JUNE 2008 Articles, Thoughts & Resources

Gippsland by-election / Morris Lemma / Nelson on Gippsland / Hemp Industry / Drinking Age / Sexualisation of children / Motion of condemnation / Police integrity / protect marriage / Self-harm / media & israel / polygamy / medicare funded abortion / same sex surrogacy / Asia pacific bloc plan / Juvenile offenders / abortion concerns / Anti-discrimination laws / Drugs / Drug driving / classroom computers / surrogacy laws / Japan & whaling / sex change for 12yr old / Ipswich motorways / Henson photos / sexualisation of children / regional unity / child pornography laws / same sex bill / euthenasia bill / same sex relationship bill / weapons of mass destraction / overseas abortion / iraq troop withdrawal / the temptation of leadership

Nelson says Gippsland win 'significant'

29/06 The West Australian | The Gippsland by-election has been described by Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson as a "significant" result which sends a clear message to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Nationals candidate Darren Chester triumphed with 63 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in Saturday's poll, against Labor candidate Darren McCubbin's 37 per cent."It's a significant result," Dr Nelson told Network Ten on Sunday.

"The people of Gippsland have chosen to send a person to Canberra who is actually going to stand up for the people of Gippsland. "It sends a message to Mr Rudd that Australians do not want to be taken for granted."

Poll puts pressure on Iemma's leadership'

29/06 The West Australian | After weeks of defending the actions of his ministers, battling transport troubles and road gridlocks, NSW Premier Morris Iemma faces renewed speculation he has lost his grip on the state's Labor leadership. Media reports said Labor MPs were hardening in their resolve that Mr Iemma must be sacrificed to give the party a chance of holding government at the 2011 election. The poll shows an election held now would propel the opposition into government with a 56-44 two party preferred landslide. That is in stark contrast to the same poll conducted in February, which found Labor hanging on 51-49.

... Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell says it will take more than a change in leadership to fix problems affecting NSW. "The current polls simply reflect Morris Iemma and his team's failure to address the problems affecting NSW," Mr O'Farrell told reporters in Sydney. "The polls certainly won't improve by the Labor Party wanting to again reshuffle the deckchairs on the Titanic. The public has seen through that."

Nelson Doorstop with Rohan Fitzgerald - Gippsland

27/06 Liberal Party Media Release | QUESTION:You have predicted a Labor win in Gippsland. Do you stand by that?

DR NELSON: What I have said in fact is you would expect in this national environment, seven months into a new government, looking at the national political scene you would expect that the Government would be successful in the by-election. But this is very, very tight, and it’s very important that every person in Gippsland realises that his or her vote is really going to count and the person that’s going to make that vote count most, particularly when it comes to cutting the price of petrol, is Rohan Fitzgerald..

Hemp Industry Bill 2008

26/06 Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C. | The objective of the Hemp Industry Bill 2008 is to enable low-THC hemp to be cultivated and supplied for commercial production and other legitimate purposes in accordance with a licensing scheme to be administered by the Director General of the Department of Primary Industries. The proposed Act defines low-THC hemp as cannabis that has a concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol of no more than 1 per cent. The bill provides that the possession, cultivation or supply of low-THC hemp in accordance with a licence under the proposed Act will not constitute an offence under the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985.

... There is no comparison between the end use of industrial hemp and marijuana. Industrial hemp is an agricultural crop grown to extract fibre and oil and has no value as a drug. Marijuana is a prohibited drug and growing marijuana is a criminal offence in this State.

Call to Raise Drinking Age

Sexualisation report fails children

26/06 Australian Christian Lobby Media Release | The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) today slammed the Senate report into the sexualisation of children in the contemporary media environment saying it had failed to put forward the fundamental reforms needed to address community demands for better protection of children. ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said the report, tabled today, tinkered around the edges but failed to effectively pave the way for a real difference to be made despite the ongoing public outcry that prompted the report.

“The Senate committee had a real chance to initiate constructive change which would help end a situation where children are continually confronted with a toxic and sexualised media culture which research has shown can have a harmful effect on their development,” Mr Wallace said.“Instead of dealing with the need for greater government regulation which gives priority to the interests of children, they have been snowed by the very industry they were inquiring into – effectively leaving the issue in their hands.”

Leader of the Opposition - Motion of Condemnation

26/06 Liberal Party Media Release| Dr NELSON (Bradfield—Leader of the Opposition)
(3.12 pm)— I seek leave to move a motion condemning the Prime Minister and his government for seven months of watching committees’ inaction and indecision.

