another clear signal was Mr. Obama’s refusal to allow the Justice Department to defend

Barack Obama’s same-sex nod splits black vote
Brad Norington, Washington correspondent- The Australian
BARACK Obama is struggling to persuade black religious leaders to support his endorsement of same-sex marriage, raising White House concerns about the enthusiasm of African-Americans for his re-election this year.
Among the fiercest critics of the US President’s stand on gay marriage announced last week are African-American preachers with considerable influence over their congregations.

Human Rights Commission member pressured into resigning after supporting traditional marriage
Jason Rushton, Lifesitenews.com
A board member of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) has resigned less than 48 hours after Australian media reported that he had signed a document supporting true marriage.
Professor Kuruvilla George, who is also Victoria’s deputy chief psychiatrist, signed a pro-marriage submission to a Senate inquiry on the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010 in March. (There are currently three bills to change the legal definition of marriage before Australian parliament, which are the subject of two separate inquiries).

Hypocrites harm gay couples
Andrew Bolt – Herald Sun
CONTRAST. In March, Australia’s Human Rights Commission boasted it had entered a float in Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in “its campaign to allow same-sex marriage”.
No fuss.
Last week, a board member of Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Commission signed a petition “to oppose moves to ‘same-sex marriage’ “.
This time: screams, protests, outraged media and a resignation.

DJs backs same-sex marriage
Sophie Morris – The Financial Review
The chief executive of retailing giant David Jones, Paul Zahra, has urged federal MPs to back legal changes that would recognise same-sex unions.
“I think the current ban on same-sex marriage is sending a message that it’s OK to treat gay people differently,” Mr Zahra told The Australian Financial Review. “We value all of our staff and customers and treat them all equally and we’d like to see the federal government do the same thing and change the legislation,” he?said.

Politics
Govt program to tackle homophobia in ACT sport
Chris Wilson – Canberra Times
The ACT government has chosen International Day Against Homophobia to launch a $272,000 program designed to combat harassment, bullying and homophobia in Canberra sport.
ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr will today unveil the program, which will include a full-time project officer and two years’ funding.

Thompson cleared on election spending
Weekly Times Now
FEDERAL MP Craig Thomson has been cleared of electoral law breaches. But the Australian Electoral Commission has sought further information about $17,000 in spending by the union he formerly headed. As the AEC report was released, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Labor frontbencher Simon Crean raised doubts about the NSW MP’s prospects of running again for the ALP at the 2013 election.

Kelty rebukes Labor over union woes
ABC Online
Union stalwart Bill Kelty has issued a reality check to the Labor Party, saying the hope and trust the Australian people once had in it has diminished. The wake-up call comes as both the union movement and Prime Minister Julia Gillard try to deal with the damaging fallout from the Health Services Union (HSU) scandal, which has seen Craig Thomson – a former HSU official and now federal MP – accused of spending union members’ money on prostitutes.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Australian Christian Lobby Managing Director Jim Wallace is urging churches across the nation to join a live webcast of Christian experts as they answer questions about the importance and future of marriage.

Defining Marriage, Does it Matter Anymore?, will be held on Tuesday June 26 and is a significant opportunity for the church to come together and discuss whether the definition of marriage continues to have any relevance in modern Australia.

The panel will be compered by Karl Faase from Gymea Baptist Church and include panel members: former deputy prime minister John Anderson, family law specialist Professor Patrick Parkinson, columnist for The Australian Christopher Pearson, sexologist Patricia Weerakoon, pastor and author Dr Allan Meyer and his wife Helen Meyer who is an educator and counsellor.

“The definition of marriage is being challenged in our Federal Parliament and there is so much confusion about the value of marriage to our society,” he said.

“This will be an important opportunity to talk about marriage and help answer the church community’s questions through the combined experience and expertise of this panel,” he said.

The webcast will be available to churches only but people will be able to submit a question to the panel to answer.

For more information go to http://marriagewebcast.acl.org.au/

ACL compiles a daily media monitoring service of stories of interest to the Christian constituency relating to children, family, drugs and alcohol, marriage, human rights, religious freedom etc. Visit the ACL’s website each day to see what’s of interest in the news. Please note that selection of the articles does not represent ACL endorsement of the content.

Abortion

New Attack on Abortion rights

Lisa Lanes, Green Left

In South Australia, where abortion is still legally considered a crime under the Criminal Act, women do not have the legal right to make their own reproductive choices. What we have now is tenuous and limited access to abortions through an under funded healthcare system

Children & Family

Children concerned over growing work – life imbalance

NZHerald

Many Australian children believe their parents work too hard, bringing stress home to eat into family time, a study has found. The Australian Institute of Family Studies, which also found that parents shared their children’s concerns, follows a series of reports warning of a growing imbalance between home and work

Stillbirth law change

Port Lincoln Times

A VOTE on stillbirth registration reform in state parliament is likely to be put off while an alternative option is considered.

Port Lincoln resident Tarlia Bartsch has been pushing for the reform through Family First MLC Robert Brokenshire to have babies stillborn between 12 and 20 weeks registered with a birth certificate.

Marriage

Striving for balance over gay marriage

Judy Prisk – SMH

The retired High Court judge Michael Kirby told a Senate inquiry into gay marriage earlier this month that despite the heights he had reached in his career, he remained a second-class citizen because he could not marry his partner, Johan van Vloten. A reader wrote: ”It seems that all Kirby has to do is to raise his tired old hat and he gets a free kick from the Herald.”

