Religion & Ethics Australia Daily

A twice-weekly public affairs review from the Centre for Christian Ethics, Morling College

No. 011, 19-22 November 2004  ² compiled by Rod Benson

News reports

Aboriginal issues

Aboriginal rights advocate Noel Pearson outlines his vision for Australia’s indigenous people. Weekend Australian Magazine 20-21 Nov 04

Abortion

Health Minister Tony Abbott has been told to toe the party line on abortion, but his personal views have not changed. Weekend AFR 20-21 Nov 04

Christopher Pearson comments on recent polls and public statements on abortion. Weekend Aust 20-21 Nov 04

Abuse – child

Richard Guilliatt reports on Australian families torn apart by claims their infants suffer from symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome. SMH Good Weekend 20 Nov 04

Ageing

Increasing fertility is not the answer to an ageing population, argue two Australian academics.

Aust 22 Nov 04

Alcohol

Paolo Totaro and Mark Coultan examine issues surrounding the alcohol-related demise of NSW Supreme Court judge Jeff Shaw , including the belief that despite intoxication, the drinker is able to function normally (at work); and the dangerous culture of overwork that is endemic in many high-stress professions.

SMH 20-21 Nov 04

Research suggests that genetic make-up is responsible for alcohol dependence. SMH 20-21 Nov 04

Anti-discrimination

Sydney radio broadcaster John Laws has published a “grovelling apology” to the gay and lesbian community for offensive comments he made on 2UE about US TV star Carson Kressley on 3 November. Aust 19 Nov 04

Sydney radio station 2UE will appeal against a NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal decision to uphold a homophobia complaint against announcers John Laws and Steve Price. Sydney gay man Gary Burns lodged a complaint to the tribunal after comments made by both presenters on 16 June 2003 about a gay couple on the lifestyle television show The Block. The Age 22 Nov 04

Bioethics – cloning

The Howard government has backed a conservative push inside the United Nations to adopt a treaty banning all human cloning, including the replication of embryos for research into cures for Alzheimer’s and spinal cord damage. Aust 22 Nov 04

Bullying

The stabbing of a 13-year-old boy at an elite Sydney private school yesterday by a 14-year-old classmate has exposed an endemic problem of bullying in schools, where victims are so scared they are arming themselves with knives. SMH 20-21 Nov 04

Censorship

An X rating for the film 9 Songs has critics asking why films continue to be censored while explicit sex can be found easily on TV or video. SMH 20-21 Nov 04

Commenting on the X18+ rating given to British film 9 Songs, the SMH’s leader claims that “Adults should be allowed to shed hard-earned dollars seeing films of their choice, if only because freedom of preference is fundamental to social liberty.” SMH 22 Nov 04

Debt

The Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania today welcomed the news that Australia had agreed to cancel a $US850.7 million debt owed by Iraq. “The is good news for the people of Iraq, is that this can on money spent restoring electricity, providing clean water and rebuild the economy for the people of Iraq”, said Dr Mark Zirnsak, social justice spokesperson for the Victorian and Tasmanian Uniting Church. Media release 22 Nov 04

Drugs

An independent drug investigation unit with widespread prosecution powers is to be established in the wake of a year-long probe into the Australian Institute of Sport’s cycling doping scandal. Aust 19 Nov 04

The final report into the drug use of Australian Institute of Sport cyclists has found no evidence of a shooting gallery, but has implicated two athletes. SMH 19 Nov 04

Ethics – business – Australia

Negotiations with James Hardie Industries on asbestos compensation had reached “a more hopeful position than any previous milestone,” NSW Premier Bob Carr said yesterday. SMH 19 Nov 04

James Hardie’s handling of its asbestos liabilities has made it the first ever Australian company to be dumped from an influential index of companies with sound social and environmental practices. Aust 22 Nov 04

Evangelism

Almost 55 years to the day after ending a Los Angeles evangelistic crusade that propelled 30-year-old Billy Graham to national prominence, he was back in Hollywood preaching the same message to more than 45,000 people. On the first of four nights, some 2,500 people went forward to make a decision for Christ. Graham plans a final New York crusade in June 2005. Media release.

