Weekend Wrap for 16 May 2026
Welcome to the NSL Weekend Wrap for 16 May 2026. The Wrap covers Australian secular politics — religious privilege and funding, religion in public schools, discrimination laws, voluntary assisted dying, and many other related issues. If someone forwarded this to you, you can subscribe on our website.
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Friday delivered an unlikely political trifecta. Before 10am, the Full Federal Court dismissed Giggle for Girls' appeal in Tickle v Giggle, confirming two acts of direct discrimination and rejecting the argument that the Sex Discrimination Act's protections don't extend to transgender women. By the end of the day, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor had announced amending that same Act would be a first-term Coalition priority, and Nationals MP Alison Penfold had announced her own legislation to strip some trans protections. ADF International, the US-based religious legal organisation that backed Giggle's case, has now lost that argument twice.
Tuesday was IDAHOBIT (the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia) and around 40 protesters gathered outside Reynella East College in Adelaide carrying signs reading "ABC not LGBTQIA+", backed by Family First, which vowed to "remove indoctrination from schools." Trans Justice Adelaide, SARAA, and Pride Adelaide condemned the action. Just-Equal's IDAHOBIT statement, released the same day as the Tickle v Giggle ruling, called for law reform over symbolism and called out Western Australia's outstanding equality legislation specifically.
The government listed the National Socialist Network as a prohibited hate group under the post-Bondi hate laws, the second such listing since those laws passed. The NSN's leader is crowdfunding a High Court challenge; the listing stands for now.
Two stories from the week's margins deserve attention. The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, under parliamentary investigation for alleged covert electoral interference on behalf of the Coalition in 2025, issued an edict to members to purge their homes of all animals. Some pets have already been put down. What the edict reveals is the absolute authority the sect exercises over members' private lives, and prompts obvious questions about the religious exemptions and charity status that allow it to operate with almost no external scrutiny.
And from Victoria: four parties seeking to contest November's state election — with names calculated to attract left-leaning voters — appear to share infrastructure and operators linked to Avi Yemini and Monica Smit, with the stated aim of directing preferences to One Nation. Democracy as a product to be gamed, no doubt with implications for pro-secular and progressive policy in Australia.
News this week
National: RSA urges federal government act on religious charities, two years on from recommendations (10 May 2026)
The Rationalist Society of Australia has written to the Minister for Charities, Andrew Leigh, calling on the federal government to formally respond to the Productivity Commission's 2024 report on charities sector reform, now two years overdue. The RSA specifically called for adoption of the commission's recommendation to remove the "Basic Religious Charities" (BRC) category from the ACNC Act. The category exempts 7,742 organisations from governance standards and financial reporting requirements that apply to all other charities. The Productivity Commission found it "could not identify a policy rationale" for retaining BRCs. The ACNC itself has said the exemptions may reduce public trust in the charities system. The government has yet to table a formal response to the report; religious lobbyists described the commission's recommendations as "a direct attack" on faith communities.
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Rationalist Society of Australia
SA: Parents at Adelaide school plan protest against IDAHOBIT event (13 May 2026)
Around 40 protesters gathered outside Reynella East College in Adelaide's south on 13 May (IDAHOBIT) carrying signs including "ABC not LGBTQIA+". The protest was partly organised through Family First networks, with Luke Poulton among those involved. Family First issued a statement vowing to "remove indoctrination from schools." Trans Justice Adelaide, SARAA (SA Rainbow Advocacy Alliance), and Pride Adelaide all condemned the protest, describing it as harmful to students and staff. The college had participated in IDAHOBIT activities. The action is consistent with a broader pattern of organised religious-right mobilisation against inclusive education in South Australian schools.
