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.







 



 

Hobsons Bay could get the state's first intersex mayor 

A LOCAL councillor could become Victoria's first mayor who identifies as being both male and female.  Hobsons Bay Deputy Mayor Tony Briffa, who has publicly spoken on TV about his genetic intersex condition, says on his website he is "not male or female, but both".

http://www.news.com.au/national/mayor-race-is-history-in-the-making/story-e6frfkvr-1226212155119#ixzz1fQOz1yNR



Children & Family



65 kids known to Queensland government die



Sixty-five Queensland children known to the Department of Communities died in the year to June, a new report shows.



http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/65-kids-known-to-queensland-government-die-20111201-1o8hc.html#ixzz1fQMX5v94



Civil Unions



LNP may repeal same-sex civil union laws



Queensland's Liberal National Party may repeal laws that allow same-sex civil unions in the state if it wins government next year.



http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lnp-may-repeal-samesex-civil-union-laws-20111202-1oa1w.html#ixzz1fQM8HEy6



LNP civil unions stance 'in Bligh's hands' A Liberal National Party decision on scrapping the same-sex civil union law hinges on whether at least one couple has entered into such an arrangement by the time of a change of government.



http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lnp-civil-unions-stance-in-blighs-hands-20111202-1oazq.html#ixzz1fQLc3JsC



Education



Ethics classes in schools are not safe yet. In a backroom deal between the O'Farrell government and the Christian Democrats, the fate of the classes may lie with a Legislative Council committee weighted with right-wing Christians.



http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/ethics-tussle-beggars-belief-20111202-1ob2n.html#ixzz1fQCBPNSy



Homelessness



Families feel the housing squeeze



Single mother Kristin Bewley and her children and Bailey, 2, and Trinity, three months. UP to one in three households suffers mortgage stress in struggling pockets of the state. Families on the outskirts of Melbourne are among those doing it the toughest.



http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/families-feel-the-housing-squeeze/story-fn7x8me2-1226212769388



Human Rights



An Australian man faces draconian religious blasphemy charges in a Saudi Arabian court today without legal representation. Officials have refused to let Australian diplomats visit him in prison, where he has been held for almost three weeks.



http://www.theage.com.au/national/australian-awaits-fate-in-saudi-jail-over-blasphemy-20111202-1objr.html#ixzz1fQFKMe8Z



Marriage



Labor backs gay marriage

Phillip Coorey - SMH

The Labor Party has voted resoundingly to change its policy to one of supporting gay marriage. But federal MPs will not be forced to support gay marriage when the issue comes before Parliament next year because the party also voted to endorse a conscience vote for its politicians. The votes were held this morning after passionate debate for and against the changes at the ALP national conference in Sydney

http://www.smh.com.au/national/labor-backs-gay-marriage-20111203-1oc4d.html#ixzz1fQgFpKVy





Julia Gillard loses on same-sex marriage despite win on surplus



THE Labor Party's national conference will today reject Julia Gillard's position on marriage equality by amending its platform to support same-sex marriage.



 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julia-gillard-loses-on-same-sex-marriage-despite-win-over-the-surplus/story-fn59niix-1226212779558



 



Win for Rainbow Labor but one it will have to wait for



The lesson from the conference is that people do mobilise behind issues they care about and they do get involved when they can have a say. And for the party and its established power structures, that can take a bit of getting used to.



http://www.smh.com.au/national/win-for-rainbow-labor-but-one-it-will-have-to-wait-for-20111202-1obfi.html#ixzz1fQ9VLh5M



Gay marriage is sweet with Labor



THE campaign to legalise gay marriage is set to be put to a vote in Federal Parliament next year. Labor will clear the way for the move at its national conference being held in Sydney. Jubilant Left-wing Labor MPs who have fought for the change said they had secured 250 out of 400 votes, with a significant number of votes from the party's Right. The motion, put by ACT Treasurer Andrew Barr and federal Finance Minister Penny Wong, says Labor will "amend the Marriage Act to ensure equal access to marriage under statute for all adult couples irrespective of sex who have a mutual commitment to a shared life".



http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/gay-marriage-is-sweet-with-labor/story-fn7x8me2-1226212751926



