Si Gladman

ACT closes 'legal loophole' making institutions more liable for child sexual abuse Survivors and lawyers welcome the nation-leading legislation, with legal action against churches, sporting groups and others to be affected.

The ABC reports that the Australian Capital Territory has become the first jurisdiction to pass legislation expanding the liability of churches, sporting groups and other organisations to include the actions of paedophiles. Read more: www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
#auspol

Local councillors across Australia are now routinely speaking up for secularism and removing acts of religious worship from their meetings, or blocking attempts by religious activists to impose prayers. Yet, very few MPs in state/federal parliaments do the same.
#auspol

RSA calls for transparency over the work of privileged NSW faith advisory body | Rationalist Society of Australia The Rationalist Society of Australia has called on the New South Wales government to publicly release the minutes of its Faith Affairs Council in a timely manner to ensure transparency over the adviso...

We have called on the New South Wales government to publicly release the minutes for the meetings of its Faith Affairs Council in a timely manner to ensure transparency over the advisory body’s activities. Read more: rationalist.com.au/rsa-calls-fo...
#NSWpol #auspol

In opposing a petition calling for Christian prayers to be reinstated at the opening of Bass Coast council meetings, one councillor has argued that prayers should be left to churches and another has said that he has “as much religion as a cat”. Read more: rationalist.com.au/councillors-...
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Councillors push back against Christian activists’ attempts to re-introduce prayers | Rationalist Society of Australia Councillors at two local governments in Victoria have emphatically pushed back against attempts to reinstate Christian acts of worship in government meetings, successfully arguing that religion should...

Councillors at two local governments in Victoria have emphatically pushed back against attempts to reinstate Christian acts of worship in government meetings, successfully arguing that religion should not be privileged. Read more: rationalist.com.au/councillors-...
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Redrafting of WA equal opportunity laws “continuing as matter of priority”, says Attorney-General | Rationalist Society of Australia The West Australian government has confirmed it remains committed to reforming the state’s equal opportunity laws following questions from the Rationalist Society of Australia about the lack of action...

The West Australian government has confirmed it remains committed to reforming the state’s equal opportunity laws following questions from the Rationalist Society of Australia about the lack of action on religious exemptions. Read more: rationalist.com.au/redrafting-o...
#WApol

Australian Christian Lobby says any new laws protecting people from cults could be ‘very dangerous’ Lobby groups tell Victorian inquiry legitimate churches could be caught up in any proposed crackdown on coercive practices

The Guardian reports that two Christian lobby groups have pushed back against any new laws to protect vulnerable people from cults, with a Victorian inquiry told of a “palpable fear” such laws could affect mainstream churches. Read more: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
#SpringSt #auspol

Facing questions in the Senate last week, govt minister Don Farrell pledged to ask PM Anthony Albanese whether he still wanted bipartisan support before tackling the issue of discrimination against staff and students in faith schools. Follow our campaign: rationalist.com.au/campaigns/re...
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Liberal MP’s sister says father’s church is a ‘cult’ where ‘gay conversion’ practices may still be happening City Builders pastor’s daughter tells Victorian parliamentary inquiry into cults of ‘grave concerns’ about church

The Guardian reports that the sister of Victorian Liberal MP Renee Heath has, at an inquiry into cults and organised fringe groups, described their father’s church as a “cult” and said so-called “gay conversion” practices may still be occurring in the state.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

ABS chief rejects claim Census religion question is discriminatory for assuming every Australian has a religion | Rationalist Society of Australia The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has rejected concerns that the continued use of a coercive and biased religion question in the Census is discriminatory and breaches the country’s internation...

In a letter to us, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has rejected concerns that the continued use of a coercive and biased religion question in the Census is discriminatory and breaches the country’s international human rights commitments. Read more: rationalist.com.au/abs-chief-re...
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Speaker Dick deflects questions over human rights concerns | Rationalist Society of Australia The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick, has deflected questions about the human rights implications of the institution’s practice of imposing daily acts of Christian worship. In a le...

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick, has deflected questions about the human rights implications of the institution’s practice of imposing daily acts of Christian worship. Read more: rationalist.com.au/speaker-dick...
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Government still “considering” recommendations regarding charities sector, says Treasurer | Rationalist Society of Australia The Albanese government says it “continues to consider” the recommendations of an independent research and advisory body regarding reforms to the charities sector, including to religious charities, al...

The Albanese government says it “continues to consider” the recommendations of an independent research and advisory body regarding reforms to the charities sector, including to religious charities, almost a year and a half since receiving them. Read more: rationalist.com.au/government-s...
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Turning Point Australia moves into SA, ahead of state election The Australian affiliate of late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA is moving into South Australia ahead of next year's state election, but some politicians say the group is "out of ...

ABC reports that the Australian affiliate of late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA is moving into South Australia ahead of next year's state election. But some politicians say the group is "out of step with mainstream values".
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
#SApol #auspol

🎧Liberal MP Andrew Hastie – who has previously refused to answer media questions about his religious beliefs – told a church podcast last year that the world “does have intelligent design” and that Genesis answers “big questions” about our origins. More: rationalemagazine.com/index.php/20...
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The world “does have intelligent design”, says Andrew Hastie - Rationale Magazine Ten years ago, during his first political campaign, Andrew Hastie refused to answer media questions about his religious views and whether he shared his father’s beliefs in the Christian creationist my...