Leave not granted.

Dr NELSON—I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition moving immediately—That this House condemns the Prime Minister and his Government for seven months of watching, symbolism, inquiries, summits, committees, stunts, spin and buck-passing—anything but making a decision. In particular, for:

Rev Nile Supports Police Integrity Improvements

Action needed to protect marriage

26/06 Australian Christian Lobby Newsletter | In 2004, Christians responded in overwhelming numbers to support an amendment to the Marriage Act that affirmed that marriage was a lifelong, exclusive and voluntary union of a man and a woman. This was a major victory, which set a new record for the number of submissions to a Senate Inquiry (over 16,000 compared to an average of about 1,000). Your support is again needed to protect marriage in Commonwealth law.

The Government is seeking to change the law to allow same-sex partners to benefit from one another's superannuation. Whilst ACL does not oppose the intention that same-sex partners should be able to share financial benefits with one another, we are very concerned that the method chosen to achieve this undermines marriage in the process. References to marriage, spouse, husband and wife are to be removed from the existing superannuation laws. A new category of 'couple relationships' is to be introduced which will include married couples, de facto couples and same-sex couples. Whilst previous changes a long time ago had extended the definition of marriage in superannuation law to include de facto couples, the new change will obliterate reference to marriage altogether. This implies that marriage is no different to other relationships which express far less commitment and do not achieve the same benefit to society or to children.

A Senate Inquiry has been established to look into the proposed changes. Submissions are invited by 25th July and ACL urges all supporters to make a submission as soon as you can. The Inquiry's homepage is here. You might like to make some of the following points in your submission (in your own words):

• Marriage should not be subsumed into a new category of 'couple relationships';
• Marriage should be treated separately and all existing references to spouse, husband and wife should be retained in the superannuation law;
• The legislation should refer to 'marriage and couple relationships', 'spouse and partner'. Provision for same sex couples could be made under the new category of couple relationships, meaning that same sex couples can benefit from one another's superannuation without giving up all reference to marriage in the process;
• It is wrong to assume that all relationships are the same. Marriage is a uniquely committed relationship and has been shown to offer greater benefit to spouses and to children than other forms of partnership which are, by definition, less committed and therefore less stable. 

Please make your submission as soon as you can, following the Committee's guidelines, which are available here. Please activate your church and Christian friends too to ensure that the Committee hears from many, many people who want to protect the distinctiveness of marriage in Commonwealth law.

QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE:

Recent Study - Self Harm Report

25/06 Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C. | Wednesday 25 June: I ask the Hon. Tony Kelly, on behalf of the Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health), the following questions without notice. Is the Minister aware of the problem of self-harm, which can include intentional cutting, burning, scolding, banging or scratching one's own body, breaking bones, pulling hair out, or ingesting toxic substances, and which is a problem symptomatic of underlying mental and emotional distress? Is the Minister aware of the recent study "Injury Among Young Australians" conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which describes a 51 per cent increase in young women intentionally harming themselves "predominantly teenage girls aged 15 to 17 years" and also a 27 per cent increase among young males, who are turning to self-harm as a response to mental pain, and that young people living in very remote areas were hospitalised for intentional self-harm at twice the rate of young people living in cities? Will the Minister please indicate what specific measures are being taken?

Media Prejudice Against Israel

Kororoit by-election: Send a message for life

24/06 Australian Christian Lobby Newsletter | Abortion is promoted as a conscience issue but Federal laws force everyone to pay for it through the compulsory Medicare levy.

The issue was thrust back on the national agenda this week when Tasmanian Senator Guy Barnett moved a motion to disallow the continued public funding of abortions beyond 14 weeks. With premature babies – some as young as 21 weeks - being saved regularly in our neonatal units, Senator Barnett asks “how can it be right to use Medicare funding to intentionally end the lives of babies old enough to survive outside the womb?”

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) today called on the voters in the Kororoit by-election to be held this Saturday June 28 to ‘Send a message for life’ to Victorian politicians.

Polygamy Un-Australian Says Rev Nile

24/06 Rev. Fred Nile | The Rev Fred Nile, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, has denounced calls by Keysar Trad from the Islamic Friendship Association to allow Muslims to have multiple wives in Australia.
“Unfortunately, this is just another attack on traditional Australian marriage.

I find the very notion of Islamic Polygamy or ‘Harem’ deplorable. Women are not objects to be collected for the personal pleasure of men.

