""Most agree that an infant is viable after 20 weeks""- Dan Flynn
This week on the political spot, some good news from Victoria. ACL Victorian Director, Dan Flynn, discusses the new Infant Viability Bill which has been introduced to correct the State's unacceptable current abortion laws.
Transcript
Transcript
School communities should not be forced to run “Safe Schools”
MEDIA RELEASE
8 March 2016
Victorian school communities should be free to say no to the so-called Safe Schools Coalition, according to the Australian Christian Lobby.
ACL Victorian Director Dan Flynn said the Andrews Government was wrong to force the age-inappropriate sexualised program on school communities and parents when opposition against it was growing.
“It is of deep concern to the Australian Christian Lobby and many Victorian parents that the Government is behaving like big brother and enforcing contested rainbow ideology onto our children,” Mr Flynn said.
Mr Flynn made the comments in response to a media report yesterday in which the Andrews Government first appeared to back away from making the program compulsory before back-peddling and reaffirming its stance to make Safe Schools mandatory in every Victorian high school by 2018.
“School communities that have decided not to align themselves with the program, such as Kyabram P-12 College, should not be forced to do so," Mr Flynn said.
He said bullying children for any reason was unacceptable but the Safe Schools program went way beyond the purview of an anti-bullying program.
“As parents and teachers become better informed they are questioning why their school should have the program, particularly when other anti-bullying programs are already available which already address minority issues,” Mr Flynn said.
“The Victorian Government should immediately withdraw the program from schools, pending its review by the Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham.
“As a significant funder of the program, the Victorian Government has a duty to Victorian taxpayers to hold its own review into Safe Schools.
"Parents expect their children to be safe at school but encouraging boys who identify as girls to use the girls’ bathrooms and share school camp accommodation is not the way to do this," Mr Flynn said.
"Safe Schools tells children they must have access to the Minus 18 website which instructs girls in chest binding so their breasts are flattened and penis tucking for boys.
“We are opposed to making the program mandatory and forcing parents and children to take on this rainbow ideologically driven program.”
ENDS
Media: 02 6259 0431
8 March 2016
Victorian school communities should be free to say no to the so-called Safe Schools Coalition, according to the Australian Christian Lobby.
ACL Victorian Director Dan Flynn said the Andrews Government was wrong to force the age-inappropriate sexualised program on school communities and parents when opposition against it was growing.
“It is of deep concern to the Australian Christian Lobby and many Victorian parents that the Government is behaving like big brother and enforcing contested rainbow ideology onto our children,” Mr Flynn said.
Mr Flynn made the comments in response to a media report yesterday in which the Andrews Government first appeared to back away from making the program compulsory before back-peddling and reaffirming its stance to make Safe Schools mandatory in every Victorian high school by 2018.
“School communities that have decided not to align themselves with the program, such as Kyabram P-12 College, should not be forced to do so," Mr Flynn said.
He said bullying children for any reason was unacceptable but the Safe Schools program went way beyond the purview of an anti-bullying program.
“As parents and teachers become better informed they are questioning why their school should have the program, particularly when other anti-bullying programs are already available which already address minority issues,” Mr Flynn said.
“The Victorian Government should immediately withdraw the program from schools, pending its review by the Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham.
“As a significant funder of the program, the Victorian Government has a duty to Victorian taxpayers to hold its own review into Safe Schools.
"Parents expect their children to be safe at school but encouraging boys who identify as girls to use the girls’ bathrooms and share school camp accommodation is not the way to do this," Mr Flynn said.
"Safe Schools tells children they must have access to the Minus 18 website which instructs girls in chest binding so their breasts are flattened and penis tucking for boys.
“We are opposed to making the program mandatory and forcing parents and children to take on this rainbow ideologically driven program.”
ENDS
Media: 02 6259 0431
ACL urges vote for candidates supporting doctors’ freedom of conscience
With both the Premier and the Opposition leader giving the green light to a private members bill on doctors’ conscience in abortion, the Australian Christian Lobby has urged voters to vote for pro freedom of conscience candidates regardless of party.
The Victorian Premier and Opposition Leader have both stated that they will allow a conscience vote if a private members’ bill is introduced to restore freedom to doctors to decline to participate in abortion.
Denis Napthine and Daniel Andrews were responding to questions from Christian leaders at the Australian Christian Lobby’s Make it Count forum at Queens’ Hall, Parliament House on 23 September 2014.
Their commitments come following a question at the forum about Melbourne Doctor Mark Hobart, who faced sanctions for declining to assist a couple who wanted their baby girl aborted so they could try again for a boy.
“If a private members’ bill was introduced then we would certainly allow a conscience vote,” Dr Napthine said.
“My position would be to afford a conscience vote,” Mr Andrews said.
ACL Victorian Director Dan Flynn welcomed the leaders’ commitments to allow a parliamentary vote on whether or not doctors should be forced to participate in abortion by making a referral for an abortion.
“Victorian voters who value life are urged to vote for a pro-freedom of conscience candidate from either party at the 29 November election”, Mr Flynn said.
The Victorian Premier and Opposition Leader have both stated that they will allow a conscience vote if a private members’ bill is introduced to restore freedom to doctors to decline to participate in abortion.
Denis Napthine and Daniel Andrews were responding to questions from Christian leaders at the Australian Christian Lobby’s Make it Count forum at Queens’ Hall, Parliament House on 23 September 2014.
Their commitments come following a question at the forum about Melbourne Doctor Mark Hobart, who faced sanctions for declining to assist a couple who wanted their baby girl aborted so they could try again for a boy.
“If a private members’ bill was introduced then we would certainly allow a conscience vote,” Dr Napthine said.
“My position would be to afford a conscience vote,” Mr Andrews said.
ACL Victorian Director Dan Flynn welcomed the leaders’ commitments to allow a parliamentary vote on whether or not doctors should be forced to participate in abortion by making a referral for an abortion.
“Victorian voters who value life are urged to vote for a pro-freedom of conscience candidate from either party at the 29 November election”, Mr Flynn said.
Time to stand with the persecuted
Melbourne rally in support of persecuted Iraqi Christians this Saturday, 1:30pm, Federation SquareWe thought we had learned from the ethnic and religious purges of the Holocaust and the Balkans.
‘Never again’ was the vain refrain.
But this week hundreds of thousands of Christians have been driven from their homes in northern Iraq under the threat of convert to Islam or die by Islamic state militants.
Chilling images of decapitation, crucifixions and summary mass executions have filled news websites all week.
The images are hard to verify but the reports indicate that the killings include Shiites, former Iraqi army members and Christians.
Churches are being ransacked and destroyed.
In alarming echoes of the Holocaust where Jews were marked with the Star of David, Christian homes have been marked with the Arabic letter ‘N’ to signify that they are followers of the Nazarene, Jesus.
Christians have been in this region for 2000 years and now almost all have fled.
Many of my Facebook friends have changed their profile picture to the Arabic letter ‘N’ as a show of solidarity.
It was also good to see prominent global Muslim leaders condemn the violence.
With world leaders understandably paralysed by the other numbing tragic crises in Gaza and Ukraine, much of what is occurring in northern Iraq is going on under the radar.
However, it was also good to see the Australian government pledge $5 million in aid.
This week, religious liberty analyst Elizabeth Kendal spoke to ACL’s Katherine Spackman about the plight of Iraqi Christians who have been ordered by ISIS militants to leave the city of Mosul or convert to Islam.
Leaders of Australian churches with Middle Eastern roots are understandably very concerned. Many have loved ones in war-torn Syria and Iraq.
They have organised a rally at Melbourne’s Federation Square this Saturday at 1:30pm.
ACL’s Victorian Director Dan Flynn and I will be there. If you can, please join us as a sign of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering.
Victorians gather to honour victims of MH17 at St Paul's Cathedral
I was amongst many Victorians at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne this morning to honour the victims of the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 disaster in the Ukraine last week.The Anglican Primate of Australia, Dr Philip Freier hosted a multi-denominational and inter-faith service to comfort family and friends of those who perished.
Dr Freier spoke of the comfort that God seeks to bring to those mourning the loss of the 298 people on board the flight. He spoke of the journey ahead in repatriating the bodies of loved ones to be brought home for intimate farewell and burial in their communities.
The service was a moving expression of solidarity and a call for justice.
Dignitaries, including Victorian Governor Alex Chernov, the Premier Dr Denis Napthine, comforted grieving family members before and after the service. Members of the Sunbury Lions Football Club were visible in team colours, in support of the family of deceased locals Albert and Maree Rizk.
It was fitting of Canon Heather Patacca to pray:
"Merciful Father, hear our prayers and comfort us; renew our trust in your Son, whom you raised from the dead; strengthen our faith that all who have died in the love of Christ will share in his resurrection "
The Australian Christian Lobby joins with all Australians in extending love and comfort to the families who have lost love ones.
MR: Taxpayer should not fund religious denigration
MEDIA RELEASE
For release: Sunday 2 February 2014
The Australian Christian Lobby has questioned the use of taxpayers' money to subsidise so-called art aimed at denigrating religion.
The South Australian Government and Adelaide City Council sponsorship of a Fringe Festival event entitled 'Come Heckle Christ' is inappropriate according to the ACL's South Australia spokesperson Dan Flynn.
The Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, was right to urge people to complain about the production, Mr Flynn said, and ACL would encourage its supporters to do the same.
"While ACL supports freedom of speech and most Christians are very tolerant when it comes to public attacks on their faith, 'Come Heckle Christ' had gone too far, particularly as it is partially funded by the public purse," Mr Flynn said.
"In a tolerant society there is room for disagreement and debate but respect for religion should be encouraged."
Mr Flynn noted that advertising material for the production described the crucifixion of Christ as a "fairy-tale" despite the fact that no serious historian believes that.
For release: Sunday 2 February 2014
The Australian Christian Lobby has questioned the use of taxpayers' money to subsidise so-called art aimed at denigrating religion.
The South Australian Government and Adelaide City Council sponsorship of a Fringe Festival event entitled 'Come Heckle Christ' is inappropriate according to the ACL's South Australia spokesperson Dan Flynn.
The Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, was right to urge people to complain about the production, Mr Flynn said, and ACL would encourage its supporters to do the same.
"While ACL supports freedom of speech and most Christians are very tolerant when it comes to public attacks on their faith, 'Come Heckle Christ' had gone too far, particularly as it is partially funded by the public purse," Mr Flynn said.
"In a tolerant society there is room for disagreement and debate but respect for religion should be encouraged."
Mr Flynn noted that advertising material for the production described the crucifixion of Christ as a "fairy-tale" despite the fact that no serious historian believes that.
Calls for Victoria's abortion laws to recognise doctors' conscientious objection
Dan Flynn is the Victorian Director of the ACL. In this interview with the ACL's Katherine Spackman he talks about petitions that have been tabled in the Victorian Parliament calling for an amendment to the Abortion Law Reform Act to allow doctors' conscientious objections. The Victorian State Liberal Council also passed a motion recently supporting doctors' conscience.
MR: ACL welcomes Vic Liberal State Council decision supporting doctors’ conscience
MEDIA RELEASE
For release: Monday, December 2, 2013
The Australian Christian Lobby has welcomed the motion passed by the Victorian Liberal State Council supporting an amendment to abortion laws to allow doctors’ conscience.
Yesterday’s motion to support the amendment of Section 8 of the Abortion Law Reform Act to allow a health practitioner not to have to refer for abortions follows recent petitions seeking this amendment.
Petitions were tabled in the Legislative Assembly last week by a National, a Liberal and two Labor MPs’ with a total of 4,314 signatures. Furthermore an online change.org petition, seeking this same reform, has over 3,300 signatures.
ACL’s Victorian Director Dan Flynn said the Liberal State Council motion is good policy that recognises freedom of conscience.
“The current effect of the referral element of Section 8 is to shut down conversations between the doctor and the patient that explore other options apart from abortion,” he said.
“This is evidenced by the plight of Dr. Mark Hobart who is currently under investigation by the Medical Board for failing to refer a woman for abortion in response to a request to abort a 19 week old unborn girl because she was a girl instead of a boy.
“The importance of conscience is not confined to abortion. In a healthy society, medical practitioners must be free to take into account matters of conscience in providing holistic patient care across the full range of medical services,” he said.
Mr Flynn said that the proposed amendment would not affect access to abortion in the state.
“Currently a woman doesn’t need a referral from a GP, unlike many other medical procedures, to access abortion in Victoria. This proposed amendment seeks to remove the requirement that health practitioners with a conscientious objection must refer a patient to someone they know does not have such an objection," he said.
“The Australian Christian Lobby urges politicians of all persuasions to make this sensible amendment so that Victorian medical practitioners are no longer forced to act against their consciences,” Mr Flynn said.
For release: Monday, December 2, 2013
The Australian Christian Lobby has welcomed the motion passed by the Victorian Liberal State Council supporting an amendment to abortion laws to allow doctors’ conscience.
Yesterday’s motion to support the amendment of Section 8 of the Abortion Law Reform Act to allow a health practitioner not to have to refer for abortions follows recent petitions seeking this amendment.
Petitions were tabled in the Legislative Assembly last week by a National, a Liberal and two Labor MPs’ with a total of 4,314 signatures. Furthermore an online change.org petition, seeking this same reform, has over 3,300 signatures.
ACL’s Victorian Director Dan Flynn said the Liberal State Council motion is good policy that recognises freedom of conscience.
“The current effect of the referral element of Section 8 is to shut down conversations between the doctor and the patient that explore other options apart from abortion,” he said.
“This is evidenced by the plight of Dr. Mark Hobart who is currently under investigation by the Medical Board for failing to refer a woman for abortion in response to a request to abort a 19 week old unborn girl because she was a girl instead of a boy.
“The importance of conscience is not confined to abortion. In a healthy society, medical practitioners must be free to take into account matters of conscience in providing holistic patient care across the full range of medical services,” he said.
Mr Flynn said that the proposed amendment would not affect access to abortion in the state.
“Currently a woman doesn’t need a referral from a GP, unlike many other medical procedures, to access abortion in Victoria. This proposed amendment seeks to remove the requirement that health practitioners with a conscientious objection must refer a patient to someone they know does not have such an objection," he said.
“The Australian Christian Lobby urges politicians of all persuasions to make this sensible amendment so that Victorian medical practitioners are no longer forced to act against their consciences,” Mr Flynn said.
ACL's Dan Flynn talks about calls for amendment to abortion law reform act on Political Spot
Dan Flynn is the Victorian director of the ACL. In this interview with the ACL's Katherine Spackman he discusses the case of Dr Mark Hobart who is currently being investigated by the Medical Board of Victoria for not being able to refer a patient who wanted to abort her baby because it was a girl. Victorian MP Christine Campbell is concerned about Dr Hobart's case and is circulating a petition calling for an amendment to law to allow for conscientious objections.
Candidates in electorate of Casey, Vic address voters at ACL's Meet Your Candidate Forum
Last Thursday 29th August, ACL conducted another 'Meet Your Candidate' forum in Victoria, in the electorate of Casey. The seat includes regions such as Olinda, Croydon and Montrose. Over 140 people attended the event.Six of the nine candidates for the seat of Casey attended the evening:
- Tony Smith MP - sitting member for the Liberal National Party. He is currently the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Tax Reform and the Deputy Chair of the Coalition Policy Development Committee
- Cathy Farrell - candidate for the Labor Party. She is a Lecturer in Media Studies at Swinburne University's Faculty of Higher Education
- Mike Brown - candidate for the Australian Christians. He has worked in sales for he last 25 years and is currently running a real estate company. He is also on the board of Teen Challenge for the rehabilitation of drug and alcohol abused individuals
- Paul Barbieri - Rise Up Australia Party. He owns businesses in construction, transport, earth moving and is a home sustainability assessor
- Milton Wilde - candidate for Palmer's United Party. Mr Wilde is a software development manager
- Jeanette McRae - Independent candidate for Casey. Served as the Councillor for the Yarra Ranges Shire Council from 2005 to 2012 and is currently the Community Development Manager at Yarringa Community Centre
Each candidate presented a speech to the audience which was followed by a Q & A session moderated by ACL's Victorian Director Dan Flynn and ACL representative Peter Berry.Discussions on the night revolved around issues such as homelessness, Australian manufacturing and the agricultural industry, problem gambling, marriage, asylum seekers, abortion, internet filters, and climate change.
Ms Farrell said the church and state should work together to bring about change to the problem of homelessness, and that sowing money into education will have an impact in tackling the issue.
Mr Smith, Mr Brown, Mr Barbieri and Ms McRae all agreed that the current definition of marriage as between a man and a woman should remain unchanged.
Ms Farrell says she supports redefining marriage, and Mr Wilde said Clive Palmer would allow a conscience vote on the issue, but that he would not condone same-sex marriage.
ACL will be conducting more MYCF's this week in states across the country - click here for more details.