2022 will be an exciting year for our ACL Tassie family as we welcome Sarah Heys as Tasmania State Coordinator. You may have met Sarah at our recent meetings in Hobart and Launceston. Please pray for her as she takes on this new role.
The Federal Election will be upon us very soon, probably in May. Amid the many COVID management issues, there are other key issues on the Federal agenda like the Religious Discrimination Bill, the National Curriculum, and Mitochondrial donation.
In Tasmania, we will continue efforts to see section 17 of the Anti-Discrimination Act changed. Even private conversations that “offend” are illegal under Section 17 – and the Government itself knows this law needs changing.
Conversion suppression legislation is likely to be on the agenda. The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute has been considering submissions since January 2021 but has yet to issue a timeline for its report.
The consultation was a heavily biased process, relying on dubious anecdotal evidence, which is slanted towards taking Tasmania along the Victorian route. This would effectively force vulnerable children (especially teenage girls) into a funnel of destructive treatment, with no counter advice.
The Victorian legislation also effectively makes the preaching and application of the Gospel illegal. It must not come to Tasmania… let your MPs know that!
May 2022 be a year in which we all learn to drink freely of the indwelling water of life of the Holy Spirit. As the Book of Revelation says, “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation 22:17)