Senate to vote on Medicare funding for abortion

21/06 Australian Christian Lobby Newsletter | Abortion is promoted as a conscience issue but Federal laws force everyone to pay for it through the compulsory Medicare levy.

The issue was thrust back on the national agenda this week when Tasmanian Senator Guy Barnett moved a motion to disallow the continued public funding of abortions beyond 14 weeks. With premature babies – some as young as 21 weeks - being saved regularly in our neonatal units, Senator Barnett asks “how can it be right to use Medicare funding to intentionally end the lives of babies old enough to survive outside the womb?”

His motion also seeks to ban Medicare funding for the horrific practice of partial birth abortion, a procedure the US Congress has banned and which has been upheld by the US Supreme Court. Unfortunately hundreds of Australian late term babies are brutally aborted in this manner each year with the help of public money. Click here to read Senator Barnett’s excellent briefing paper in support of his motion.

The motion is likely to be debated in the September sitting of Parliament, after Senators elected at last year’s election take their seats from July. It is not yet known whether or not Senator Barnett’s motion will have enough votes to succeed but ACL will be encouraging supporters to contact their Senators in the lead-up.

One of the features of the abortion debate in recent years has been the admission by pro-abortion politicians that 90,000 abortions in Australia is too many. This new consensus was repeated by Health Minsiter Nicola Roxon this week.

Same-sex surrogacy amendment defeated in SA

21/06 Australian Christian Lobby Newsletter | The South Australian Upper House this week passed surrogacy laws which recognise the biological parents of a child born to a surrogate mother. Click here for details.

However, amendments to the legislation which would have extended it to apply to same-sex couples were defeated thanks to the votes of Family First, the Liberals and some Labor parliamentarians. Click here for another media report.

ACL is opposed to surrogacy due to the negative impacts such arrangements can have on children, including significant legal and relational consequences. We are also concerned about access to surrogacy being made available to singles and same-sex couples and welcome the defeat of the South Australian same-sex amendments.

India not told of Rudd's Asia-Pacific bloc plan

20/06 Samantha Maiden, The Australian | KEVIN Rudd's ambitious proposal for a new forum of Asia-Pacific nations has suffered an embarrassing blow, with revelations India has not been consulted and has not heard of the idea.On the eve of a visit to Australia, India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told journalists he was “hearing practically from you for the first time’’ about the Prime Minister’s idea to create a new Asia-Pacific grouping to deal with political, security and economic challenges.

In a speech today, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has urged India to embrace the new forum, accusing previous governments of neglecting the nation’s important relationship with Delhi. His statement prompted an angry rebuke to “grow up” from his predecessor Alexander Downer.

... Mr Downer told The Australian Online today that there had been “a very successful improvement with our relationship with India’’ during the Howard years. “Maybe (Mr Smith) just didn’t know it was going on, he was the opposition education spokesman’’ Mr Downer said. “We had John Howard visit not so long ago. I established the annual foreign ministers’ dialogue with India, we joined the East-Asia summit. I think Australia deserves an informed debate, not childish party politics. “If you want to be the foreign minister, grow up.” Mr Downer said it was “incredibly embarrassing” that India’s External Affairs Minister had never heard of Mr Rudd’s plan.

QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE: Juvenile Offenders Research

18/06 Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C. | Wednesday 18 June: My question is directed to the Minister for Lands, representing the Minister for Juvenile Justice. Is the Minister aware of research conducted by the University of Sydney on 800 juvenile offenders in custody in New South Wales and those serving on community orders, which found that more than 60 per cent had parents or other relatives who had spent time in prison; 90 per cent had histories of incarceration after being charged with assault, robbery, theft, and breaking and entering; almost half had committed a crime to obtain drugs or alcohol; most had left school without achieving a minimal educational qualification; and most had high rates of intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties and substance abuse? Will the Minister update the House on effective policies and the range of support strategies that will be established to reduce recidivism and create pro-social alternatives for young offenders falling into a life of crime?

Time to take on Australia’s abortion concerns

18/06 Australian Christian Lobby Media Release | Federal politicians should weigh up public concern over Australia’s high abortion rate and give serious consideration to a move to stop the Medicare funding of second trimester and late-term abortions.

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) today congratulated Tasmanian Senator Guy Barnett and supporting Senators for bringing abortion concerns back up in the Federal arena and asked parliamentarians to give the issue the attention it deserves.“Health Minister Nicola Roxon has herself said that, like everyone in Parliament, she would like to see Australia’s abortion rate reduced and research confirms that the majority of Australians feel the same way,” ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said.