In #Rationale magazine, Si Gladman reports on Liberal MP Andrew Hastie’s comments to a church podcast that he believes Genesis “answers a few of the big questions upfront”, including on origins.
rationalemagazine.com/index.php/20...
#auspol @sigladman.bsky.social

WA education department “considering” RSA’s feedback over use of “values education” propaganda line | Rationalist Society of Australia A state education department that regurgitates the propaganda line that independent and faith schools provide “values education”, while not mentioning the values of public education, says it aims to p...

A state education department that regurgitates the propaganda line that independent and faith schools provide “values education”, while not mentioning the values of public education, says it aims to provide “impartial information”. Read more: rationalist.com.au/wa-education...
#WApol #auspol

Christian school teaching creationism myth as part of science classes | Rationalist Society of Australia A Christian school that receives millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money says it gives its science students “different perspectives”, including the creationist perspective, in relation to human evolut...

A WA-based Christian school that receives millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money says it gives its science students “different perspectives”, including the creationist perspective, in relation to human evolution. Read more: rationalist.com.au/christian-sc...
#WApol #auspol

Christian extremism: An American ideological contagion in the Australian context - Rationale Magazine Up until 26 August 2025, white Christian nationalism may have remained an abstract concept – something that happens in America, but not here. But within days of Dezi Freeman (allegedly) turning his gu...

“...three cultural moments have just combined into a significant cultural flashpoint.” In #Rationale magazine, Clare Heath-McIvor writes on the growing threats of Christian nationalism and far-right extremism in Australia.
rationalemagazine.com/index.php/20...
#auspol @clareheathmcivor.bsky.social

RSA questions WA government over department’s use of “values education” propaganda line | Rationalist Society of Australia The Rationalist Society of Australia has questioned the West Australian government over why its education department's website features the propaganda line that independent and religious schools teach...

We have questioned the WA govt over why its education department's website features the propaganda line that independent and religious schools teach “values education” while not mentioning the public system’s superior secular values. More: rationalist.com.au/rsa-question...
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These are just some of the experiences of psychological harm, personal restrictions and recruitment tactics shared with the Victorian parliamentary committee examining cults and high‑control groups. Read more on the committee’s website: www.parliament.vic.gov.au/cofg-questio...
#SpringSt

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says one thing about the principle of separation of church and state but his government is doing another thing when it comes to imposing daily acts of Christian worship in the federal parliament. More: rationalist.com.au/albanese-gov...
#auspol @albomp.bsky.social

Shoebridge questions government over delay in responding to proposed charities reforms | Rationalist Society of Australia The Albanese government is facing questioning on why it is yet to respond to recommendations for reforms to the charities sector, including to religious charities, about 16 months after receiving them...

The Albanese govt is facing questioning from Senator @davidshoebridge.bsky.social on why it is yet to respond to Productivity Commission recommendations for reforms to the charities sector, including religious charities, 16 months after receiving them: rationalist.com.au/shoebridge-q...
#auspol

Nice story, Bro.

A new study by Pew shows that Australia lost its Christian majority from 2010-2020 and witnessed a massive rise in the religiously unaffiliated. Based on the trend, the non-religious would have overtaken Christians in the five years since. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
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Albanese government not budging on Christian prayers in parliament | Rationalist Society of Australia The Albanese government has rejected a request for it to remove daily acts of Christian worship from the houses of the national parliament. In a letter to the Rationalist Society of Australia this wee...

The Albanese govt has rejected a request for it to remove daily acts of Christian worship from the national parliament, telling the Rationalist Society of Australia it did “not propose to seek a change to existing arrangements”. More:
rationalist.com.au/albanese-gov...
#auspol @albomp.bsky.social

Newly published survey data shows that the proportion of the Australian population identifying as not religious has continued to surge in recent years, rising to more than half. See figure 5 in the following report: scanloninstitute.org.au/publications...
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‘I’m glad we didn’t win’: Liberal campaigners feared Brethren-fuelled Dutton victory The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church was so enmeshed in local Liberal campaigns that they were cleaning candidates’ houses. Now a new inquiry has been launched.

Nine Newspapers report that the Exclusive Brethren church pumped so much cash and on-the-ground support into the Liberal Party’s election campaign that some party officials feared the religious sect would hold significant sway over an incoming Dutton govt: www.theage.com.au/national/i-m...
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Images is a b&w graphic of a wave crashing over a nestled town that includes a prominent chruch spire. The text/headline says, Why does Chris Minns was to undermine a hard-won tenet of Australian democracy. Seriously, what he is doig is fucked up, and I'll explain why.

"If ever there was a time to cling to our functional separation of church and state it is now, and we should be loudly proclaiming its benefits, not letting politicians hold little parties in parliament for their Christian mates."
tdunlop.substack.com/publish/post...

New research published by Roy Morgan shows a “profound shift” in the Australian public’s attitudes concerning weekly religious instruction in government schools, with opposition rising to 50% this year from 28% in the late 1990s. Read more:
www.roymorgan.com/findings/100...
#auspol

In the federal parliament in recent days, a number of Labor MPs have raised allegations about the behaviour of the Exclusive Brethren church at polling stations during the federal election earlier this year.
#auspol