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OUTinPerth
National: Roxanne Tickle triumphant in discrimination fight against Giggle app (15 May 2026)
The Full Federal Court dismissed Giggle for Girls' appeal against the original Federal Circuit Court judgment in favour of Roxanne Tickle. The court confirmed two acts of direct discrimination — one in refusing Tickle access to the app, one in its ongoing operation — and increased Tickle's compensation award from $10,000 to $20,000. The judgment makes clear that existing provisions of the Sex Discrimination Act extend to transgender women, rejecting Giggle's argument that the Act's protections are limited to persons of biological sex. ADF International, the US-based religious legal advocacy organisation, had backed Giggle's case. The Australian Human Rights Commission issued a statement welcoming the decision as consistent with Australia's human rights obligations.
➧ READ MORE:
OUTinPerth
OUTinPerth — AHRC statement
National: Nationals MP vows to bring in legislation to remove some protections for transgender people (15 May 2026)
Nationals MP Alison Penfold has announced that she would introduce legislation to remove certain protections for transgender people. The announcement was made in the context of the Tickle v Giggle Full Federal Court ruling and formed part of a broader pattern of Coalition members pre-empting or responding to the judgment. Limited details were available about the specific provisions she intends to target.
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OUTinPerth
National: Just-Equal say IDAHOBIT 2026 demands action – not posturing (15 May 2026)
Just-Equal's IDAHOBIT statement — released on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia — called on governments to deliver concrete law reform rather than symbolic gestures. The statement specifically identified Western Australia's outstanding equality legislation as a priority, noting that WA remains the least protected jurisdiction for LGBTQIA+ people in the country. The statement's timing, on the same day as the Tickle v Giggle ruling and Penfold's announcement, gave it added weight.
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OUTinPerth
National: Islamophobia envoy speaks out after government fails to respond to landmark report (15 May 2026)
Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, has publicly criticised the federal government for failing to respond to the 54-recommendation report he handed down last September. Islamophobic incidents have risen 619% since October 2023, with a further 740% spike following the Bondi attack. A Brisbane man was charged last week after allegedly threatening mosque worshippers with an assault rifle. Malik warned the government not to wait "for another Christchurch" before acting, and criticised the budget for containing no new Islamophobia funding. Minister Anne Aly said the government was "carefully considering" the report, with a response "to be provided soon."
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ABC News
NSW: Faith Affairs Council considers urging citizens to “moderate expectations about luxurious living” to tackle affordability (15 May 2026)
Documents obtained under FOI by the RSA reveal that the NSW Faith Affairs Council, a 19-member body of religious clerics appointed by the Minns government to advise on policy, discussed a proposal to address the housing crisis by urging citizens to "moderate expectations about luxurious living", citing Jesus and Gandhi as models of humility. The FOI papers also show the council sought $100,000 in taxpayer funding for a national religious vilification symposium, federal tax deductibility for school chaplains, and additional hospital chaplain funding. The Albanese government is reportedly considering establishing a national equivalent of the council. The RSA has repeatedly warned that non-religious community members have been excluded from the body even as it has sought influence over VAD, school scripture programs, and equality laws.
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Rationalist Society of Australia
National: Angus Taylor says changing the Sex Discrimination Act will be top Liberal priority (16 May 2026)
Angus Taylor has announced that a Coalition government would amend the Sex Discrimination Act "to ensure that women and girls (and men and boys) have protections based on biological sex." Taylor described the change as "a first-term priority." The announcement was framed as a commitment to "single-sex spaces" and sporting protections and was made in direct response to the Giggle judgment. No detail was provided about how existing religious exemptions under the Act, which already permit broad discrimination by religious organisations, would interact with the proposed changes.
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OUTinPerth
TAS: Tasmania to introduce new vicarious liability laws, child sex abuse survivor and advocate welcomes move (16 May 2026)
The Tasmanian government will introduce vicarious liability laws to close a loophole created by the High Court's 2024 Bird v DP decision, which held that priests are not employees of churches and therefore churches could not be sued for their abuse. The legislation will make organisations liable for individuals acting in a role "akin to employment," applying retrospectively and to institutions of any kind. Attorney General Guy Barnett confirmed draft legislation will be released in coming weeks. Tasmania follows Victoria, which passed equivalent laws in February. Victim survivor advocate Steve Fisher welcomed the move as overcoming a significant barrier to justice for abuse survivors.