This reader first raised the topic of balance in the Heralds’ coverage of same-sex marriage in November: ”For heaven’s sake, give someone else an equal chance to argue against this foolish policy.” He believed then, and judging from his dozen or so letters since still does, that: ”You and I know that the editors and subs on the Herald are either homosexuals or pro-homosexual and using the church as a sop to accusations of bias.”

Obama’s public support for same sex marriage did not lift his popularity

Reuters

President Barack Obama’s show of support for gay marriage has inflamed political passions but has not given him a bump in popularity, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday. Roughly a third of Americans view Obama more favorably and a third less favorably because of his announcement that he supports the right of gay and lesbian couples to wed.

Australians must embrace gay marriage

Jeff Kennett – HeraldSun

TODAY, I call on the Catholic Church and the community to review its position on marriage. It is time our laws respected the rights of all law abiding individuals. Those laws should reflect contemporary educated attitudes, not just for marriage but to women and their role in society.

Professor resigns over anti gay stand

Mike Hedge – Ninemsn

A member of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission has resigned following the revelation of his public opposition to same-sex marriage.

Professor Kuruvilla George tendered his resignation from the Board of the Commission on Tuesday.

Doctors should stick with majority

Robert Battisti – Online Opinion

The recently-publicised senate submission by the newly-formed Doctors for the Family group risks undermining the mental health of thousands of Australians. Doctors are highly respected within the community and are able to influence public opinion. It is of great concern that this group of doctors may do so, despite them not representing the views of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and its nearly 90,000 members.

Overseas aid

UN seeks continued Australian Africa aid

Chris Johnson – Canberra Times

United Nations World Food Programme bosses from Africa are today in discussions with the Australian government over the need for continued aid to Somalia and South Sudan.

The delegation will meet with senior AusAID officials to plead a case that the troubled Horn of Africa region should not be overlooked as Australia decides where to direct its foreign aid spend.

Politics

500 Day until next Election

Phillip Hudson, Herald Sun

LIVE BLOG WITH THE PM AT 9AM: JULIA Gillard has launched a 500-day countdown to the next election, saying she is under no illusions about the massive task she faces to revive Labor’s fortunes.

CDP candidate faces $46,000 bill

The Daily Telegraph.

NSW Greens senator Lee Rhiannon has moved to bankrupt a Christian Democratic Party candidate who disputed her 2009 federal election win. Ms Rhiannon lodged a creditors petition in the Federal Magistrates Court seeking $46,007 from Robyn Peebles, 63, a pastor in West Ryde.

Craig Thompson – Prostitutes credibility

The Australian

LABOR MP Craig Thomson – who is accused of embezzling $500,000 while national secretary of the Health Services Union – says he was set up by political enemies who wanted to destroy him. According to Mr Thomson, they engaged in an elaborate plot to link him with prostitutes by stealing his credit card, using his mobile phone, forging his signature and producing his driver’s licence.

Religious Freedom

Religious freedom endangered – Canda

CAN, Benjamin Mann

Ottawa, Canada, May 15, 2012.- Freedom of religion and conscience are in danger of disappearing from Canadian society, the country’s bishops warned on May 14. “In the past decade in Canada there have been several situations that raise the question whether our right to freedom of conscience and religion is everywhere respected,” the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops observed in Monday’s pastoral letter.

Ben Thurley is the political engagement co-ordinator at Micah Challenge. The ACL’s Katherine Spackman spoke to Ben about the federal budget and the decision by the government to delay lifting foreign aid funding to 0.5 per cent of GNI by one year.

Penny Wilson is the Chief Executive Officer at Responsible Gambling Advocacy Centre. She spoke to the ACL’s Katherine Spackman about responsible gambling awareness week. Click here to read the transcript.

Jim Wallace is the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby. He spoke to the ACL’s Katherine Spackman about the National Marriage Webcast planned for June 26. Click here to read the transcript.

For release: Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Gay activists have claimed another scalp in their relentless persecution of anyone who does not support their agenda, according to the Australian Christian Lobby.

ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said today’s resignation of Professor Kuruvilla George from the Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission has come after a Senate submission which he and 150 other medical practitioners signed was demonised by gay activists because it did not support their agenda for changing the Marriage Act.

But Mr Wallace said so-called research used yesterday to build the case against Professor George and his colleagues’ pro man-woman marriage submission to the Senate was badly flawed in what was the usual public circus used to confuse and deny fact in this debate.

Mr Wallace said the 2007 literature review prepared by Flinders University lecturer Dr Damien Riggs and fellow gay activists for the Australian Psychological Society relied on many studies which had been demonstrated to be statistically unsound and therefore inconclusive.

Dr Riggs admitted on radio yesterday that the studies he reviewed had only looked at lesbian parenting but did not given an opinion on the long-term impacts of a child being deliberately cut off from its biological mother by two men, Mr Wallace said.

“This is half the potential demographic of same-sex parenting not taken into account,” Mr Wallace said.

“Neither does Dr Riggs admit the fact that the phenomenon of visible homosexual families is a recent construct for which there has simply not been the time to gather reliable data.

