Introduction
The National Human Rights Consultation, headed by Jesuit Priest Father Frank Brennan, has recommended the enactment of a Human Rights Act (a charter of rights). (Full report available here.)
If adopted by the Federal Government, the Human Rights Act will transfer political power from elected politicians to unelected judges. Charters of rights are also used by activists to attack freedom of religion and advance radical social causes such as same sex marriage and abortion.
The Federal Government is currently reviewing the recommendations of the Consultation Committee and is due to make a decision some time early in the new year.
Action: Please act today by scrolling down and firing off a “pollie mail” to your local member and Senators, asking them to reject a charter of rights without first holding a referendum to properly gauge public support.
An excellent recent article written by Cardinal George Pell demonstrating the real and present danger posed to religious freedoms and other fundamental human rights by a Human Rights Act is available here.
Christian concern for human rights
The Christian church has always been at the forefront of protecting the human rights of the poor and vulnerable in society. Sadly charters of rights have been used overseas and in some states of Australia to undermine fundamental human rights such as freedom of religion.
For example, within months of the Victorian Charter of Rights being enacted, an inquiry was set up questioning the freedom of Christian schools and organisations to discriminate in favour of employing staff who share their Christian ethos. Imagine a church not being able to employ a Christian receptionist or a Christian school being forced to employ non-Christian teachers.
Who knows what a Federal Human Rights Act will unleash. It is a radical alteration of the existing roles of the various arms of government and the separation of powers, which have been the basis of a free and just Australia.
Any dialogue on human rights, which essentially amount to questions of morality and policy, should occur between the people and their elected representatives through the democratic forum of parliament. Acceding power to unaccountable judges to interpret vague statements of human rights according to their own subjective values is not the answer to human rights.
Now that the rights activists have the leverage of a favourable report to agitate for change we must redouble our efforts to see off the proposed Human Rights Act.
More than 21,000 concerned Australians signed our petition calling on the Federal parliament to at least hold a referendum to truly gauge public support before introducing a Human Rights Act. The petition, one of the largest in the life of the present parliament, was recently tabled in the Senate by Shadow Attorney-General George Brandis.
Now that the petition has closed, you can still influence this crucial debate by firing off a short "pollie mail" to your local Member and Senators urging them to reject the proposed charter of rights – scroll down for details. An engaged and informed public will see this dangerous proposal defeated. |