ANTI - DISCRIMINATION LAWS BEGIN TO BITE INTO RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS

18/06 Australian Prayer Network Newsletter | The NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal has ruled that Dalmar Child and Family Care cannot discriminate against homosexuals being foster carers. Dalmar is part of Wesley Mission in Sydney, which in turn is part of the Uniting Church in Australia. In 2002 Dalmar refused an application by two male homosexuals who wanted to foster a child. The men took their complaint to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board. Now six years later the case has finally been decided although an appeal may be lodged.

Wesley Mission was ordered to pay $5,000 to each of the men and to "review its policy on homosexual foster carers taking all necessary steps to eliminate unlawful discrimination on the ground of homosexuality in the provision of its foster care services". The NSW Anti Discrimination Act has exceptions for religious bodies, and these were claimed by Dalmar. The three Tribunal Members (one judge and two others) found that they didn't apply.

The Tribunal looked at the question of the religion of Dalmar and found that it was 'Christianity'. They then analysed what doctrine the agency was relying on and identified it as "the belief that 'monogamous heterosexual partnership within marriage is both the norm and ideal'. " However, the Tribunal decided that "It is common ground that there is a diversity of views and beliefs within the Christian religion on the issue of homosexuality".

The judges also considered that the religion of Dalmar was the 'religion of the Uniting Church'. Following that line of reasoning they concluded that it still wasn't a 'doctrine' because the Uniting Church itself has diverse views on the subject. The judges noted that "the 2003 Assembly passed a resolution, which affirmed that presbyteries could consider professing homosexual applicants for ordination. It was noted that at least some presbyteries considered that there is no scriptural prohibition on homosexual clergy."' ... This decision sets a precedent, that unless overturned by appeal, opens the door for more and more intrusion of the law into how the Church and individual Christians conduct their business.

Drugs - Russian Roulette Teaching for Teens

QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE:

Prevailance of Drug Driving in Australia

17/06 Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C. |Tuesday 17 June: My question is directed to the Minister for Roads. Is the Minister aware that in recent years there has been increasing concern about the prevalence of drug driving in Australia, and that many drug users appear unconcerned about driving following the use of drugs other than alcohol and their possible detection by police? I ask the Minister whether he is aware of a recent finding by the Australian Institute of Criminology that states: One in every four Australians (aged 14 years of age and over) had driven a motor vehicle after they had used illicit drugs, and that over half the detainees who had driven a car or other vehicle in the past 12 months reported driving after they had used drugs other than alcohol.  Given that there has been an increase in Sydney in both the availability and the usage of the illicit drugs ice, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy, can the Minister inform the House what educational campaigns and programs will be established to monitor and reduce the trend of drug driving on the State's roads?

Gippsland by-election candidates front ACL forum

16/06 Australian Christian Lobby Newsletter | More than 70 people turned out in Sale, Victoria, last Monday night to hear candidates in next week's Gippsland by-election make their pitch for the Christian vote. All five candidates presented with many commenting it was one of the best organised political meetings they had attended.

Christian Lobby welcomes Queensland Opposition’s commitment to conscience vote on surrogacy laws

14/06 Australian Christian Lobby Media Release |The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has welcomed a commitment given by Queensland Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg on the weekend that the merging Queensland Liberal National Party would have a conscience vote on surrogacy laws once they go to parliament ... ACL Queensland Director Peter Earle said he welcomed the Opposition’s decision to allow a conscience vote and urged the Government to follow suit.

“Given strong concerns about the negative impacts surrogacy arrangements can have on children it is highly appropriate that both Government and Opposition MPs are permitted to have a conscience vote on this issue,” Mr Earle said.

Two equals one in Labor's classroom

14/06 The Age | THE Federal Government appears to be backing away from its election promise to provide a computer for every senior secondary student, with Education Minister Julia Gillard now conceding the plan is a "long-term vision" that might not be achieved in Labor's first term. ... As it announced the first allocations for 116,000 computers, the Government appeared to be distancing itself from its election pledge to give every student from years 9 to 12 access to a computer, with yesterday's recipients getting enough funding to eventually provide one computer for every two students. ... ALP policy documents state that: "A Rudd Labor Government will revolutionise classroom education by putting a computer on the desk of every upper secondary student." However, Ms Gillard said yesterday "an effective ratio of one-to-one" was a "long-term vision" for which $1.2 billion had been budgeted over the next five years, prompting questions as to whether it would be achieved.

