Weekend Wrap for 9 April 2023

Belinda Jones: Liberal Party little more than a factional fight club.
"What is really going on with the Liberal Party? Some reports say it’s factional infighting that is bringing them undone; other reports claim it's infiltration of the party by religious groups via branch stacking. It seems to be an insidious problem affecting Liberals nationwide based on recent election failures. The Libs are at war with themselves — moderates versus the far-Right. The Federal Opposition isn’t doing its state counterparts any favours either. Federal Liberal Leader Peter Dutton has not been the epitome of inspiring leadership. He takes his role as Opposition Leader literally and arguably opposes everything." (1 Apr 2023)
Read more at Independent Australia

Felix McIntyre: Gender-affirming surgery should be covered by Medicare.
"It’s difficult for studies alone to capture the full extent of what these surgeries can mean for people. I don’t believe trans people should be defined by gender dysphoria, but for some, dysphoria is unbearable. It can destroy the joys of getting dressed, eating, having sex, going to the pool, even just being in public. It can make people want to die. The fact that gender reassignment surgeries are so effective at reducing this psychological distress could make them among the most effective mental health interventions in existence." (3 Apr 2023)
Read more at Overland

Simon Benson: ‘We’re falling behind on religious freedom’.
"Australia is trailing behind much of the world in protecting ­religious freedoms, with current provisions open to contest ­because they haven’t been enshrined in law, according to an ­independent study. The study, commissioned by the Centre for Independent Studies, comes as the government awaits a final review report from the Australian Law Reform Commission this month into proposed religious discrimination laws. The ALRC earlier this year sparked a backlash from Catholic schools when it released a discussion paper that proposed removing exemptions from anti-discrimination laws that would undermine schools’ ability to hire staff based on their faith." (4 Apr 2023)
Read more at The Australian

Ali Kazak: Exposing Israel’s violations upset the Israeli lobby.
"'By far the best resourced of Australian Jewish lobby groups, AIJAC is an independent body with no official status within the Australian Jewish community.' ... AIJAC’s activity is spread over several fields, in addition to disseminating propaganda, lobbying, public relations and acting as a pressure group for Israel. It monitors the government, political parties, Members of Parliament, churches, academics, media, unions, ethnic communities (especially Arab and Islamic communities) and civil society institutions regarding the policy and position they take on Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East." (5 Apr 2023)
Read more at Pearls and Irritations

Robyn Whitaker: Victim or victor? How the Easter story still resonates today.
"Numerous Christians on the conservative side of politics claim the world is now anti-Christian, or that their freedoms are being curtailed. That is, they present themselves as a persecuted minority fighting for the right to sing Christmas carols in schools, prayer in government bodies, crucifixes in hospitals, or the ability to discriminate on matters of sexuality or gender. The rhetoric that positions those on the religious right as victims is fairly new. According to a 2023 academic analysis of public discourse, as other marginal groups in Australia began to achieve equity, the Christian right shifted its rhetoric away from an appeal as the moral majority and towards claiming victim status. They describe themselves in ways that reveal an identity as a threatened group, apparent victims of a secularism intent on silencing or destroying them." (6 Apr 2023)
Read more at The Conversation

Luke Beck: Many local councils still officially pray to God. Here’s why this may be unlawful and should be abandoned.
"There’s a good chance your local council starts each official council meeting with a religious prayer – and it’s almost always a Christian prayer. Around one-third of Australian local governments have a prayer, with the figure rising to more than half of councils in New South Wales and Victoria. These are just some of the findings reported in my recent article in the Journal for the Academic Study of Religion. The issue of council prayers is highly contentious. Here’s why it is probably unlawful, and why I think councils should stop." (6 Apr 2023)
Read more at The Conversation

Rodney Croome: Protest and Persuasion.
"I’ve heard it said many gay men and lesbians don’t care about reforms to come because they don’t affect us. That’s not true. Many of us still struggle against discrimination and stand with other LGBTIQA+ people who struggle with it even more. We can see the similarities between the struggles of today and of the past. We can see our traditional opponents, especially in the United States and UK, use attacks on trans people to circle back to old battles we thought we’d won like school inclusion and marriage equality. I’ve also heard it said the LGBTIQA+ community is beyond protest because well-placed politicians and funded LGBTIQA+ organisations are doing the job for us. That’s also not true." (7 Apr 2023)
Read more at Tasmanian Times

Brian Morris: Timely reminder – Religion and Politics don’t mix.
"Today, the basis of our democracy must remain the separation of Church and State. People have freedom to practise any faith they choose. There is an expectation that those in public office, funded by taxpayers, respect all belief positions and do not proselytise for their particular brand of religion. So it is concerning that Peter Malinauskas – a state premier – deems it part of his job to send every voter in his electorate a Christian Easter Card depicting a very white Anglo Saxon Jesus, and eulogising his personal belief that 'Christ has Risen'. This, when just 36.1 percent of his electorate is Christian." (8 Apr 2023)
Read more at the AIMN