“In addition, Dr Riggs did not engage the substance of the medical practitioners’ submission to the Senate which raised concerns that same-sex relationships are well proven to be inherently and markedly less stable than heterosexual ones.

“At least six academics have questioned the validity of many of the studies which Dr Riggs relies upon.

“Quantitative analysis experts Lerner and Nagai reviewed 49 studies supporting same-sex parenting, many of which were used by Dr Riggs, and found that all 49 contained serious methodological flaws.

“It is not surprising that a literature review conducted by four or five known gay activists should make the sort of recommendations they have to the APS.

“There is enough doubt about the rigour of Dr Rigg’s work to call into question his dogmatic statements that same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting will have no adverse impacts on children.

“This is clearly no basis for Federal politicians to make a decision about changing the Marriage Act – a decision which will have big consequences for children deliberately excluded from one of their biological parents for life.”

Mr Wallace said Professor George should be invited back to the Victorian Human rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and that claims by homosexual activists of equal parenting outcomes should be subjected to much more rigour before politicians legislate to create another stolen generation.

Monday, May 14, 2012

ACL welcomes state government’s support for Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissioner

The Australian Christian Lobby has welcomed the Victorian Government’s statement of support for Professor Kuravilla George as a member of Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC).

Managing Director Jim Wallace said as a society we should continue to support free speech and the right for the chief psychiatrist to have a personal opinion that marriage between a man and a woman is the best environment for children to be raised.

“However, a professional opinion against same-sex marriage is entirely legitimate and is also no reason for someone to be driven from such a position,” Mr Wallace said.

“A large proportion of Australians do not support changing the Marriage Act. Research conducted by Sexton Marketing for the Ambrose Centre for Religious Liberty found that only 49 per cent supported changing the Marriage Act. Opposition to same-sex marriage should not disbar them from holding public roles in our society, particularly within bodies established to adjudicate on issues of equity.

Mr Wallace said it was disingenuous for some to question Professor Kuravilla’s position.

“To have the Victorian shadow attorney-general calling for Professor George to explain himself for not advocating same-sex marriage while being an equal opportunity commissioner should call into question the very competence of commissioners to deal with fairness on the issues that come before them,” said Mr Wallace.

“The pressure put on Professor George is typical of the gay activists, that once again they demonise alternate voices and clearly very creditable ones from the public debate. It is a tactic the public should reject,” said Mr Wallace.

“It’s time to put truth back in this debate and reject the demonisation and manipulation of public opinion which is as much a threat to our democracy as to this debate,” said Mr Wallace.

“The Doctors for Family represent over 150 medical professionals whose opinion needs to be heard,” he said.

The website was officially launched last week by the former Governor and Chief Justice of Tasmania, Honorable William Cox. The website has been established in response to expectations that legislation attempting to legalise euthanasia will be introduced into Parliament sometime in the term of this current Tasmanian government.

The 2009 Inquiry into euthanasia found that the majority of professionals with an interest in end of life care were opposed to such laws.

The REALDignityTas eminent persons group includes:
• Hon. William Cox AC – Former State Governor and Chief Justice;
• Dr Paul Dunne AM – Palliative Care Specialist;
• Dr Jeremy Prichard – Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Law at the University of Tasmania;
• Professor Ray Lowenthal AO –Clinical professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Tasmania, Consultant Haematologist/Oncologist and Member of the Menzies Research Institute;
• Dr Kristi Giselsson – Doctor of Philosophy and Honorary Research Associate at the University of Tasmania;
• Professor Michael Tate – former Federal Senator and now an Honorary Research Professor at the University of Tasmania; and
• Dr Nicholas Cooling, General Practitioner and Senior Lecturer in Medical Practice.

The website www.realdignitytas.com includes a series of short interviews each featuring one of the eminent persons group addressing the issue from their professional standpoint and highlighting the danger to Tasmanian society of such euthanasia laws.

Children & Family
Christian lobby: Every child has a right to a mother
Mark Brown – The Examiner
It is not our right to impose a motherless Mothers’ Day on a child
In our increasingly “rights” focused society, children’s rights, even to have a mother, are being increasingly overlooked.

Classification
Social network may be driving loneliness
James Gillespie – The Times
WHILE Facebook gives the impression new friends are just a click away, scientific research suggests that rather than helping its adherents to gather friends, Facebook may actually be making its 901 million users lonelier.
Some believe that with an estimated 125 billion friend connections – the world’s population is just over 7 billion – Facebook has become so vast it is undermining face-to-face interactions.

Euthanasia
Suicide on agenda at forum
Sunshine Coast Daily
THE highly emotive subject of euthanasia will be in the spotlight at a forum on the Coast next weekend.
According to experts, although Australia is ranked as one of the best places in the world to die, euthanasia advocates say Queensland still has a long way to go to equal its state counterparts in relation to the care of the dying.

Gambling
Stakes are high as apps turn kids into gamblers
Andrew Trounson – The Australian
CHILDREN are using smartphones as gambling machines as they get increasingly bombarded with opportunities to gamble through phone apps and social media sites such as Facebook.

Human Rights
Victorian Police to use Drones in fight against Crime
ABC News
Victoria Police have confirmed they are investigating the use of unmanned drones to help fight crime. Police say the technology could make their jobs safer but civil libertarians fear drones could lead to grave invasions of people’s privacy.