Genetics

A Melbourne company is marketing a mouth swab test that detects the presence of a gene linked to sports performance. Last year the Australian Law Reform Commission raised concerns about the use of genetic testing in talent identification programs. In response, the Australian Institute of Sport placed a moratorium on its own involvement in genetic testing and research until it developed a code of conduct for the use of genetic information. Aust 22 Nov 04

Politics & faith – Australia

Subtle influence from the Christian Right could lead to a reshaping of the Australian political landscape, writes Cameron Stewart. Weekend Aust 20-21 Nov 04

Politics & faith – US

“The more [US President George W.] Bush combines faith with politics and power to achieve religiously driven geopolitical preferences, the more he is sharpening and widening the division and hostilities between Americans and their Muslim counterparts,” argues Amil Saikal, professor of political science at the Australian National University. SMH 22 Nov 04

Pollution

Housing a nuclear waste dump on a remote Australian island was unnecessarily risky, both geologically and from a security perspective, Australia’s former defence scientist has warned. Aust 22 Nov 04

South Australian health authorities have admitted nothing has been done in six years to stop about 800 tonnes a year in emissions spewing from Port Pirie’s lead smelter, causing widespread childhood lead poisoning in the industrial city. Aust 22 Nov 04

Pornography

Up to 80 people are still under investigation by NSW police under Operation Auxin, the country’s largest crackdown on child pornography. A meeting of the Australasian Police Ministers’ Council agreed last week to introduce uniform laws against child pornography and track all sex offenders on a single register. Ministers had agreed to adopt at least five years’ jail for possessing child pornography (currently two years in NSW, or a fine of up to $11,000, or both), 20 years for production and dissemination and ten years for using a child for pornographic purposes. SMH 22 Nov 04

Prostitution

A 17-year-old Hunter Valley girl divorced her mother for allegedly selling her into prostitution between the ages of 10 and 12. SMH 19 Nov 04; Aust 19 Nov 04

Racism

Ian Gerard examines the fallout from recent incidents, including an apparently racist initiation ceremony, at Townsville’s Lavarack Barracks. Aust 19 Nov 04

England lost a football match on Wednesday, but Spain lost the right to be considered a civilized footballing nation as Spanish supporters hurled relentless racial abuse against black English players. SMH 19 Nov 04

Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Morantinos has apologised on behalf of the Spanish government over racist chants against English soccer players during Wednesday’s friendly in Madrid. SMH 20-21 Nov 04

Secularism

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 77, a leading contender to become the next Pope, has launched a fierce attack on the “forces of secularism,” arguing that they were fostering intolerance in Europe and forcing Christianity underground. SMH 22 Nov 04

Terrorism

Beating poverty and inequality in developing countries is crucial to success in the fight against terrorism, John Howard said, signalling a major shift in the federal government’s approach to security. SMH 22 Nov 04

Trade

Future trade agreements should ensure that anti-dumping tactics cannot be activated, write two ANU academics. AFR 19 Nov 04

Fifty years from now, the US-Australia free trade agreement will be seen in the same light as the ANZUS pact, writes The Australian’s political editor Dennis Shanahan. Aust 19 Nov 04

“Along with delivering huge benefits to a medium-sized trading nation such as Australia, a new world trade agreement could lift 140 million people in developing countries out of poverty by 2015,” suggests the Australian’s leader. Aust 19 Nov 04

John Howard told regional business leaders at an APEC summit his government would increasingly seek to link overseas aid to improvements in standards of governance, and said corruption produced distrust which prevented markets from operating efficiently. AFR 22 Nov 04

War crimes

The US marine who shot dead a wounded and unarmed Iraqi in a Falluja mosque has been removed from the theatre of war and is being investigated by the US military. “The shooting in Falluja makes it easy to argue that there is little difference in the actions of the two sides in Iraq,” says the SMH’s leader. SMH 19 Nov 04

Water

The NSW government yesterday said it would not try to stop private desalination machines being installed in expensive Sydney harbourside homes even though it has yet to make a decision about a big salt trapping plant to ease Sydney’s water shortage. SMH 20-21 Nov 04

Workplace relations

Members of the HR Nicholls Society, co-founded by federal treasurer Peter Costello, are urging Prime Minister John Howard to “grasp the nettle” on industrial relations reform. Weekend AFR 20-21 Nov 04

Other items of interest

Andrew Cameron and Tracy Gordon from the Sydney Anglican Social Issues Executive write on abortion. http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/socialissues/in_search_of_a_new_abortion_debate/

“A good journalist should try and cover both sides equally and try and find out what is actually going on behind the rhetoric of both opposing sides. And if you’re limited to only reporting from inside an American base, you’re very limited.” John Martinkus talks to Mick O’Regan about what life and work are really like for journalists in Iraq.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/mediarpt/stories/s1239349.htm

READ is published by the Centre for Christian Ethics, Morling College, 120 Herring Rd, Eastwood NSW 2122 AUSTRALIA. Telephone (02) 9878 0201. The content of READ and the views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Centre for Christian Ethics, Morling College or the Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT. Subscription is free. To subscribe, email with the words “subscribe to READ” in the subject line. Use the same email address to request more information. Copies of original articles are available on request. Abbreviations: AFR=The Australian Financial Review; Aust=The Australian; SMH=The Sydney Morning Herald.