Rudd lets Japan off hook

13/06 The Age | PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has effectively conceded defeat on his plan to stop Japanese whaling, declaring after talks in Tokyo that Australia and Japan have agreed to disagree on the issue. The long-awaited talks between Mr Rudd and his Japanese counterpart, Yasuo Fukuda, concluded yesterday with both leaders saying the Japan-Australia relationship was too important to be disrupted by their disagreement over whaling.

Mr Rudd later insisted that Labor's policy had not changed from last year, when he demanded that the Howard government take Japan to the International Court and pledged that Labor would do so. But he made it clear yesterday that Labor now had no plans to take Japan to court and would instead pursue its complaints through normal diplomatic channels and through its campaign to reform the International Whaling Commission.

Labor denies it ever pledged to fix Ipswich motorway

13/06 The Courier Mail | EVERY 10cm of the Ipswich Motorway will cost taxpayers more than $17,000 to upgrade but the Rudd Government denies ever committing to fix the entire route. One of Queensland's worst roads, it will continue to be a nightmare for motorists until mid-2019. The revelation that the eastern end of the motorway linking to Brisbane remains without funding will almost certainly add to the final cost, with the price tag estimated at $3.3 billion compared to $1.2 billion just four years ago.

The Government yesterday insisted it only ever committed to upgrading a key western section near Ipswich rather than the entire 19km route. However, this is in stark contrast to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's comments last year when he said a federal Labor Government would deliver "the full upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway". ... There is also fresh doubt over the delivery timetable after claims the road could be completed in three years were replaced with a finish date of mid-2019 "subject to federal contributions" in the latest South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan.

From the Archives: December 5, 2007 - "Push for 3-year deadline on Ipswich Motorway project" - FEDERAL Labor will crack the whip on the State Government to finish the full upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway early. It is pushing for the $1.1 billion upgrade it pledged during the election to be finished within three years. But sources within the State Government said this week the proposed timetable was unrealistic. Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet his state counterpart Warren Pitt this month to map out a construction timetable.... Liberal Member for Ryan Michael Johnson said it was now up to Labor to live up to its lofty promises on the Ipswich Motorway. "I look forward to the Ipswich Motorway being the best road in Australia under the Labor Government," he said. "They promised it would flow smoothly and never be a car park again." Ipswich City councillor Paul Tully, whose electorate takes in the most notorious stretch of the motorway, has been campaigning for a full upgrade for more than 20 years.

Miscellaneous Acts Amendment (Same Sex Relationships) Bill 2008

VICTORIAN COURT CLEARS GIRL 12 TO HAVE SEX CHANGE OPERATION

11/06 Australian Prayer Network Newsletter | A 12-year-old girl has been allowed to begin the first phase of a sex change after a judge decided it was in the best interests of the child.  The unnamed girl has begun hormone treatment to block puberty after the family court judge in Victoria accepted an application from her mother for her to begin to reassign her gender. The judge said that while the initial treatment was reversible, it needed to be seen as the first step in a process which, if continued, would allow the child to live as a male. "Based on all the evidence, the treatment is in the child's best interests," the judgement said.

During a hearing in December, the court heard that the 12-year-old had thought of herself as a boy since the age of four. Several medical experts, including a psychiatrist, backed the sex-change application, as did an independent lawyer for the child and a family counsellor. However, the child's father could not accept that the girl had always seen herself as a boy and opposed the sex-change decision in part because of her young age. But the court said it needed to act quickly to prevent the onset of puberty as the girl dreaded the prospect of menstruation and developing breasts.

Further court applications must be made at a later stage if the child wants to take the process further and deepen her voice or develop facial hair. Surgery to remove the womb and ovaries or build a penis cannot be done before the age of 18. The court ruled that the 12-year-old can now apply for a new birth certificate and passport in a boy's name.

News of the judge's decision ignited debate among medical ethicists and child-health experts. Medical ethicist Dr Nicholas Tonti-Filippini said the decision was astounding. "I fail to see how it can be in the interests of a young girl to undergo treatment that will change her for the rest of her life," he said. "Twelve is a time of great uncertainty for a young person . . . I would question whether the medical evidence supports treating her in this way."