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ABC News
National: National Socialist Network listed as prohibited hate group group (16 May 2026)
The federal government has listed the National Socialist Network (also known under the names White Australia and the European Australian Movement) as a prohibited hate group under the post-Bondi hate laws — the second such listing since those laws passed, following Hizb ut-Tahrir in March 2026. ASIO has previously described the NSN as targeting LGBTQIA+ people among other minority groups. NSN leader Thomas Sewell announced plans to challenge the listing in the High Court; the group has reportedly crowdfunded $150,000 toward that challenge.
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SBS News
VIC: ‘Refugees Are Welcome Here’ site could be part of ‘connected campaign’ to funnel votes to One Nation in Victoria (16 May 2026)
Four aspiring political parties seeking to contest November's Victorian state election — "Refugees Are Welcome Here", "Muslim Votes Matter", "Free Palestine party", and "Save the Environment party" — appear to share IP address, web infrastructure, and operators, according to Guardian Australia analysis. Rightwing provocateurs Avi Yemini (who has publicly claimed credit for the "Free Palestine party") and anti-lockdown activist Monica Smit (connected to "Save the Environment") are linked to the scheme. Yemini has said in social media videos that each entity taps into "different voting blocs" on the left but would direct preferences "to One Nation and other conservatives" — exploiting Victoria's group voting ticket (GVT) system, which allows backroom preference deals between parties. The Victorian Electoral Commission has said the Allan government has until August to legislate GVT reform ahead of the November election, but the government has stalled on acting. Multiple cybersecurity experts described the parties' shared infrastructure as evidence of "a connected campaign."
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The Guardian
Commentary and analysis
Brian Burdekin: An irresponsible – and inexcusable – delay (10 May 2026)
Australia's former Human Rights Commissioner delivers an unambiguous verdict on the federal government's failure to act on the 2024 joint parliamentary committee recommendation for a Human Rights Act. Burdekin argues that with antisemitism, anti-LGBTQ+ hatred, and Islamophobia all featuring in national debate simultaneously, the absence of universal legislative protection is not a minor oversight but an active political choice.
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Pearls & Irritations
Frank Brennan: Is the renewed push for a Human Rights Act worth the effort? (11 May 2026)
The Jesuit priest and law academic reassesses whether a federal Human Rights Act has any real prospect of progress under the Albanese government and its successors. Brennan's characteristic caution about legislative rights frameworks is on display, though he acknowledges the force of the argument that current ad hoc protections are failing multiple communities simultaneously.
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Pearls & Irritations
James Stekhoven: Why do politicians get to inflame, but citizens don't? (13 May 2026)
An analysis of the double standard embedded in Australia's new Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Act 2026 — citizens face up to seven years' imprisonment for publicly inciting hatred, community leaders up to ten, but political leaders are practically immune regardless of how inflammatory their statements. The piece engages with the implied freedom of political communication and the chilling effect the legislation may have on ordinary political speech. A useful frame for thinking about where the new hate laws actually land.
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Independent Australia
Bethany Butchers: A historic court victory has upheld transgender rights in Australia. A legal academic explains why (15 May 2026)
Legal analysis of the Full Federal Court's Tickle v Giggle ruling, examining the interpretive approach taken by the court, why the existing provisions of the Sex Discrimination Act were found to cover transgender women, and what the judgment means for future cases.
