Weekend Wrap for 10 December 2023

Neil Foster: Voluntary assisted dying laws partly invalid
"An important decision handed down recently in the Federal Court of Australia rules that part of Victoria’s euthanasia law (the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Vic)(“VADA 2017”)) is invalid, as it authorises assistance with suicide, which is prohibited by Federal law. The decision, of Abrahams J as a single judge in the Federal Court, is Carr v Attorney-General (Cth) [2023] FCA 1500 (30 November 2023). The implication is that similar provisions of other State and Territory laws are also invalid. The relevant federal law, sections 474.29A and 474.29B of the Commonwealth Criminal Code, contained in the Schedule to the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), in broad terms, makes it an offence to assist or encourage someone to commit suicide through use of a 'carriage service', most commonly by use of a telephone (either a voice call or a text message), email, or some internet service." (3 Dec 2023)
Read more at Law & Religion Australia

Chrys Stevenson: Christian Dominionism: Follow the Money
"I believe urgent action needs to be taken to head off the Americanisation of Australian politics at the pass. I have spent 12 years following Christian dominionism and Christian nationalism, and the last 3 months undertaking intensive research into the libertarian networks behind these movements. Issues like prayers in parliament and chaplains in schools and the military are important. I don’t want to take away from the people putting their efforts into these issues. But the matches to light these ‘fires’ are being supplied by foreign networks. If those networks are not challenged we’ll be playing “whack-a-mole” with church/state separation until the second coming of Christ." (5 Dec 2023)
Read more at Gladly, the Cross-eyed Bear

Tom McIlroy: Tax deduction curbs ‘an attack on religious freedom’
"Labor could face a backlash from religious voters if it curbs tax deductions for donations to faith-based institutions, and Catholic and Jewish leaders say such a move would be unfair and unwarranted. A draft report by the Productivity Commission has recommended an overhaul of deductible gift recipient status – the rules that govern which charitable donations attract a taxpayer-funded benefit. The commission has proposed that activities to advance religion be excluded from the deduction rules, along with school building funds and some childcare and aged care organisations." (6 Dec 2023)
Read more at the Financial Review

ABC's God Forbid: What have we got right and wrong in our schooling system?
"Education is essential in today’s fast knowledge economy – but for generations Australian schools prided themselves on building good citizens, not just workers. It was part of the social contract – the Aussie fair go. The idea that everyone – regardless of wealth – should be able to access decent public or low fee Catholic schooling. Yet today, that social mix has frayed – schools cluster the poor with the poor, and the rich with the rich. The God Forbid panel won't provide quick fixes, but they do have hard won political experience on the subject. And one thing everyone agrees on -- the schools debate in Australia has always been political." (8 Dec 2023)
Listen to the full episode at the ABC

Monica Doumit: A gender inquiry now might prevent a Royal Commission later
"I am certain that in my lifetime, we will see a royal commission into the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones on children. There is no question about that. But I do question which side of that commission our federal and state governments and individual members of parliament will find themselves on, when the reckoning finally comes? From the look of what has happened in recent weeks, it seems that many of our federal senators, as well as the Victorian Government, will find themselves siding with ideology over child safety." (8 Dec 2023)
Read more at The Catholic Weekly