Rev Fred Nile Calls for Tougher Child Pornography Laws

06/06 Rev. Fred Nile Media Release | I ask the Attorney General a question without notice. Is the Attorney General aware of the recent case where a European website featuring extreme child pornography received 12 million hits within 76 hours, including hits from 2,883 computers in Australia? Is it a fact that as a result of this case 1,513 suspected paedophiles subsequently have been identified in Australia, 13 of whom have had summons issued in New South Wales? Will the Attorney General increase the penalties for child pornography in New South Wales, as there is a clear need for higher penalties to deter surfing the Internet for child pornography? Will the Government provide a community education program to reinforce warnings about the depraved nature of this material and the associated penalties incurred by those who view it?

Wrong test applied to Henson Photos

13/06 Australian Christian Lobby Media Release | In common with most of the community, ACL was amazed to learn that no legal action will be taken over artist Bill Henson’s photographs featuring naked pre-pubescent children and we maintain that the wrong test has been applied.

Seized Henson photographs went back on restricted public display at a Sydney art gallery this week after the Director of Public Prosecutions advised police that a jury or magistrate was unlikely to convict Henson or the gallery owners on child pornography charges if they were laid. ACL believes that the fact that no charges can be laid points to a flawed law, not a weak case.“The question here is whether it is right to use, whether there is parental consent or not, a child to pose naked for photographs or any art meant for public consumption and ultimately profit,” ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace stated in a media release issued last weekend. “Surely the exploitation of children in this way should not be allowed.”

Please click here to read the media release.

CHILDLESS DE FACTO COUPLES TO HAVE ACCESS TO FAMILY COURT

Rudd stands by his views on Henson art

06/06 National Nine News | Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will not dictate his personal views of Bill Henson's controversial photographs to authorities. The Classification Board this week cleared a number of photographs declared "absolutely revolting" by Mr Rudd which had been published online.

The published photographs were among those seized by police from the Roslyn Oxley9 gallery in Sydney last month. Mr Rudd said he stands by his views but they should be independent of the law. "I ... said what my views are as a parent, I don't budge from that. But I'm not about to go around and start dictating to the legal authorities what they should or should not do," Mr Rudd t old the Nine Network. "Organisations like that are at arms length from politicians. It's a matter for those bodies independently, including the legal authorities, to evaluate these matters and reach their own determination.

URGENT NEED TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN

13/06 Australian Prayer Network Newsletter | The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has called for urgent action to tackle growing concerns over the sexualisation of children. Managing Director Jim Wallace said recent public outrage over an art exhibition featuring naked children and a Family Court decision to allow a 12-year-old girl to start sex-change therapy has brought to the forefront major problems with the highly sexualised environment in which children are now raised. "Many parents are now confronted with the problem of trying to raise well adjusted children in a very toxic environment," Mr Wallace said.

Mr Wallace urged the Federal Government to appoint a Federal Children's Commissioner to advocate for the needs of children, as well as establishing an independent regulatory system to oversee all media exposure and advertising that impacts on children and teenagers. Mr Wallace also called for the funding of a large-scale study to examine the social influences on a child's growth to adulthood, with a new study to review existing research, undertake fresh work in other needed areas, and to recommend concrete policy to create a more healthy culture for Australia's children.

Mr Wallace said the Federal Government is clearly concerned about the sexualisation of children, with Federal Families Minister Jenny Macklin publicly stating that parents and policymakers had to draw a line in the sand on the issue. "It is good to see this issue getting national attention with the release of a discussion paper on child protection issues," Mr Wallace said. "In the interests of parents and children, the Government and the community need to give a high priority to putting in place concrete measures to bring an end to the sexualisation and exploitation of children."

The study, to be published today, looked at the experiences of 3400 women who presented at a southern Adelaide clinic for abortions in the past decade. Between July 1996, and June 2006, nearly 70 per cent of the 3434 women who presented for an abortion were using contraception. About 36 per cent were using barrier methods such as condoms, a further 28 per cent were using hormone methods such as the pill, while 3 per cent were using natural family planning methods.

... The study, to be published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, also found a ``significant increase'' in the number of women aged 30 to 50 years having abortions. In 1996-97, 85 women in that age group presented for abortions. That figure rose to 118 in 2005-06. ``There are currently very strong social and economic forces in society that exert pressure towards later childbearing, such as the expansion of education and increasingly competitive work situations,'' the authors said.
There were no significant changes in trends in women aged 19 years and under or women aged 20 to 29.

