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Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017: ICS Submission to Parliamentary Committee

The Institute for Civil Society has made a submission to the Victorian Parliament's Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee regarding the Andrews Government's Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill. A PDF version can be accessed here.   Statement of Compatibility on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017   12 October 2017 Ms Lizzie Blandthorn MP Scrutiny of Acts

By | October 12th, 2017|Freedom of Conscience and Religion, Freedom of Expression|

Flawed assisted dying bill puts vulnerable people at risk

Mark Sneddon and Sharon Rodrick published in The Age on Victoria's Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017.  Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017 provides a regime for a person to request the prescribing of lethal drugs which can be self-administered by the person (i.e. assisted suicide) or in some circumstances administered by a health practitioner (i.e.

By | October 12th, 2017|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Deficient Legal Protections for Supporters of Traditional Marriage: Mark Sneddon on SSM

Mark Sneddon quoted in The Australian: "Rights Clash Looms in Same-Sex Debate" by Paul Kelly, 12/8/17 "Institute for Civil Society executive director Mark Sneddon summarises his views based on his submission to the Senate committee: “I am extremely concerned about the lack of legal protection across this country in terms of freedom of conscience, belief

By | August 12th, 2017|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Senator Smith’s SSM Bill Inadequate: ICS Calls for Robust Protection of Speech and Religion

 Mark Sneddon quoted in The Australian: "Christians Plan to Target Coalition" by Simon Benson, 8/8/17 "Institute for Civil Society executive director Mark Sneddon, a board member of Freedom for Faith, yesterday warned there were holes in Australia’s discrimination regime that would be exacerbated by the legislation of same-sex marriage. He called for urgent changes to

By | August 8th, 2017|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Bureaucrats Play God, Break Caesar’s Law

Education Department officials in Queensland have decided that primary school students can’t talk about Christianity or even give Christmas cards because this is “evangelism” and creates an unsafe environment. This policy, which officials admit is unsupported by any statute or regulation, has the smell of totalitarianism. It also has the smell of discriminatory bigotry. It doesn’t apply to

By | August 4th, 2017|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Archipelago or Landmass? Voluntary Associations, Civil Society and the Health of Liberal Democracy

The antidote to the slow yet real monopolisation of community by the state is a strong civil society and the voluntary associations that thrive within it. Voluntary associations are key to protecting diversity in a pluralistic society, write ICS' Peter Mulherin and Simon P. Kennedy in the Centre for Independent Studies' quarterly POLICY Magazine. Read

By | July 10th, 2017|Freedom of Association|

Do We Have a Right to Free Speech? Hope 103.2 Interview with Mark Sneddon

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

By | April 20th, 2017|Freedom of Expression|