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...that's why Salt Shakers is dedicated to helping Christians understand the times
and equipping them to be salt and light in the community by upholding Biblical
values and by being more aware of the ethical issues affecting today's society.
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Monday, May 05, 2008 |
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4:25 PM Review of Victoria's Equal Opportunity Act
The Victorian government is reviewing the Equal Opportunity Act.
Having done an initial consultation, the Reviewer for the Justice Department, former public advocate Julian Gardner, has released an Options Paper.
Submissions are invited - BY 12 May 2008.
Some of the 'options' include giving the Equal Opportunity Commission more power to investigate 'systemic discrimination' - even when a complaint has NOT been made - and to treat some groups more favourably!
Read more, including HOW you can make a submission...
Click here for our Campaign page.
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008 |
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5:12 PM NSW Tribunal & homosexual foster care
A disturbing decision by the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal has found that a Christian family agency, Wesley Dalmar Child and Family Care - part of Wesley Mission which is in turn part of the Uniting Church in Australia - discriminated against a homosexual couple by not accepting them as 'foster carers'.
Wesley told the men they would not be accepted as foster carers; the agency told the Tribunal the relevant doctrine was "the belief that ‘monogamous heterosexual partnership within marriage is both the norm and ideal’ [of the family]."
The Tribunal and said the two men were 'hurt' and embarrassed. The Tribunal ordered Wesley Dalmar to pay each homosexual $5,000.
The Tribunal also ordered that Wesley Dalmar "review its policy on homosexual foster carers and take all necessary steps to eliminate unlawful discrimination on the ground of homosexuality in the facilitation and provision of its foster care services”.
Part of the reason was that the Tribunal found that the decision statement not to accept homosexuality was not a doctrine because there was 'diverse opinion' in Christianity and ALSO in the Uniting Church about this matter!
Article: Gay couple wins $10,000 in foster care case
Daily Telegraph, Bruce McDougall, April 25, 2008.
FULL Administrative Decisions Tribunal decision (about 31 pages):
OV and anor v QZ and anor (No.2) [2008] NSWADT 115
At the same time, news from the UK's Christian Institute reveals that two Roman Catholic dioceses which have agencies that provide adoption services have announced they will close their service becasue they have been told they can't refuse to give children to homosexual couples under the UK's new sexual orientation regulations of their Equality Act.
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008 |
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6:55 PM  Some Good News - Free speech win in UK House of Lords
The UK House of Lords has been debating a Bill on hate speech and homophobia. Christian organisations have been opposing the Bill because it would criminalise any criticism of homosexuality.The Christian Institute reports that an amendment to protect freedom of speech, proposed by Lord Waddington, was passed by 81 to 57 late on Monday 21 April. The Labour Government were so desperate to stop any amendments that they forced the Lords to sit until midnight, hoping that many would not stay for the vote. They did, so now the Bill, with the amendment, has to go back to the Lower House (The Commons) to be voted on yet again.The amendment says: "In this Part, for the avoidance of doubt, the discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices or the urging of persons to refrain from or modify such conduct or practices shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred."The Bill now goes to the House of Commons where the amendment must be accepted or rejected.Please pray that MPs in the Commons will see the wisdom of the Lords and uphold the right of British people to oppose sexual deviancy in all it's forms.
This is double good news! It also means that there are still a majority of Lords in the British Parliament that believe in 'free speech protection'.
Click here for a full report. |
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008 |
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10:32 AM 
Anglican Boys School MUST stand on Biblical principles. We often hear from homosexual groups that we are obsessed with sex because we “keep talking about it”. Of course, the real reason is because we keep protesting against their endless demands that we accept their deviant and unnatural sexual behaviour as normal.
Their latest demand is that an Anglican school allow a boy to take a boy to a school formal.
This is objectionable for many reasons but two reasons really stand out... 1) It uses young men as pawns in their political game and 2) It shows a total lack of ‘tolerance’ by a group who continually call for us to be tolerant of them. In fact we are not only told to be tolerant, but told we need to be totally accepting of their opinion. They simply want to deny anyone else the right to hold an opinion that opposes them.
Sadly, many in the media are complicit in this one sided attitude by belittling anyone who has a contrary opinion.
If this school backs down it will not only be going against the Word of God but it will be letting down every young man in Australia and beyond.
If the church will not stand on the Truth of God's creation and tell young people that there are right and wrong 'relationships’, who will?
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Friday, April 11, 2008 |
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5:13 PM Relationships Bill passed
Yesterday was a sad day for Victoria as the Victorian Legislative Council passed the 'Relationships Bill' at the third reading by a vote of 29 to 9.
This Register will now begin on 1 December 2008, allowing same-sex and heterosexual couples to register their relationships.
Click here for the Hansard debate
Legislative Council Hansard - 10 April 2008.
Committee stage - amendments and final vote: pages 37 - 43 and pages 52 - 56.
Summary of the vote:
ALL but one of the ALP Members (Jaala Pulford) voted for the Bill. She was on leave from her office.
Liberals: 8 for, 7 against.
Nationals: Peter Hall voted against the Bill in the third reading; Damian Drum voted against it in the second reading but was at a ministerial meeting during the third reading vote.
DLP: Peter Kavanagh voted against the Bill.
Greens: All three voted for the Bill.
The FULL list and analysis of the vote, along with contact details, is on our Campaign website page. Click here.
Thank you to all the MPs who voted against the Relationships Bill!
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008 |
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4:17 PM Relationships Register for Victoria
This time it is a sad day for Victoria!
The Victorian Legislative Council passed 'in principle' the Relationships Bill which will establish a Relationships Register for same-sex and heterosexual couples.
The second reading vote was held on Tuesday.
The vote was 29 - 10.
All ALP MPs voted for the Bill - Liberal and National Parties gave a free vote.
The three Greens MPs voted for the Bill.
Peter Kavanagh of the Democratic Labor Party voted against the Bill.
Now it goes to 'Committee' for amendments and a final vote.
The Debate and vote:
Click here for the Hansard debate and vote.
pdf document - full day's Hansard.
Debate is on pages 18-58.
Vote is on Page 58.
Full analysis of the final vote tomorrow!
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Thursday, April 03, 2008 |
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8:03 AM Prostitution legalised in WA
A dark day for Western Australia on Monday night as prostitution was legalised - by ONE vote. Labor MPs were not given a conscience vote.
The deciding vote was that of Shelley Archer - a former ALP MP turned Independent. Late last year she had decided not to support the prostitution legislation, but changed her mind because she claims that the government promised to fund sex and drug education in the State's North-west. But yesterday the government told the West Australian that they had made NO firm commitments!
The Opposition has forecast an explosion of the sex industry in WA - that would not be surprising as that is exactly what happened in Victoria when prostitution was legalised in Victoria. Before legalisation in Victoria there were about 50 illegal brothels - now there are up to 100 legal ones, an estimated 400 illegal brothels plus 1,200-1,500 licenced single operators AND an increased amount of street prostitution!
Archer vote passes brothel Bill
West Australian, 2 April 2008.
Prostitution laws will lead to brothel boom: Opposition
West Australian, 2nd April 2008
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