Keating delivers a blow to PM's pitch for regional unity

06/06 Peter Hartcher and Phillip Coorey for SMH | PAUL KEATING has launched his first public criticism of Kevin Rudd since he became Prime Minister, describing his proposal to create an Asia-Pacific community as "a very difficult task and not necessarily an appropriate one". The previous Labor prime minister critiqued the proposal by the new Labor Prime Minister in an article which made clear that he thinks Mr Rudd's idea is politically impossible

As the Opposition attacked the idea as an ill-conceived stunt, the Herald learnt that Mr Rudd's special envoy for the project, the former diplomat Richard Woolcott, found out about the proposal only two hours before it was announced on Wednesday night. At the same time, another of Mr Rudd's pet ideas was condemned by one of the Federal Government's key economic advisory agencies.

...Although Mr Keating blamed John Howard for 12 "lost years" in Asian diplomacy, his essential argument was that the nations of East Asia were fundamentally unsuited to a European-style union. "God knows, it has taken the Chinese 350 years of the modern age to truly recover their sovereignty. I do not see them sharing much of it with anyone else. And Japan remains one of the most insular, monocultural countries in the world."

... The Opposition foreign affairs spokesman, Andrew Robb, said the lack of detail was alarming ... Mr Robb said Mr Rudd had set the hares running with an idea that was "half-baked and ridiculous". "There will be major opposition to countries ceding sovereignty all over Asia. There will be major opposition to the unrestricted flow of labour." The former foreign minister, Alexander Downer, said even if such a community eventuated, Australia could effectively be ceding her sovereignty to a regional organisation which had as members undemocratic states such as China, Burma, Laos and Vietnam. "It begs the question. All of those countries will be having a say in our domestic policies here in Australia," he said.

VICTORIA: How the Same Sex Bill was Lost

05/06 Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C. | 'Some of the changes that would be the result of this Bill passing are: Legitimising the female partner of a lesbian mother of an IVF child, so that her name appears on the birth certificate as the co-parent; Permitting the lesbian partner to take paternal leave with it being renamed parental leave; Removing any male's name from the birth certificate of an IVF child, or the IVF child's biological father's name, with his permission. It could also remove his name without his permission if the court so chose; Treating all de facto relationships and marriages as equivalent under the law, thereby eliminating discrimination; Discriminating against same sex couples would be illegal in all settings including housing, education, employment etc, without exemption for services run by religious organizations that believe homosexual acts should not be socially sanctioned.'

.... Well, the worst happened. Last Tuesday, on the day the Budget was delivered and everybody was busy with the Budget details, the Government pushed this Bill into the Upper House for approval. The Labor Party refused its own members the right to a conscience vote and many Christian Labor members were restrained to vote against their beliefs. The National Party spoke in support and voted unanimously to support these disastrous consequences as outlined .... The Liberal Party allowed their "right wing religious" members the opportunity to vote and speak against it, but the Greens and Shooters Party supported it. The Greens even tried to make it worse with amendments to remove the current exemptions covering Christian Schools, churches, retirement homes and so on matters of employment of homosexuals.  The debate went from early afternoon to close to midnight.

Euthanasia in Victoria (or is that 'dying with dignity?")

05/06 Saltshakers Media Release | The killing of the very young (the pre-born) and the old and ill are both on the agenda in Victoria.

The government has already said it wants to pass legislation to legalise abortion - to kill babies. Now a private member's bill to allow doctors to help people kill themselves is being put to the Victorian Parliament. We have reported previously that the Bill was initially proposed by Legislative Assembly member Liberal Ken Smith - the Bill is now being put into the Legislative Council by the Greens MP Colleen Hartland. The Bill was to have been presented to parliament, with the Second Reading Speech on 28 May. Greens MP Colleen Hartland attempted to table the Bill on WED 28 May in the Legislative Council - however Democratic Labor Party MP Peter Kavanagh managed to have the Second reading Speech delayed. Hartland says that will occur in two weeks - probably 11 June 2008.

Weapons of Mass Distraction

05/06 Miranda Devine for the Herald Sun | Is it too cynical to suggest Kevin Rudd might have been hoping for brownie points from Labor's latte-left this week when he announced the withdrawal of 550 troops from southern Iraq (leaving about 1000 behind)? After all, it can't have hurt to remind those he so enraged when he panned Bill Henson's photographs of naked pubescants that he is no John Howard. And, of course, Iraq took petrol off the front pages

But the Prime Minister's attempt to portray the Iraq withdrawal as some sort of noble fulfilment of an election promise to demonstrate displeasure with an unpopular war was the ultimate in cynical symbolism. In his speech in Parliament on Monday announcing the decision, he stooped low to lambast his predecessor Howard for honouring the ANZUS treaty and harped on about Iraq's lack of weapons of mass destruction. Short memory. In 2002 Rudd had been a great believer in Iraq's WMDs, along with Australia's very own chief UN weapons inspector, Richard "I held some in my own hands" Butler.

