PASTORAL ISSUES

Published: 29 July 2013 NSW could become the first Australian State to legalise same-sex marriage after an inquiry found NSW has the power to introduce its own law. But a legal challenge is likely, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. A group of MPs from across the political spectrum have redrafted a Same Sex Marriage Bill that will be introduced in …

Greg Donnelly MLC Parliament of New South Wales 29th April 2013 Having failed to obtain the necessary support for physician-assisted suicide/euthanasia legislation in other states and territories the Greens have now turned their attention to New South Wales. Nobody should be surprised. They promised but failed to introduce a bill in 2011 and 2012. With a federal election coming up …

MEDIA RELEASE Friday, 26th April 2013 The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has urged the government to reject the recommendation of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to publically fund abortion drug RU486. ACL spokesperson Wendy Francis said subsidising the controversial drug – a recommendation likely to be made by PBAC today – ignores the human rights of the unborn and …

Deadline Wednesday 24 April 2013 Last month, Senator John Madigan introduced into the Senate the Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Funding for Certain Types of Abortion) Bill that would remove Medicare funding for sex-selection abortions. There are reports that sex selection abortions currently take place in Australia for those couples who have a cultural preference for boys or for “family balancing” …

THE HAEMORRHAGING OF PLAY: PART 1   By Fr George Liangas Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist School Chaplain, All Saints Grammar, Sydney   “Children’s games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play”. – Michel de Montaigne, French writer, 1533-1592, Essays   Just like every other child, my 21-month-old daughter loves to play. She especially loves playing …

Foreword Well dearly beloved readers, it is clear that democracy, which means the rule and governance of the demos (people) is something that is being gnawed away at by legislators in many countries on a whole range of issues from matters pertaining to finance to immigration to social policies. Within Australia for example, legislators created an issue and forced it …

MARRIAGE may help prevent cancer, is the best chance of fulfillment in life and divorcing parents should get better assistance to reconcile, says the MP who could become Australia’s next Families Minister. Senior Liberal MP Kevin Andrews has rated the breakdown of marriage and the family a greater threat to the Western world than climate change, the financial crisis and …

Michelle Grattan reporting Date: October 4, 2012 FEDERAL opposition spokesman on families Kevin Andrews has warned that legalising same-sex marriage could lead to an acceptance of group marriage. In his book Maybe ‘I do’: Modern marriage and the pursuit of happiness, out today, Mr Andrews also says that the assertion that redefining marriage will not affect other marriages is misplaced. He …

Family breakdown and decreasing marriage rates is costing New Zealand taxpayers at least $1 billion a year, according to new research. Prepared by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER), the research was commissioned by Family First NZ. “The study shows that the decline of marriage, New Zealand’s high teenage fertility rate, and our rate of solo parenthood is …

WHY do those who seek long-term partners seem to be finding it so difficult? Over the past few years I have observed a pattern, reading and hearing comments from people in the up-to-35 age bracket that they cannot find partners. This view was reinforced around a dinner table recently, and I can’t easily identify the exact factors behind this situation. …