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The Conversation
Gina Rushton / Jane Caro: The Interview: Jane Caro reckons Australia is kidding itself about private schools (16 May 2026)
Jane Caro, author of the essay Rich Kid Poor Kid, argues that Australia's belief in private schooling superiority is a myth driven by fear rather than evidence. No data supports the claim that private school attendance produces better life outcomes; public school students who reach university actually outperform and persist at higher rates. Caro contends Australia has one of the OECD's most segregated education systems, divided by class, religion, gender, and ability, with damaging consequences for disadvantaged students. She argues private schools function as "gated communities," exploit parental anxiety, and have helped entrench an unacknowledged ruling class, while public schools, chronically underfunded, bear universal obligations private schools simply don't.
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ABC News
Vasiliki Nihas Bogiatzis: Australia needs a broader vision of social cohesion (16 May 2026)
An argument for a more comprehensive national approach to social cohesion that goes beyond the current siloed policy responses to specific incidents of religious and racial hatred. Published on the same day as both the Giggle v Tickle ruling and the NSN listing — two data points that together illustrate both the courts' and the government's capacity to respond to specific situations, and the absence of any integrating framework.
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Pearls & Irritations
Sherryn Groch: ‘My church or the dog?’ Brethren orders members to purge pets, sparking fears of global cull (16 May 2026)
The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC), formerly the Exclusive Brethren, has issued an edict to its members to remove all animals from their homes. Members inside the group told The Age that some pets had already been put down since the edict was issued this month. Families described the pressure to comply as "heartbreaking." The PBCC is the same sect currently under investigation by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters for alleged covert coordination with the Liberal-National Coalition during the 2025 federal election, including making nearly a million phone calls on behalf of Peter Dutton and alleged voter intimidation in marginal seats. The sect has substantial financial holdings and a long history of lobbying for favourable tax treatment.
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The Age
Judy Courtin: The Marist Brothers’ cruel treatment of abuse victims (16 May 2026)
Courtin writes that The Marist Brothers, despite making formal vows to support survivors of sexual abuse in their institutions, are "uniquely aggressive" in using legal mechanisms to crush accusers. She documents a pattern of conduct that stands in direct contrast to the Brothers' stated commitments following the 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which had specifically flagged Marist institutions for systemic reform.
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The Saturday Paper
Tom Tanuki: Curated accounts conveyed to Royal Commission without context (16 May 2026)
A pointed critique of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion's approach to witness testimony, arguing that several witnesses presented selective "lived experience" accounts that omitted material context — including their own prior public statements about targeting anti-Zionist voices for dismissal or harassment. Tanuki also notes that the anti-Zionist Jewish group the Loud Jew Collective was denied leave to appear. A contentious piece from a perspective not often heard in mainstream coverage of the commission, and a useful counterpoint to the official framing.
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Independent Australia
Victoria Pengilley and Phoebe Pin: The first block of the antisemitism royal commission hearings has finished. What have we learned? (16 May 2026)
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has completed its first two weeks of hearings in Sydney. Witnesses described antisemitic incidents in schools, workplaces, hospitals, and public spaces, with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry reporting incidents running at nearly five times pre-October 2023 levels. The hearings' central contested question — where criticism of Israel ends and antisemitism begins — was examined through competing definitions, with the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network refused leave to appear. The second hearing block, beginning later this month, will examine the more consequential questions: what security agencies and NSW Police knew before the December 2024 Bondi attack, and whether more could have been done.
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ABC News
Julie Hare: Victorian teachers turn spotlight on plight of public schools (16 May 2026)
After 35,000 Victorian public school teachers struck in March (and a year of drawn-out negotiations), the Allan government this month agreed to pay rises of 28.3–32.4% over four years, bringing Victorian teacher salaries in line with NSW. Prior to the deal, Victorian teachers were among the lowest paid in the country. Every other state and territory has signed the Albanese government's Better and Fairer Schools Agreement through to 2034, which lifts the Commonwealth's contribution to public schools toward the Schooling Resource Standard (the minimum needed for a quality education, established by the 2011 Gonski review). Victoria signed up for only two years, leaving it under the old funding framework and forgoing an estimated $2.4 billion for its poorest schools. University of Melbourne education funding expert Glenn Savage describes Victoria as "a tinderbox of concern" and calls its failure to fully commit to the agreement "dreadful."
