ACL 12th December 2013

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12 December 2013

In this week’s edition of ENEWs we report on the High Court’s decision to reject the ACT’s same-sex marriage bill.

This ruling upholds uniformity of marriage laws across the country.

To other news, its disappointing to see that federal parliament looks set to repeal the Gillard Government’s modest poker-machine reforms.

ACL’s Managing Director Lyle Shelton has a blog piece on this issue.

Also, ACL’s 2013 annual report has been released this week which covers the year’s activities in the national office and in each state.

Kind regards,

ACL Team

ACL welcomes High Court decision on marriage

The Australian Christian Lobby has welcomed the High Court’s decision to reject the ACT’s same-sex marriage laws.

Managing Director Lyle Shelton said the ruling upholds uniformity of marriage laws across the country.

ACL disappointed parliament set to repeal poker-machine reforms

The Australian Christian Lobby has expressed disappointment that federal parliament looks set to repeal the Gillard Government’s modest poker-machine reforms. ACL’s Managing Director Lyle Shelton said legislation introduced by the Coalition last week to repeal the 2012 legislation looks set to be supported by Labor in the senate.

Pokies, politics and the need for principled public leadership

By Lyle Shelton, Managing Director

The politics of poker machine reform have been playing out in the last two weeks of Parliament before it rises tonight for the Christmas break. A combination of the power of the clubs’ lobby and the addiction of State Governments to gaming revenue make it almost impossible to achieve progress.

Lyle speaks on pokie machine reforms in this week’s Political Spot

ACL’s 2013 annual report now available online

The Australian Christian Lobby’s 2013 annual report is now available online to read. The purpose of the report is to provide ACL supporters with a review of the achievements of the organisation over the last year.It includes messages from Chairman Anthony McClellan and Managing Director Lyle Shelton, who both pay tribute to the work of former ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace, who moved to the position of Deputy Chairman this year.

Mission Australia discusses national youth survey

Martin Thomas is the Head of Research and Social policy at Mission Australia. In this interview with the ACL’s Katherine Spackman he discusses the recent national youth survey.The survey showed that 1 in 4 young people believe there are insufficient opportunities in their local community for employment and job training after school.

Read more plus audio interview

Registrations still open for ACL’s inaugural Gap Week

It’s not too late to register for ACL’s inaugural Gap Week, being held on the outskirts of Canberra from the 19th-24th January 2014. University-aged Christians seeking to understand and engage in public leadership from a biblical perspective are invited to apply to attend the six-day, live-in course. Only four places are available so be quick!

Click here for more information and to register

Hurry! Applications for 2014 autumn intake of Lachlan Macquarie Internship close soon

Interested in a career in politics? The Lachlan Macquarie Internship (LMI) 2014 autumn intake applications are closing soon. LMI is a unique course aimed at fostering a greater appreciation of the relevance of a Christian worldview to public policy. Next year’s autumn term will run from the 24th February to 30th May, and applications are due by this Sunday the 15th December. Don’t miss out!

Click here for more information and to apply