Opinion piece from Jim Wallace in The Australian

ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr was pictured last week opening an "anti-homophobia" art display at a Canberra school. So far so good. Everyone is against homophobia, but there is a fine line between that and promoting the lifestyle, especially for parents of school-aged children.



http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/its-wrong-to-promote-a-dangerous-lifestyle/story-e6frgd0x-1226212590213



Gay Marriage Petition

Gay marriage petition presented to ALP conference A petition with 140,285 signatures calling for marriage equality has been presented to senior Australian Labor Party delegates at their national conference.



http://www.smh.com.au/national/gay-marriage-petition-presented-to-alp-conference-20111202-1oajl.html#ixzz1fQGbr85H



Politics



Labor heartland slips away



Queensland Labor has suffered a massive swing in sentiment against it in the traditional ALP heartland of Ipswich, according to a new opinion poll.



http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/labor-heartland-slips-away-20111202-1obap.html#ixzz1fQLD53GF



Quiet in the cheap seats



The PM might want some healthy 'noise' at the Labor national conference, but no amount will make the party look robust. 



http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/politics/quiet-in-the-cheap-seats-20111201-1o94y.html#ixzz1fQNSIKsx



Polls tip Liberal National Party landslide win in Queensland



Polling suggests maverick MP Bob Katter's party will struggle in Thuringowa and in Beadesert, where former LNP member Aidan McLindon, right, is standing.  CAMPBELL Newman appears to be single-handedly destroying the electoral prospects of both Anna Bligh and Bob Katter in his bid to become Queensland premier.



New internal polling from the LNP shows it is on track to easily defeat Labor and the Australian Party and dominate the Parliament.



http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/polls-tip-lnp-to-win-in-a-landslide/story-e6freon6-1226212752324



Forgotten man - Julia Gillard praises every Labor leader since 1940, except Kevin Rudd 

KEVIN Rudd has been airbrushed from Labor history, with Julia Gillard refusing to acknowledge him in a speech to the ALP national conference in Sydney yesterday.  While Mr Rudd sat smiling in the front row of the Darling Harbour Convention Centre auditorium, Ms Gillard named and paid tribute to former Labor prime ministers since 1940 John Curtin, Ben Chifley, Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. The only names missing from the roll-call were Mr Rudd's and Frank Forde, who only served eight days in 1941.



http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/forgotten-man-julia-gillard-praises-every-labor-leader-since-1940-except-kevin-rudd/story-e6freuzr-1226212731618



Religious Freedom & Persecution



MUSLIMS are being urged to report hate crimes under a special disaster plan to deal with the fallout from terrorist attacks.



http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/new-clamp-on-muslim-haters/story-fn7x8me2-1226212747924



 



Refugees



The sinking of an Indonesian fishing boat off Christmas Island riveted the country. Almost a year later David Marr examines the wreckage.



http://www.smh.com.au/national/sifting-through-the-wreckage-20111202-1obnx.html#ixzz1fQGQdDZW



Incentive for risky boat trips remains even if we take more refugees



Bowen's new proposal is unlikely to sway critics of the Malaysia people-swap deal. The impasse on offshore processing of asylum seekers provides a rare window to fix some of the problems that have evolved over the past decade.



http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/politics/incentive-for-risky-boat-trips-remains-even-if-we-take-more-refugees-20111201-1o94x.html#ixzz1fQN7f61y



Sexualisation of Society



Female lawyer Bridgette Styles takes on boys' club



Bridgette Styles says she has had many messages backing her actions. THE young Melbourne lawyer who took on a top-tier law firm in a sexual harassment case said she had drawn strength for the legal battle from her family, especially her late grandmother.  Bridgette Styles, 28, originally sued Clayton Utz for $200,000, alleging it had a sexist culture, but settled the case last week for an undisclosed sum.



http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/female-lawyer-bridgette-styles-takes-on-boys-club/story-fn7x8me2-1226212775212



Social Media



Triple J presenters label Julia Gillard a 'whore', Tim Mathieson 'gay'



ONE broadcaster called Julia Gillard a "whore" and another accused partner Tim Mathieson of being gay in blistering Twitter attacks as the Prime Minister prepared to open the ALP national conference.



http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/triple-js-stinging-sledge-on-julia-and-tim/story-fn7x8me2-1226212148812