On Sunday 2nd of April, ICS Executive Director Mark Sneddon was interviewed by Stephen O'Doherty for Open House, a current affairs program on Hope 103.2 (Sydney). Mark and Stephen discussed the importance of the freedom of speech in Australian society in the context of section 18C. Mark maintained that the irresponsible use of free speech should primarily
Modern slavery rarely uses the shackles, whips, ships' holds and slave markets historically associated with the transatlantic slave trade of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Britain legislated to abolish slavery in 1833 after years of lobbying by William Wilberforce and others. But slavery has not gone away. As far as the world may have come
On 15 February the Senate Select Committee handed down its report on the Exposure Draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill.1 Key points The Senate Select Committee stated in its report that: in the short term there is a need to enhance current protections for religious freedom generally. there was broad agreement that any future
In late 2016 the Australian Senate established a committee to inquire into the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill. The committee called for submissions exploring: the proposed exemptions for ministers of religion, marriage celebrants and religious bodies and organisations to refuse to conduct or solemnise marriages, and the extent to which those exemptions prevent encroachment upon
The Institute for Civil Society (Mr Kennedy and Dr Rodrick) gave evidence to the Committee on 23 January 2017 and undertook to take the following question on notice. Mark Sneddon - Executive Director Simon Kennedy - Research Analyst Dr Sharon Rodrick - Research Analyst 30 January 2017 www.i4cs.com.au contact@i4cs.com.au QoN 1: Senator Pratt – Would
The Victorian Labor Government has run into heavy weather trying to convince the Legislative Council to pass its Religious Exceptions Bill. Read more at The Spectator Australia website .
A bill before the Victorian Parliament professes to put an end to discrimination, but the result will be nothing of the kind. What it would achieve is nothing less than the formal rejection of the idea that diverse views are integral to the conduct of a civil society The difference between religious and government schools
The law exists to help rulers govern society, and should help those in that society to live peaceably. The law should allow people to live and let live. It should encourage people to get along with one another. However, it is more and more the case that the law is dabbling in questions which are
On September 11 2016, ICS Executive Director Mark Sneddon wrote a submission to the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee (SARC)—an all-party, joint house committee tasked with examining all Bills presented to the Victorian Parliament. Mr Sneddon drew the attention of MPs to significant human rights problems with the Equal Opportunity Amendment (Religious Exceptions) Bill
On August 11 2016, ICS Executive Director Mark Sneddon addressed a gathering of community leaders representing people from a range of different faiths, at Victoria’s Parliament House. Speaking on both the Labor Party’s proposed reintroduction of an ‘inherent requirements’ test, and the Greens’ Equality for Students Bill; Mr Sneddon outlined why voluntary organisations should be