As the Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, pointed out this week, Rudd told the State Zionist Council annual assembly on October 15, 2002: "Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction … That is a matter of empirical fact."

.... But Australia's partial troop withdrawal has been lapped up as a blow to the US by those so inclined and pitched by some as "Bush loses close ally". Even the Associated Press was hoodwinked into writing that Rudd was "swept into office in November largely on the promise that he would bring home the country's 550 combat troops by the middle of 2008". Hardly. His ALP predecessor Mark Latham was much more vocal on the topic and lost resoundingly. What's more, the Australian Election Study, a postal survey of 1873 voters at November's election, as reported in the Herald last month, shows that what actually won Rudd the election was industrial relations, global warming, and "likeability".

... Further, as Nelson pointed out in his speech responding to Rudd on Tuesday, the Simon Fraser University in Canada has found deaths from terrorist acts since 2001 outside Iraq have declined by 40 per cent.

.... The US military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, told the US Congress last month that Iraqi forces were now taking the lead in combat, and that the Iraqi Government of Nouri al-Maliki has "unparalleled" public support. He said further US troop reductions were likely later this year It is precisely because of this improved security situation, especially in the south, that Rudd can responsibly begin to pull out troops in two of the nine provinces in which the Iraqis have taken control. The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said so in February and Nelson, the former defence minister, was saying so last September, anticipating the time when Australian troops would make the transition into a training role, which now has been ended. ...

Miscellaneous Acts Amendment (Same Sex Relationships) Bill 2008

05/06 Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C. | Is erasing evidence of biological paternity the right thing to do? Modern scientific reproductive technology may allow us to forget there even was a man involved, but is it the right thing for society to do – morally, ethically, and psychologically? Does it not further blind us all to the fact of the biological basis of our existence? You can leave the father’s name out, but there was a father: there is always a father involved in the birth of every human being. The man’s gift of sperm, that makes possible new life, should not be treated as a meaningless commodity. Society needs, more than ever, to reaffirm the role of fathers, not slowly work towards an erasure of their existence so that they are not even mentioned..

Fathers Successfully Defended

‘Living wills’ bill puts vulnerable patients at risk

0406 Australian Christian Lobby | Living wills’ legislation passed through the West Australian Parliament on Tuesday night despite ACL’s concerns that it does not contain enough safeguards and could put vulnerable patients at risk.

Read previous Media ACL Media release -

Mixed reaction to living wills laws - Adam Haynes for ABC News | There has been a mixed reaction to new laws which will allow people to refuse medical treatment if they become terminally ill. The so-called living wills legislation, which allows people to specify how they wish to be treated in the event of terminal illness, passed the Upper House of State Parliament last night. The WA Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Michelle Pearse, says the legislation is flawed because it takes power away from doctors.

NO OVERSEAS DEMAND FOR AUSAID ABORTION PLAN

04/06 QLD Senator Ron Boswell | "Department officials confirmed in Estimates today that Australia has not been approached by overseas countries to fund abortion related activities," said The Nationals' Senator Ron Boswell today.

"I asked whether overseas countries had come to us and asked us for help in funding abortion services. The Department responded that they were not aware of any particular requests to fund abortion related activities."

"Why is the Rudd government even considering funding abortion in its overseas aid programs when Australia has never done so in the past and has not been approached by other countries to do so?"

READ ALSO: Australian Christian Lobby Media Release - "Push to divert aid funding for abortions driven by a ‘home-grown’ ideological agenda" -

Libs determined to stall same-sex Bill

04/06 SMH.com.au | OPPOSITION MPs, concerned about unintentional negative impacts of the Federal Government's proposed same-sex relationships bill, are determined to send it off to a Senate inquiry. The Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws - Superannuation) Bill 2008 is the first of a number designed by the Labor Government to remove discrimination in commonwealth laws against same-sex couples. Speakers on both sides of parliament stressed they wanted to remove discrimination against same-sex couples but were in no way prepared to allow them to marry.

Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson said the Coalition would never agree to calling gay unions marriages, but emphasised the Coalition had a long record in ending laws which discriminated against homosexual people.

Alive and Kicking!