Indigenous
Australians give nod to indigenous preamble
Markus Mannheim – Canberra Times
Most Australians want a constitution that recognises indigenous people’s special place in the nation’s history.
But any words that hint at giving them extra rights will meet resistance, national research suggests.

Marriage
Doctors say heterosexual marriage better for kids
ABC News
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has distanced itself from a group of prominent doctors who say children are better off when raised by heterosexual parents, rather than same-sex couples. Around 150 medical practitioners from the group Doctors for the Family, including a member of Victoria’s Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, say children raised in heterosexual relationships “do better in all parameters”.

Even New Zealand supports gay marriage
Rodney Croome – The Punch
Barack Obama’s support for marriage equality highlights the fact that Australia is now the only developed, English-speaking democracy where the leaders of both major parties oppose the issue.

Five Reasons Christians Should Continue to Oppose Gay Marriage
Kevin Deyoung – The Gospel Coalition
Yesterday, to no one’s surprise, President Obama revealed in an interview that after some “evolution” he has “concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.” This after the Vice-President came out last Sunday strongly in favor of gay marriage.

Push for Gillard to Review Gay Marriage
Dan Harris SMH
ARGENTINA’S President Cristina Kirchner will write to Prime Minister Julia Gillard to encourage her to support same-sex marriage, after an Australian pair became the first foreign same-sex couple to marry in the South American country.

Presidents Daughter says he’s a support of gay rights
SMH
HAVANA: The Cuban President, Raul Castro, backs greater gay rights and ending discrimination against homosexuals, his daughter Mariela, a famed sexologist, said during a colourful gay rights march in Havana.

President Obama’s support for same sex marriage fires up evangelicals
SMH Dan Eggen
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage is energising Christian conservative support for Mitt Romney in a way that the likely Republican nominee has so far not been able to do on his own, religious leaders say.

Cheers as Romney rejects same sex marriage
ABC News
Republican White House challenger Mitt Romney, wooing social conservatives, has adamantly rejected same-sex marriage and trumpeted his belief in Christian values and the family.

Obama’s words affirm gays as equals
Andrew Sullivan – The Australian
IN 1989, I was a junior staffer at The New Republic, which was then, in the pre-internet age, the single weekly magazine of political opinion in Washington.

Politics
Future of National Disability Insurance Scheme funds in doubt
Matthew Franklin and Adam Creighton – The Australian
LABOR has been unable to rule out a new tax or levy to bankroll its National Disability Insurance Scheme, conceding it has not finalised a funding stream despite having made delivery of the reform a centrepiece of last week’s 2012-13 budget.

Tony Windsor to get tough on Politicans who commit civil offences
Daily Telegraph. Gemma Jones
A REFERENDUM could decide whether politicians who commit civil offences should be punished by parliament, according to independent MP Tony Windsor. The push for stronger penalties comes in the wake of the Craig Thomson affair, as Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday refused to say if she believed the embattled MP’s claims that he was set up over payments to prostitutes.

House awaits explanation from Craig Thompson
The Australian, Christian Kerr
LAST Wednesday as the Coalition fought to force MP Craig Thomson to explain to the house the matters relating to him in Fair Work Australia’s findings on the Health Services Union, the embattled member for Dobell got to his feet. “I would like to indicate to parliament that I will be seeking to make a statement, probably in excess of 10 minutes and closer to 15 minutes, on the next occasion parliament sits,” Thomson said.

Other
Call to Revive Islamic finance in Australia
By Bernardo Vizcaino. Reuters
May 13 (Reuters) – The government of the Australian state of New South Wales, home to the country’s financial capital Sydney, will send a group to Dubai this week to discuss ways to develop the Islamic finance industry, officials said. The delegation, led by New South Wales premier Barry O’Farrell and including financial services professionals, will explore regulatory and legal issues at a roundtable discussion with the Dubai Export Development Corp on Tuesday.

Kids bonus bill cruises through parliament

Ehssan Veiszadeh, AAP

The federal government has succeeded in fast-tracking legislation that will see more than one million families with schoolchildren receive a cash bonus next month. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan spent most of Wednesday and Thursday talking up the SchoolKids Bonus, which was one of the centrepieces of the 2012/13 budget.

Thousands of Sydney children in poverty: Anglicare

Stefanie Menezes, ABC

Charity group Anglicare says at least 26,000 Sydney children are living in households that are struggling to pay for basic necessities such as food. According to Anglicare’s State of Sydney report more than 27,000 people sought help with food parcels or to pay electricity and other bills from one of the welfare body’s emergency relief centres between 2007 and 2011.

New sex, drug offences

Louise Willis, ABC

The ACT Government says it is moving to protect vulnerable children by introducing changes to the Territory’s crime laws. The changes have been prompted by concerns from the Director of Public Prosecutions, police and the ACT Supreme Court. The legislation creates two new sexual offences – having sexual intercourse and committing an act of indecency with a 16 or 17-year-old in special care.

Education

Teachers plead for help with troubled students

Tanya Chilcott and Andrew MacDonald – The Courier-Mail

Teachers and principals have stepped up calls for help to deal with rising child mental health and behavioural issues as student violence continues to cause problems across Queensland. It comes as bus companies in southeast Queensland consider banning students because of wild behaviour accusations.

