Campaign: To remove Victoria's religious
vilification law...
Many groups and individuals are concerned about the
religious vilification law in Victoria. The cases that have been brought so far
in Victoria show that the law has NOT brought harmony to the
State - in fact it encourages DISHARMONY.
Truth is
not a defence, motive is irrelevant and one has to 'establish' that
an exception applies!
1. A petition was
organised, calling on
the Victorian government to remove religious vilification laws... Over 28,000
signatures were collected - and presented to the Parliament at a rally on the
steps of Parliament organised by the Coalition for Free
Speech in 2006.
2. Further action is then
required!
3. Articles
explaining why vilification laws are undesirable
- scroll down...
For information on the Catch the Fire
Ministries case, click here.
For more information on
the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, click here.
All documents mentioned are attached at the
bottom of this page - please scroll
down.
Latest
News:
29 April 2006
- Bracks Government plans amendments to the Racial and Religious Tolerance
Act
BUT the Government is only proposing MINOR amendments - and these make the ACT
WORSE - not better!
The Premier said last September at a faith leaders
meeting that he was considering "minor amendments" to the Act. (Click here.)
He told
those present he would consider amendments they might propose - Subsequently
a Statement
of Concern was signed by 19 church leaders calling for the removal of all
the civil provisions concerning 'religion' (leaving only the 'criminal'
section).
They proposed
detailed amendments.
The Premier's 'amendment Bill' does NOT address the
concerns expressed by the church leaders.
At the beginning of April, Steve
Bracks announced he was putting the amendment Bill into Parliament - he did this
the following day.
Click for the following:
1. The Bill - Equal
Opportunity and Tolerance Legislation (Amendment) Bill.
2. Second
reading speech by Steve Bracks
3. Explanatory
Memorandum for the Bill.
4. Premier's
media release - 4 April 2006
.
These amendments were debated and
voted on in May 2006.
The amendments:
1. Give more power
to the EOC to require people to attend or provide documents when the EOC is
deciding to accept or 'decline' the complaint. A $2000 fine has been added for
this new requirement.
2. If the EOC 'declines to entertain' the complaint,
currently the complainant can still take the case to VCAT. The amendment (as
suggested by Justice Morris when he dismissed the complaint by witch Robin
Fletcher against the Alpha course) is that if the person takes the complaint on
to VCAT when it was 'declined' by the EOC, then VCAT will consider the case
first by looking at the 'papers' to decide if it should proceed.
3. An amendment has been made to the 'Exception' in Section 11. This is
the one where there is an exception for a 'genuine religious purpose' (and other
reasons such as academic). BUT is has to be done 'reasonably' and 'in good
faith'.
The amendment is to add at the end of Section 11
"(2)For the
purpose of sub-section (1)(b)(i), a religious purpose includes, but is not
limited to, conveying or teaching a religion or proselytising.".
Because this
tries to specify what a religious purpose is, then the notion of criticising
another religion is even more unclear. The religious purpose is even
narrower!
Salt Shakers remains committed to the repeal of all
the religious sections of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.
We oppose the proposed amendments.
WE encourage people to contact their
MPs in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council to express their concern
about the proposed amendments and to ask their MPs to ask for the repeal of all
the religious sections of the RRTA.
Click here
for MP details.
24 November 2005 - Presbyterian
Church proposes amendments for the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act
BUT
Government is clearly NOT willing to consider major
amendments...
At a meeting of 'faith leaders'
at the end of September, Premier
Steve Bracks promised to consider amendments to the R & RTA - and to consult
the community on possible amendments.
The Presbyterian Church, and moderator Professor Alan Harman,
prepared amendments that would have (if accepted) removed the civil provisions
of the Act and limited the Act to threatening physical harm.
A number of meetings are currently being held by the government
with 'faith leaders'. At the meeting attended by the PCV on 22 November, the
government officers suggested amending the law "requiring VCAT to determine on
the papers offered in a complaint whether there is a case to answer before a
case could proceed to VCAT" (as proposed by Justice
Morris.)
However the government also proposed
making the law MUCH MORE ONEROUS in enforcing VCAT rulings -
rather than removing the unacceptable provisions of the Act.
David Palmer
of the PCV Church and Nation Committee, prepared a report of the
meeting they had with the government.
Salt Shakers remains committed to a full repeal of the
religious sections of the
Act.