➧ READ MORE:
The Saturday Paper
Opportunities for action
CURRENT
NSW: The NSW Human Rights Bill 2025 has been referred to a parliamentary inquiry and submissions are now open. The Australian Christian Lobby is actively mobilising its networks to oppose the Bill. Secular, humanist, and human rights voices are needed to counterbalance the religious lobby's input. Visit the NSW Parliament website to find the inquiry and submission details. Submissions close 3 July 2026.
WA: GRAI (GLBTI Rights in Ageing Inc) is calling on older LGBTI people and their supporters to share their experiences with guardianship and administration laws, as Western Australia launches a parliamentary inquiry into the system. Community members are encouraged to share their experiences by emailing chair@grai.org.au. Submissions to GRAI should be received by Friday 22 May 2026.
TAS: The independent statutory review of Tasmania's End-of-Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Act 2021 is underway. Community members, particularly those with experience of the VAD system, are encouraged to make written submissions, with public consultations scheduled at the University of Tasmania Law School (Sandy Bay) and Cygnet Town Hall. The review is also conducting a public survey. Do not leave this space to the ACL alone: secular voices supporting VAD access and adequate safeguards must be heard. Contact VADReview@health.tas.gov.au for submission details. More details about the review can be found at the Tasmanian Department of Health's website.
TAS: Tasmania: Equality Tasmania, Women's Health Tasmania, and Working It Out have formally written to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner requesting an inquiry into the proposed sale of Hobart Private Hospital to Calvary Health Care. If you are a Tasmanian who supports continued access to gender-affirming and other healthcare services that Calvary's Catholic ethical guidelines would prohibit, consider contacting the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner's office to support the call for an inquiry or following Equality Tasmania's campaign.
National: Dying With Dignity NSW has an opportunity for people to send a message to Attorney-General Michelle Rowland and ask her to make changes to improve VAD availability (by using telehealth). For people in regional areas and those who are unable to travel it is more difficult, or even impossible, to access VAD. This could be easily fixed by excluding VAD from telehealth prohibition. Visit their campaign here.
National: Go Gentle Australia's 2026 State of VAD Report made a compelling case for a straightforward amendment to the Commonwealth Criminal Code: remove the restriction that treats electronic communication and telehealth discussions about voluntary assisted dying as potential facilitation of suicide. This one-line fix would allow dying people — particularly those in regional and remote areas — to consult with VAD practitioners via telehealth rather than being required to travel repeatedly for in-person appointments. A central Queensland man died waiting for VAD access because of bureaucratic prescription mail rules. This is a discrete, fixable federal legislative problem. Contact your federal member or senator to call for the amendment.
ONGOING
The Rationalist Society of Australia is running a Change.org petition calling on the Australian War Memorial to take direct responsibility for the Anzac Day Dawn Service and end the imposition of Christian worship on a national commemoration. Read and sign the petition at change.org.
The Australia Institute are calling on federal parliament to pass truth in political advertising laws that are nationally consistent, constitutional and uphold freedom of speech. View the petition at The Australia Institute
The Human Rights Law Centre are running a website for those who want to support an Australian Charter of Human Rights & Freedoms. Visit the Charter of Rights website here
The Australian Education Union is running a campaign calling for “every school, every child” to receive fair education funding. Support the campaign here.
The Human Rights for NSW alliance is running a campaign calling for NSW to pass a Human Rights Act.
Our activities
NSL is involved in the joint 2026 Census - Not Religious? Mark 'No Religion' campaign aiming to improve the accuracy of census religion data. Visit the campaign website to learn more.
As always, the full videos of presentations and panel discussions from the 2023 Secularism Australia Conference (co-organised by NSL and other groups) are freely available for viewing on the Secularism Australia website and on YouTube!
More coming soon!
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