Human Rights

We came here to learn, but we live in fear

Shuting Dong – The Age

A gang of six teenagers were reported last month to have harassed passengers on a train in Sydney. When they confronted a female passenger, she pointed desperately at two Chinese men sitting opposite her and said “Rob them. They are Asian. They are rich.” The men, who were international students, were taunted as “Asian dogs and pussies” and assaulted. They were left with broken bones and cigarette burns.

Marriage

It takes a brave leader to Barack for gay marriage

Daniel Piotrowski – The Punch

US President Barack Obama has come out in support of gay marriage in a TV interview. The news followed growing accusations that he believed in same-sex marriage but wasn’t expressing that for political reasons. It is, after all, an election year, and the President has been under pressure to toe the line with conservative electorates that could get him over the line in November.

Democrats seeking re-election cautious about Obama gay marriage stance

Chris McGreal, Adam Gabbatt and Karen McVeigh – guardian.co.uk

Democratic politicians fighting to hold on to their seats in Congress have distanced themselves from Barack Obama’s support of gay marriage even as the party’s leadership said it expects the president’s re-election platform to include a commitment to the legalisation of same-sex unions.

Uncertain fate for 460 couples in civil unions

Daniel Hurst – Brisbane Times

About 460 Queensland couples are now officially in civil unions – but the Attorney-General remains tight-lipped on their fate. Australian equal rights advocates yesterday reaffirmed their campaign for gay marriage after US President Barack Obama declared his support for allowing same-sex couples to wed. However, in Queensland the future of civil unions – an alternative to same-sex marriage – remains up in the air following the Liberal National Party’s election victory.

Overseas Aid

What happened to the Govt’s promise to help the poor?

Archie Law – The Punch

The Australian aid sector’s fury at the aid budget cuts announced on Tuesday has been focused on the dollar figure that the Government has (or rather, hasn’t) allocated to foreign aid. But there’s another reason to be angry. Alongside its much-smaller-that-promised aid budget, the Gillard government delivered another announcement. “Australia is deepening its engagement with effective multilateral organisations including the Development Banks,” Foreign Minister Carr blogged proudly on Wednesday.

Aid cuts could cripple Afghan peace

Ben Doherty – SMH

The sudden withdrawal of aid money and foreign troops from Afghanistan after 2014, could shock the country’s fragile economy and pose a serious threat to security, the World Bank has warned. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an economy overwhelmingly dependent on foreign aid money. While the average per capita income in Afghanistan has risen to $528 a year, more than three times the figure from 2000, the year before the war began, more than a third of the population still lives in absolute poverty, and three-quarters remain illiterate.

Politics

Labor safe for now as Katter demands ruling by court

Phillip Coorey, Kate Mcclymont – SMH

Coalition hopes that the Craig Thomson affair will bring down the Gillard government have been set back with the independent MP Bob Katter saying the courts, not Parliament, should judge the former Labor MP. Mr Katter told the Herald he would not support any vote suspending Mr Thomson from the Parliament, or forcing his resignation, until the matters against the MP had been heard by the court.

Budget has no plan for economic growth: Abbott

ABC

Tony Abbott has taken a sword to Labor’s budget, using his reply speech to attack the Government’s “knee-jerk response” to current economic trends and accusing it of class warfare. The Opposition Leader said Treasurer Wayne Swan’s fifth budget did nothing to promote investment and once again called on Labor to dump Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Full-time jobs labouring behind part-time growth

The Daily Telegraph

Part-time jobs are the new “black” across Australia’s patchwork economy, but jobseekers continue to feel the pinch. Employment figures put out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday showed the jobless rate unexpectedly dropped to 4.9 per cent, casting doubt on whether the Reserve Bank will be quick to cut the official interest rate again when its board meets next month.

Prostitution & Sex Trafficking

Law Society resists sex law change

ABC

The prostitution of a 12-year-old girl could lead to a significant change in criminal law in Tasmania, but it is being resisted by lawyers. The Law Reform Institute has released a paper which considers the use of mistaken age as a defence. It was prompted by the high-profile case of the Hobart girl who was prostituted by pimp Gary Devine and her mother.

Religious Freedom & Persecution

Modern Christians can trump Bible thumping fundies

Stuart Edser – The Punch

Progressive Christianity is alive and well. It hasn’t yet got much of a toe-hold in the Australian imagination. But it will. Why? Because the old language of dogma doesn’t speak to people anymore. Spiritual needs have changed, the church hasn’t, and people have voted with their feet. I wrote Being Gay Being Christian to say that the Christian church’s traditional teachings on gay sexuality are wrong, harmful and unjust. I also wrote it to encourage gay people of faith that their sexuality does not preclude them from having a faith in God.

Gillard remains opposed to gay marriage – The Australian

Obama can’t change biological truth – SBS

Christians fear gay marriage will create ‘motherless’ children – The Australian

One-year pause for poverty goal – The Australian

Same-sex marriage is not about equality, ACL’s Jim Wallace tells Senate committee – Australian Conservative

Coalition does not oppose foreign aid cut? Christian lobby seeks for clarification – Christian Today Australia

For release: Thursday, 10th May, 2012

The Australian Christian Lobby has rejected the announcement by President Obama of his support for homosexual marriage as the actions of a political leader duped by activist campaigning.

“Even the President of the United States cannot change biology and the reality of the importance of fatherhood and motherhood that marriage enshrines,” said ACL’s Managing Director Jim Wallace.