___________________________________________
NEW: Many church leaders have expressed
concern about the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act. However one group
supporting the Act is the Uniting Church's Justice and International
Mission
Unit, led by Dr Mark Zirnsak. This
group applied to intervene in the Catch the Fire case to support the Islamic
Council of Victoria. Not all Uniting Church people support his view.
Mark has
just posted an article titled "Religious Tolerance will ensure community
safety".
Our response to this document is posted below.
Click here to read
Mark Zirnsak's article.
Comments can be posted
online - you need to register first.
News - March -
April
The Victorian Heads of Churches have been discussing
Victoria's religious vilification laws. In an article in The Age (30
March), Barney Zwartz says "All agree it is unsatisfactory, but they differ
on what needs changing."
Click here
for the article "Hatred law needs overhaul - churches".
See
below for ACTION sheet on contacting
the head of your denomination to ask them to support the removal of the religious vilification
laws.
1. Petition
The purpose
of the Petition is to demonstrate to the Victorian Government the groundswell of
opposition to the ‘religious’ sections of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act
2001.
1. Petition document
The
Petition asks that the Government remove references to religious vilification in
the Act to allow for unencumbered discussion and freedom of speech regarding
religion and theology.
* The petition form is attached below.
* Please print and distribute and collect
signatures.
* Signatures
must be on the formal petition sheet
, not on blank sheets of paper.
* ONLY VICTORIAN residents
can sign the petition.
* There is no age restriction.
*
All petition sheets
need to be returned to PO Box 6049, Wantirna, Vic 3152 by 15 April 2005.
2. Covering Letter
This sheet explains the purpose of the
petition. Attached below.
3. Declaration of Support
If you are an organisation, church or individual who would like to join our
growing list of campaign supporters, please email, fax or post the
Declaration of Support form to us.
This can be used by organisations and individuals in
Victoria AND
outside Victoria.
Attached below.
2. Further Action
required
It is NOT enough just to sign the
petition.
Please contact
your Victorian Members of Parliament - every Victorian has three State
government representatives -
one lower House (Legislative Assembly) and
two Upper House (Legislative Council).
Either VISIT them or WRITE to
them.
To find out who your representatives are phone the electoral commission
on 13 23 26 or use the web. Click here,
then enter your address to find
your three Members.
ALSO write to the leaders of the parties: Steve
Bracks (ALP); Robert Doyle (Liberal); Peter Ryan (Nationals).
Click here for contact details or send your letter to
Parliament House, Melbourne, Victoria, 3002.
See the ACTION sheet
below for all the information - print out and distribute this to EVERYONE who
signs the petition!
3. Articles
New Article:
THE
AGENDA BEHIND RELIGIOUS VILIFICATION LEGISLATION
By Professor Augusto
Zimmermann
The article analyses Victoria's R and R T Act, including some of
the cases brought so far along with the reasons for its
implementation.
The Problem with Vilification
Laws
by Bill Muehlenberg.
Ten reasons, written from a secular perspective, as to why
religious vilification laws are undesirable.
Attached below.
Problems with Religious Support for Vilification
Laws
by Bill Muehlenberg
Ten common arguments that are used to justify vilification
laws. Bill responds to each of these. The ten are: 'The example of Jesus'; 'How
we preach the gospel'; 'Christians should not vilify'; 'We must respect other
beliefs'; 'The Sermon on the Mount'; 'Just say ‘sorry’'; 'Persecution is to be
expected'; ‘They got what they deserved’; 'Tolerance is a Christian virtue' and
'Unity and harmony must come first'.
Attached
below.
Do We Really Need Religious
Vilification Laws?
Steve Edwards, Centre for Independent
Studies ‘Policy’ magazine, Autumn 2005.
Religious vilification laws
are diminishing freedom of speech.
The article begins: "In chapter
two of his famous essay, On Liberty, John Stuart Mill began: “The time,
it is to be hoped, is gone by, when any defence would be necessary of the
‘liberty of the press’ as one of the securities against corrupt or tyrannical
government.” Sadly, almost 150 years after Mill’s essay was published, the
‘liberty of the press’ is as precarious as ever, as governments impose, through
vilification laws, new restrictions on what can be said...."
Steve analyses
religious vilification laws, including Victoria and the Catch the Fire
Ministries case, and concludes "On balance, religious vilification
legislation is an ill-conceived idea that ought to be consigned to the dustbin
of history at the earliest opportunity”.
Attached
below. Author: Jenny Stokes | Modified: 25 March 2008 |
