Weekend Wrap for 22 June 2025
Welcome to the NSL Weekend Wrap for 22 June 2025, where you can catch up on the latest secular-related news from around the country.
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At the National Level
In international news, Britain's parliament has abolished a law dating from the mid-19th century by voting to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales to stop women from facing criminal charges for terminating pregnancies after 24 weeks. Politicians gave an initial approval of 379 votes to 137 for an amendment to stop prosecutions for women who end pregnancies in all circumstances. Medical professionals who assist women in obtaining an abortion outside the 24-week limit could still face prosecution. British parliament has also voted in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying, with legislation passing by a vote of 314-291. The bill will proceed to Britain's upper chamber, the House of Lords, where it will undergo months of scrutiny.
The Australian War Memorial has agreed to meet with non-religious veterans and pro-secular advocates to discuss the domination of Anzac Day Dawn Services by Christianity. The Canberra-based War Memorial has provided an opportunity for the RSA and non-religious veterans to meet with its staff. The invitation for a discussion contrasts to the War Memorial’s position earlier this year when, leading up to Anzac Day, it turned down a request for a meeting because it “well understood” the RSA’s concerns and said a meeting would “not add benefit at this time”. (20 Jun 2025)
Read more at the Rationalist Society of Australia
Around the Country
NT: The NT government has walked back on its plans to scrap hate speech protections in the territory's anti-discrimination laws, after pushback from community groups. Instead it will revise the laws to "focus on real harm", which the anti-discrimination commissioner says will still "water down" current protections. The government also plans to allow religious schools to prioritise hiring staff of the same faith, which could discriminate against LGBTQIA+ job candidates. (17 Jun 2025)
Read more at ABC News
VIC: Churches will be held vicariously liable for abuse committed by their priests under new Victorian laws to be introduced to parliament by the end of the year. The retrospective legislation seeks to overcome a 2024 High Court ruling that the Ballarat Catholic Diocese could not be held liable for the abuse of notorious paedophile priest Bryan Coffey because he was not a church employee. The landmark decision threw dozens of compensation cases brought by victim-survivors against institutions into doubt. Attorneys-general across Australia have since discussed the changes and victim-survivors have led a major campaign for states to fix the law, with private members bills introduced by the Legalise Cannabis Party in Victoria and NSW parliaments. Victorian Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny on Tuesday told her party's weekly caucus meeting that Victoria would introduce retrospective laws to parliament by the end of 2025. (17 Jun 2025)
Read more at ABC News
WA: The conservative Church and State conference is coming to Western Australia this weekend, with the focus on ‘Protecting the Innocence of Children”. The conference which is taking place at an unnamed city hotel features a number of local Western Australian MPs and conservative speakers addressing a range of topics such as the dangers of sex education in school. WA Spokesperson for Just-Equal Australia, Brian Greig, said the disinformation being spread by such groups was a result of “discussion vacuum.” He is critical of the State Government’s “reticence” to publicly engage on LGBTI issues. (20 Jun 2025)
Read more at OUTinPerth
Commentary and Analysis
Jaime Simpson: What Victoria’s inquiry into cults will examine
"The Victorian parliament has launched a long-overdue inquiry into abuse and coercive control within cults and religious fringe groups. It is a welcome acknowledgement of the damage that can flourish under the guise of faith, and the unquestioning obedience to authoritarian leaders in religious groups. The inquiry will hear victim-survivors can suffer a diverse range of harms, including sexual, financial and labour exploitation, spiritual manipulation, and institutional betrayal. The inquiry is the first of its kind in Australia. Prompted by recent events, including reports of coercive behaviour at the Geelong Revival Centre, the inquiry will examine 'the methods used to recruit and control their members, and the impacts of coercive control'. According to the committee’s guidance note, the focus will be on techniques that can damage individuals emotionally, psychologically, financially and even physically. Importantly, the inquiry will interrogate 'abusive practices', not the beliefs behind them." (19 Jun 2025)
Read more at Rationale Magazine
Lara Kaput with Si Gladman: The Secular Agenda Podcast - The Victorian inquiry examining coercive control in cult groups
"This episode highlights a new parliamentary inquiry in Victoria examining cults and organised fringe groups, the methods used to recruit and control their members, and the impacts of coercive control. The episode features an interview with Lara Kaput, a former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who became a whistle-blower. For a number of years, Lara dedicated herself to advocacy work with the group known as Say Sorry. She has recently stepped down from Say Sorry but continues to advocate for governments to address abuses in cult groups." (19 Jun 2025)
Listen to this episode at the RSA website
Jason Koutsoukis: ‘A very dangerous man’: How Alex Antic is shaping the Liberals
"Having fought to the top of the South Australian Liberal ticket, Alex Antic is working to reshape the party as a radical outfit more interested in ideology than governing. ... This week, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese failed to secure a meeting with Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada, Liberal senator Alex Antic posted a photo of himself standing alongside the US president. He captioned it: “Bad luck @AlboMP, he doesn’t meet with everyone.” For Antic, Trump is more than a political idol. He’s a blueprint for how to dominate a party from the inside, humiliate opponents and control the narrative. In his home state of South Australia, at least, it’s a playbook that appears to be working. Antic is now one of the most influential hard-right populists in Canberra. He is a central figure in the fight over the party’s future." (21 Jun 2025)
Read more at The Saturday Paper (subscriber-only article)
Events and Campaigns
CURRENT
Student voices are being heard across the state, thanks to the new NSW Public Schools Survey. Learn more at the NSW Education website.
Go Gentle Australia are fundraising to support a campaign for VAD in the NT. Learn more and donate on their website.
The Victorian Legislative Assembly’s Legal and Social Issues Committee is now accepting public submissions for its inquiry into cults and organised fringe groups, examining how they recruit and control people. Submissions are due by 31 July 2025, with the committee set to report back to parliament in late September. Make a submission here.
The NSW Law Reform Commission is reviewing the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) and public submissions are being requested. The closing date for submissions is 15 August 2025. Learn more and make a submission at the LRC website.
ONGOING
The full videos of presentations and panel discussions from the 2023 Secularism Australia Conference are freely available for viewing on the Secularism Australia website and on YouTube!
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.
That's it for another week!
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