“There would have to be some substantive discrimination that you were addressing to do that, and certainly in Australia there is none, as was well proven at last week’s Senate public hearings.

“In the US only one per cent of couples are homosexual and it is estimated perhaps less than 15 per cent  of those would ever marry given historical take up rates in the very few countries where marriage has been redefined.

“That a political leader would be prepared to abandon such a large section of the population who hold marriage deeply even sacredly, to satisfy the ambit claims on it by activists reveals a poor sense of justice,” said Mr Wallace.

Testimony by legal experts to the Australian Senate hearing last week also gave no confidence that giving gay marriage wouldn’t open the door to demands for polygamy and polyamoury.

“It is ridiculous for the US President to think that redefining marriage as demanded by these activists will not make it impossible to reject calls for polygamy by the next wave, when those agendas are already being pushed in US courts,” said Mr Wallace.

“The vulnerability this would create to the core institution of society, the family, makes the US President’s statement irresponsible, and particularly when the inevitably of these claims could not be refuted in our own public Senate hearings only last week.”

Mr Wallace also rejected claims any significant Christian communities supported the redefinition of marriage.

“All mainstream denominations have made public statements rejecting any redefinition of marriage” he said.

Vatican Radio examines question of ‘brain death’

Catholic world News

The recovery of Steven Thorpe–a young British man who recovered after four doctors declared him “brain dead”–has prompted Vatican Radio to examine the topic of brain death. “Cases like Thorpe’s have raised questions on the morality of harvesting organs from people who have been declared brain dead,” Vatican Radio reported.

Children & Family

Coalition defeated on schoolkid bonus

Paul Osborne, AAP

The federal government has trounced the coalition after crossbench MPs combined with Labor in the lower house to pass a $2.1 billion package of cash payments for parents to pay for the school needs of their children.

GPs and Labor at odds over immunisation

AAP

The federal government’s decision to scrap payments encouraging GPs to immunise children is a threat to public health “of the highest order”, doctors say. Labor cut $83.5 million over four years from the practice incentives program (PIP) in Tuesday’s budget.

Vaccination: objections to your conscientious objection

Martin Bouckaert – On-Line Opinion

Pretend for a moment you’re a doctor. Your job requires you to be in close contact with very sick people every day. Every day you see dozens of patients who have (or think they have) one thing or another wrong with them; something they feel requires a doctor’s precious time and training to examine and diagnose.

Environment

Winton urges push towards sustainable fishing

Conor Duffy, ABC

Award-winning author Tim Winton is urging the Federal Government to push ahead with plans for a new national network of marine parks. Environment Minister Tony Burke is expected to announce the boundaries of protected Commonwealth waters next month.

Human Rights

Pell’s threat to sue Twitter highlights law’s use-by date

Julie Power, Louise Hall – SMH

A threat by Sydney’s Catholic Archbishop Cardinal George Pell to sue Twitter for defamation over an offensive tweet by the Melbourne blogger Catherine Deveny has revealed the increasing threat social media poses to the reputations of public figures.

Indigenous

Delay urged on indigenous referendum

Sarah Martin – The Australian

A referendum to recognise indigenous Australians in the Constitution should be delayed until after next year because of the “toxicity” that will surround the next federal election, members of the government’s expert panel say. Warning a defeat would devastate the campaign for constitutional recognition, several members of the now-disbanded panel want the government to reconsider its commitment to hold a referendum at or before next year’s election.

Marriage

Obama voices support for gay marriage

AAP

US President Barack Obama says he now supports same-sex marriage, ending months of equivocation on a subject with powerful US election-year consequences.  Mr Obama said he has concluded that it is important for him to affirm that he thinks same-sex couples should be able to get married.

North Carolina voters approve marriage amendment

Catholic World News

By a 61%-39% margin, voters in North Carolina approved a constitutional amendment declaring that “marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.”  The amendment prevents the state legislature from one day legalizing same-sex marriage or civil unions.

N.C. Vote Hits Hard at Gays

John Avlon – The Daily Beast

The underlying question is whether issues of equality and civil rights should be put to a popular vote.

It was Billy Graham versus Bill Clinton in North Carolina’s gay marriage ban vote—and Billy Graham won this round.

Same-sex civil unions bill fails in Colorado

Keith Coffman – Reuters

Gay rights advocates in Colorado were dealt a setback when a bill that would have granted civil unions to same-sex couples failed to advance to a full vote before the last day of the legislative session on Wednesday.

Half a Million Sign Petition to Protect Definition of Marriage in UK

Christian Today

A petition launched in the United Kingdom in defense of traditional marriage has passed the half million mark. More than 500,000 people have signed the petition from the Coalition for Marriage (C4M) calling upon the British government, currently led by the Conservative Party, to retain the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.

Why I decided not to move in with my girlfriend

Bernard Toutounji – On-Line Opinion

I have been going out with my girlfriend for almost three months and thankfully all is going very well. I was filling in a friend on this news the other day and at the end of the conversation the person asked me, with a face of anticipated excitement, “Will you be moving in together”? I was initially surprised by the question as I imagined it was obvious to most people I know where I would stand on such an issue.

Overseas Aid

Foreign aid delay a broken promise, says Milne

ABC

Greens leader Christine Milne says the Federal Government’s decision to delay $2.9 billion in foreign aid is a broken promise and sends “selfish signals” to Australia’s neighbours. The Government had previously committed to increases in the foreign aid budget so it would reach 0.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI) by 2015-16.

