Australia’s Morrison Government Religious Freedom Bills under Consultation

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Latest Update on Religious Freedom Bills:

The Morrison Australia's Federal Government has released its updated version of Religious Freedom Bills for public consultation.

Note that the consultation period for these legislative Exposure Drafts run between “10 December 2019 and 31 January 2020.”

Here is the Government link to these Bills and the processes involved. Worth a look:

https://www.ag.gov.au/Consultations/Pages/religious-freedom-bills-second-exposure-drafts.aspx

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Folau-Rugby Australia: Reverberations on Role of the State

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The risk for such a worker is increased when some employers and professional groups introduce revised standards, codes and everyday organisational policies that seek to conflict with the way previously religious freedoms had embedded professional ethical practices. It is no secret that in the past a Judeo-Christian ethic permeated certain ways that many Western countries framed laws, policies, professional codes and practices. 

In other words, this case has implications for what in public policy is called the role of the state. When Government (Federal & State) legislate laws, and when it puts in place regulations to guide how individuals navigate society and institutions – it’s all part of what we call role of the state. Even when Governments choose to do nothing, this too is a policy choice with ramifications.

Personally, I support religious freedoms, much as I also believe Christianity in everyday simultaneously calls us not to judge or cast the first stone.

But I don’t believe to be a good citizen in a country or the world you should be forced to reject the New Testament (Gospel). I don’t believe to be a good worker you should be forced to recant everyday Christian teachings that are compiled in the Gospel if that is what you follow.

The thing is, if more organisations feel free to implement employment codes that prevent believers from exercising Christian practices, then in time more Christians in Australia who seek to follow the teachings of the New Testament may get into trouble in situations where religious expression come into conflict with new professional codes. