The Australian Christian Lobby welcomes the assurance of Victoria’s ‘sex work’ review committee that all aspects of decriminalisation and alternative views will be considered, notwithstanding the chair Fiona Patten MLC’s advocacy for decriminalising prostitution.

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The City of Melbourne Council has invited future litigation and more political correctness tangles with its weekend push to invite council staff to declare their preferred pronoun in their email signatures.

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The Australian Christian Lobby has consistently expressed concern over the surge in the number of children rushed into irreversible, life-changing gender reassignment medication or surgeries. A recent report found there were 336 new referrals to the Royal Children’s Hospital gender clinic in 2019, representing a staggering 1,767% increase since 2012.

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The Australian Christian Lobby opposes a plan by Victorian upper house MP Fiona Patten to extend the reach of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Bill to gender identity and sexual orientation.

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Both the Government and Opposition ruled out drug injecting rooms for Victoria during last Friday’s Make it Count leaders’ event held in the lead-up to the November 27 election.

Despite Premier John Brumby’s last minute withdrawal because of his father’s sudden illness (and subsequent passing), the event attended by 140 high-level Christian leaders and ACL Supporters was a resounding success.

Education Minister Bronwyn Pike, stepping in for Mr Brumby, and Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu both ruled out copying Sydney’s controversial Kings Cross heroin injecting room.

Church leaders questioned Ms Pike and Mr Baillieu on issues ranging from tackling Victoria’s problem gambling to examining why some late-term aborted babies survive and are left to die.

Mr Baillieu re-confirmed a previous commitment to reinstate freedoms to religion stripped by recent changes to Victoria’s equal opportunity laws.

ACL’s Victorian Director Rob Ward also spoke to the ABC’s Stateline program about why ACL engages politics by putting on events such as Make it Count Victoria.

Video footage of Friday’s Make it Count Victoria will soon be posted on the www.victoriavotes.org.au election website which is under construction.

This week’s ‘Political Spot’ features an interview with ACL Victorian Director Rob Ward about the recent ‘Make it Count Victoria’ event and advances achieved for the Christian constituency through it. There’s also a special interview with Chris van der Spek, a young graduate of the ACL-Compass program for training Christian leaders.



The ‘Political Spot’ is presented by the ACL, and broadcast on Canberra’s 1Way FM and some other Christian stations.



Please click here to download the September 28 edition of the ‘Political Spot’.

Media Notice

In what is believed to be a Victorian first, the leaders of the State’s two major political parties have both agreed to address Christians and answer questions from Christian leaders at the same event this Friday night.

In the lead up to the November 27 election, Premier John Brumby and Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu will speak to a wide range of Christian leaders at ‘Make it Count Victoria’, with their addresses and answers to questions to be filmed and made available online next month to Christians throughout the State.

The Victorian office of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) is hosting the non-denominational event at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, from 7.30 pm on Friday September 24.

ACL Victorian Director Rob Ward said the staging of the event follows on from the successful Federal ‘Make it Count’ events with major political leaders held in August 2007 and June 2010. Similar events have also been held prior to the Tasmanian, Northern Territory, West Australian and ACT elections.

Mr Ward said that ‘Make it Count Victoria’ will help the leaders of Victoria’s two main political parties to better understand some of the main issues which are of concern to the Christian constituency, as well as assisting Christians to make an informed vote at the upcoming election.

TIME: 7.30 pm, Friday September 24

PLACE: Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Melbourne

Contact: Glynis Quinlan on 0408 875 979 or Rob Ward on 0408 348 352

ALL MEDIA ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND

TO REGISTER TO ATTEND PLEASE CONTACT GLYNIS QUINLAN

The topic of euthanasia is under the spotlight in this week’s ‘Political Spot’, following Greens’ Leader Bob Brown’s latest efforts to push for legalised euthanasia. Is all human life intrinsically valuable or should its worth be measured according to subjective criteria, such as whether it is pain-free?

The program features an interview with ACL Chief of Staff Lyle Shelton on this topic and ISP filtering, before crossing to Victoria for an interview with ACL Victorian Director Rob Ward about an upcoming ‘Make it Count Victoria’ event with the Premier and Opposition Leader.

The ‘Political Spot’ is presented by the ACL, and broadcast on Canberra’s 1Way FM and some other Christian stations.

Please click here to download the September 21 edition of the ‘Political Spot’.

The Victorian Greens should take note of the resounding defeat of Victoria’s euthanasia bill in 2008 and stop continually trying to push for laws which would put at risk the lives of vulnerable sick and elderly people, the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) said today.

ACL Victorian Director Rob Ward said that in August 2008 the Physician Assisted Dying Bill 2008 was comprehensively rejected in the Victorian Upper House by 25 votes to 13.

“The Greens need to get past their anti-life agenda and recognise that the Victorian Parliament has already firmly decided against euthanasia and it is a waste of parliamentary time to keep revisiting the issue,” Mr Ward said.

“Greens MLC Colleen Hartland’s motion seeking a review of the Medical Treatment Act relating to end-of-life medical treatment and palliative care options is very obviously just a back-door attempt to push the euthanasia barrow.

“Her move to get the issue referred to the Victorian Law Reform Commission is a particular source of concern given the Commission’s very poor track record in dealing with contentious social issues such as abortion and same-sex surrogacy.

“This is not a matter for a parliamentary committee or the Commission. The Victorian Parliament has already spoken on this issue - voting in favour of valuing life and affirming the role of doctors in caring for the sick, not harming them.”

Mr Ward said that, as a society, we should be seeking to ease people’s pain through better palliative care, not promoting killing as an alternative to helping them.

“We should also continue to stand firm in rejecting legislation that would send dreadful messages to the sick and elderly about the worth of their lives and which would put people’s lives at risk.

“For example, in Holland where euthanasia has been legal for some years, research indicates that around 1,000 people are killed each year without their consent.”

Mr Ward said that in every Australian state where a parliamentary committee has closely examined euthanasia – normally at the bidding of the Greens - the committee has rejected it on account of the way in which the laws to protect life are made inconsistent and dangerously subjective.

“As a society we should be affirming the unique and intrinsic worth of all human beings, no matter what their physical, mental or emotional state might be.”

Media Contact: Rob Ward on 0408 348 352 or Glynis Quinlan on 0408 875 979.

[caption id="attachment_1135" align="alignright" width="300" caption="ACL's Victorian Director Rob Ward on Stateline"][/caption]

A homosexual youth group is seeking damages from a Christian campsite in Victoria because it did not wish to rent its facilities to a group that promoted homosexuality to young people.

The case could have wide-ranging ramifications for Christian schools, churches, charities and other organisations wishing to exercise religious freedom to follow Biblical teachings on sexuality.

ACL’s Victorian Director appeared on Stateline tonight defending religious freedom. Please click here to watch.