Coalition does not oppose foreign aid cut? Christian lobby seeks for clarification

Australian Christian Lobby – Christian Today

The Australian Christian Lobby has called on the Coalition to clarify comments made last night that it may “not oppose” the Government’s plan to break its election promise and cut overseas aid. ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said the Coalition also promised at the 2010 election to support increases to aid to 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income.

Catholic aid agency on foreign aid cut: Australia must lead the push to end poverty, not follow

Caritas Australia – Christian Today

Caritas Australia has urged the Federal Government to keep its commitment to the world’s most marginalised people after announcing a substantial drop in the forecast foreign aid budget tonight.

While announcing a welcome increase of $315 million to the 2012-2013 budget, Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr confirmed Australia would no longer meet its promise that 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income would be spent on foreign aid; a commitment it made as part of globally supported Millennium Development Goals.

Labor government decide not to increase foreign aid, disappoints Christians

Micah Challenge – Christian Today

Micah Challenge is deeply disappointed that the Labor Government has broken its promise to allocate 50 cents in every $100 of national income to overseas aid by 2015, in order to save $2.9 billion over the next four years. Aid contributions will remain at 0.35% GNI in the coming fiscal year, and will reach 0.5% in 2016-17, a year later than promised.

Politics

Super still benefits the rich, say experts

Matt Peacock, ABC

As expected, last night’s budget halved the tax concession available to high earners for their contributions to superannuation, in a move that has been welcomed by people who have criticised Australia’s superannuation regime as a rort for the rich. People who earn more than $300,000 will face a rise from 15 to 30 per cent in their tax rates on super contributions.

Prostitution & Sex Trafficking

Human trafficking tackled in Sydney and a response to its devastating tentacles

Well-Being Australia – Christian Today

The Sydney Morning Herald recently featured an article where an alleged human trafficker was charged after the Salvation Army discovered three woman allegedly being held as sex slaves. The Australian Federal Police allege the women were told they were travelling to Australia on student visas but upon arrival had their passports confiscated and were taken to the brothel where they were held against their will.

Sexualisation of society

Children accessing porn younger: study

ABC

New Australian research suggests children as young as 11 are regularly accessing pornography on the internet. Sydney University Department of medicine psychologists Professor Raj Sitharthan and his wife Dr Gomathi Sitharthan surveyed 800 people about their pornography use. While they found that more than 80 per cent of those who looked at porn were male, there were other more startling results.

For release: Wednesday, 9th May, 2012

The Australian Christian Lobby has called on the Coalition to clarify comments made last night that it may “not oppose” the Government’s plan to break its election promise and cut overseas aid.

ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said the Coalition also promised at the 2010 election to support increases to aid to 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income.

“The Coalition has an opportunity to keep faith with its election promise by opposing any move to cut aid to the world’s poor,” Mr Wallace said.

“While we understand that budgets must be balanced, doing so by breaking commitments to the poor and promises to Australian voters is not the way to achieve this.

“It is all too easy to make promises to help the world’s poor and then put them on the ‘never never’ by continually deferring the commitment.”

Mr Wallace said Australia was falling well short of its Millennium Development Goal promise made along with other rich nations to boost aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015.

Welfare cash splash for working families

Lisa Martin – AAP

Families feeling the pinch from the cost of living will receive some extra pocket money from the federal budget. Treasurer Wayne Swan has announced the government will spread the benefits of the mining boom with a boost to the Family Tax Benefit Part A from July next year.

Uproar in NZ over free contraception plan

Dominique Schwartz – ABC

The New Zealand government is planning to offer free long-term contraception to women on welfare payments in a budget measure that is whipping up a storm of fury. While some family planning organisations have welcomed the move, one poverty action group says it borders on state control of reproduction. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies among OECD countries. A United Nations report last year also highlighted what it called the country’s “staggering” rates of child abuse and poverty.

Environment

Aquifer storage hopes for Murray water supplies

ABC

Scientists say there is growing interest from industry and governments in proposals for aquifer storages, as a way to ensure Australia’s future water security. Four rivers in three states have been identified as having the potential to test the concept of underground storage.

Gambling

Extra money to help problem gamblers

AAP

Support for problem gamblers will be expanded in the federal budget with 50 extra counsellors to be trained up. The Gillard government will spend $25.9 million over four years to help problem gamblers.

Human Rights

Foreign correspondent expelled from China

Stephen McDonell – ABC

A foreign correspondent for Al Jazeera English has been expelled from China because authorities did not like what her TV network ran. Melissa Chan did not have her credentials renewed and has been forced to leave the country.

Marriage

Wales: Catholic schools ordered to give students a ‘balanced’ view on same-sex marriage

Catholic World News

Catholic schools in Wales have been informed that they must provide their students with a “balanced” perspective on same-sex marriage. Welsh education minister Leighton Andrews told Catholic-school administrators that they violated the spirit of the law by circulating a statement that encouraged students and their families to sign a petition in favor of preserving existing marriage laws. He cited the Education Act, which stipulates that schools cannot be involved in “partisan political activities.”

