ACL 9th May 2013

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9 May 2013

Only a few days left until The World Congress of Families. Register today!

ACL Qld Conference hears from state and federal politicians

Uncertainty over marriage policy could drive voters to minor parties

Victoria Police evidence shows link between sex trafficking and legalising prostitution

NSW lawmakers begin debating euthanasia and assisted suicide

Steve Thomas talks about environmentalism on the Political Spot

Family First NZ to be de-registered as a charity

GG, PM & Opp Leader support National Day of Thanksgiving

Tell the PM & Treasurer: “Don’t Divert Aid”

How to ensure your comments are published online

In the media – a wrap up of the last week’s commentary

Staying in touch with ACL

It has been one week since I stepped into Jim Wallace’s big shoes as Managing Director of ACL.

Thank you to those who have sent kind messages of support to Jim and I as we move into our respective new roles.

I am pleased Jim is continuing with ACL as Deputy Chairman with special responsibility for our international work. And he will continue to be a mentor to me.

With our team operating nationally and in the states, ACL is well-positioned for the future.

The challenges are big but so are the opportunities. ACL’s vision to see Christian principles and ethics influencing the way we are governed, do business and relate to each other as a community is needed in today’s Australia more than ever.

Christian ideas of justice, compassion and morality offer hope for a better future and ACL is committed to putting these ideals into the public and political debate in our nation.

These values resonate with a great many Australians, even among many who do not actively practice Christian faith.

Our free and democratic political system means we should not be afraid to participate and the cultural challenges we face means this is not a time for silence.

At a dinner celebrating 30 year Senate veteran Ron Boswell last night, former Prime Minister John Howard praised him for his unwavering stance on moral values, which of course are those shaped by Ron’s Christian faith. “Values bind nations together more than anything else,” Mr Howard said.

At a book launch in Sydney yesterday, Labor’s former immigration minister Chris Bowen also took up a values theme warning “the Labor Party to stick to its tradition of supporting mainstream issues”.

He warned Labor to stay away from the Greens, “a party that does not represent those mainstream concerns”. ACL is committed to continuing to be a voice for Christian values in our nation.

The team and I look forward to your continuing support as we do this.

God bless,

Lyle Shelton
Managing Director

Only a few days left until The World Congress of Families. Register today!

The World Congress of Families will be held in Sydney next week from 15-18 May. Mary- Louise Fowler spoke to ACL’s Katherine Spackman on the Political Spot this week about the focus of the conference. The Congress will explore how business, government, education, law, healthcare and the media can strengthen families for the benefit of society. Don’t miss out – register today! Note the discount offered for ACL supporters. Links at bottom:

Cick here for more information

Listen to the interview with Mary-Louise Fowler

ACL Qld Conference hears from state and federal politicians

“We need your voices, individually and collectively, to provide a reminder to our society, and especially self-appointed elites, that our Christian heritage is in fact what has made our nation and Western Civilisation strong,” Liberal Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz told the audience in his opening address at ACL’s Queensland Conference last weekend.

Uncertainty over marriage policy could drive voters to minor parties

Coalition uncertainty over voting policy on marriage may force many Australians to consider minor parties who are clear on the issue at the September 14 election, according to the Australian Christian Lobby. “Upper House elections in Tasmania last weekend which returned pro-marriage candidates showed there is little appetite for radical social policy such as redefining marriage,” ACL Managing Director Lyle Shelton said.

Victoria Police evidence shows link between sex trafficking and legalising prostitution

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) says evidence given by the Victoria Police at a parliamentary inquiry shows there’s a link between sex trafficking and legalised brothels. Victoria Police yesterday told the Parliamentary Inquiry into Slavery and People Trafficking Melbourne hearing that there is a large-scale human trafficking problem occurring in many licensed brothels in the state.

NSW lawmakers begin debating euthanasia and assisted suicide

NSW lawmakers today began debating a bill that would legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide. Introduced by the NSW Greens, the bill is largely based on the Northern Territory’s Rights of the Terminally Ill Act which was overturned by the federal parliament in 1997.

Steve Thomas talks about environmentalism on the Political Spot

Steve Thomas is a political scientist and has been a guest interviewer on the Political Spot as part of a political ideology series. In this interview with the ACL’s Katherine Spackman he talks about environmentalism.

Read more plus audio interview

Family First NZ to be de-registered as a charity

The Charities Commission in New Zealand has recently given notice to Family First NZ that it will deregister the organisation as a charity. Not to be confused with the political party here in Australia, Family First NZ is an organisation committed to influencing public policy affecting the rights and protection of families, including marriage, abortion, euthanasia, adoption and advertising standards.

GG, PM & Opp Leader support National Day of Thanksgiving

The Governor-General and Prime Minister have now made official statements about the NDOT. Governor-General Quentin Bryce says NDOT “is an opportunity for us all to reflect and give thanks for the valued contributions made by our fellow Australians” whilst Prime Minister Julia Gillard says it “provides a unique opportunity to celebrate and honour the contributions of others.”

Tell the PM & Treasurer: “Don’t Divert Aid”

Australia was one of the 189 member states of the United Nations that signed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 to halve world poverty by 2015. Last year, the government diverted $375 million away from its foreign aid commitment in order to pay for the cost of detaining, processing and providing for onshore asylum seekers, and will likely try to divert more aid when it announces another “tough budget” on 14 May.

How to ensure your comments are published online

The Internet provides lots of opportunities to speak up and be heard. Social media services like Facebook and Twitter, news websites and blogs are just some places where Christians can have a say.

In the media – a wrap up of the last week’s commentary

In the last week, the ACL has been quoted in the media issues such as comments made by a Queensland politician on Twitter, same-sex marriage, Tasmania’s upper house elections, outdoor advertising, and Tony Abbott’s clarity on marriage.