Overseas Aid

Foreign aid delay to save $2.9b

ABC

The Federal Government has announced it will meet its promised foreign aid target a year later than promised. The decision, revealed in Tuesday night’s budget, will save the Government $2.9 billion over four years. The Government had committed to increases in the foreign aid budget so it would reach 0.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI) by 2015-16.

Politics

COUNT THE COST: Find out how the Wayne Swan’s Federal Budget affects you

Sarah O’Carroll – news.com.au

SO, Treasurer Wayne Swan stuck to his guns and conjured up a Budget surplus. Whether or not his resolve to get back in the black will hurt the economy remains to be seen  but there is good and bad news in this Budget depending on your life situation. Here’s a look at some of the key announcements that will affect you and your hip pocket:

Boom time for battlers

Doug Conway, AAP

Modern-day Robin Hood Wayne Swan has used his 2012 budget as a weapon to take from wealthy miners and give to needy battlers. Upping the ante in his so-called class war with mining billionaires like Andrew Forrest, Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer, the federal treasurer announced a $3.6 billion “spreading the benefits of the boom” package to share the proceeds of the mining tax with low and middle-income earning families and small businesses.

Greece on the brink as coalition talks collapse

SMH

Attempts to form a new government in Athens collapsed yesterday after the leader of the centre-right New Democracy party announced that he was unable to form a coalition in the crisis-hit country. “We did whatever was possible,” Antonis Samaras told Greeks in a national address, saying he had reached out to every party with the exception of the far-right Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn), which was catapulted into parliament in Sunday’s election.

Prostitution & Sex Trafficking

Vatican cardinal likens human trafficking to slavery

Catholic World News

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace hosted a conference on May 8 devoted to human trafficking. The conference, organized by Bishop Patrick Lynch of Southwark, focused on prevention, the pastoral care of victims, and their reintegration into society.

Religious Freedom & Persecution

Are Aussies too biased to try this Muslim man?

Janet Fife Yeomans and Peter Bodkin – The Daily Telegraph

Ismail Belghar is believed to be the first Muslim in Australia to be granted a judge-only trial on the grounds that a jury may be biased because of his religious beliefs. The decision in the New South Wales District Court can be revealed after Belghar, 36, yesterday pleaded guilty to detaining and assaulting his sister-in-law after she “dared” to take his wife to the beach without his permission.

Refugees

Fresh blowout in asylum seeker costs

Adam Gartrell, AAP

The federal government has revealed another blowout in the cost of managing asylum seekers who arrive by boat, with next year’s price tag now expected to top more than $1 billion. The government estimated earlier this year it would spend about $739 million in 2012/13 managing asylum seeker boat arrivals. But the 2012/13 budget papers now put that figure at $1.003 billion.

For release: Tuesday, 8th May, 2012

Election promises matter and the Australian Christian Lobby is disappointed $2.9 billion in overseas aid to the world’s poorest was cut in tonight’s budget.

“People in the Christian constituency were particularly attuned to this election promise, made by both Labor and the Coalition, because of concern for the poor,” ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said.

Mr Wallace said he was concerned by comments the Coalition’s treasury spokesman Joe Hockey made to ABC television tonight supporting the cut.

“If Mr Hockey was reflecting the Coalition’s view then it too is guilty of breaking an election promise.”

Both sides of politics had received widespread praise from the constituency for their bi-partisan election pledge to boost aid to 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income by 2015, Mr Wallace said.

“Promises like this are noticed and do influence the way many Christians vote.

“There is great disappointment in the decision to cut aid.

“It is one of several promises to the constituency that have been broken by the Government since the last election,” Mr Wallace said.

ends

Ron Brookman is a  minister with Uniting Church of Australia and a former homosexual. Ron gave evidence at the hearing into the senate inquiry into the Marriage Equality Bill 2010 about why the Marriage Act should continue to define marriage as between a man and a woman. He spoke to the ACL’s Katherine Spackman about what he told the senate committee. Click here to read a transcript of the interview.

Senator Michaelia Cash in the liberal senator for Western Australian and opposition’s Secretary for the Status of Women. She spoke to the ACL’s Katherine Spackman about Vogue Magazine’s June Health Initiative – the company’s decision not to knowingly employ models under the age of 16 or those who appear to have an eating disorder. Vogue is also encouraging producers to create healthy backstage environments. Click here to read a transcript of the interview.

Bishop Eugene Hurley is the Bishop of Darwin. He spoke to the ACL’s Katherine Spackman about The Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia’s concerns about the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Bill 2011. The organisations are urging federal senators not to pass the bill. Click here to read a transcript of the interview.

Tuesday, 8th May, 2012

This week’s outrageous ‘virginity for sale’ incident highlights the need for the Victorian Government to urgently follow the lead of other overseas jurisdictions and implement the Swedish policy of criminalising men who buy women.

ACL’s Victorian director Dan Flynn said it was inconceivable that it was legal for a brothel to sell the virginity of an 18-year-old school girl.

“This follows on the heels of the live sex show sold as ‘sex education’ at Melbourne University and reveals an equally appalling morality we are encouraging in society,” Mr Flynn said.

Mr Flynn said urgent prostitution law reform was needed to stop a young woman being exploited like this again.

“ACL calls on the Victorian Government to examine the successful Swedish approach which has now been adopted in Iceland, Norway and South Korea.”

Mr Flynn said unless law reform was undertaken, those profiting from the sale of women would continue to push the boundaries of civil society.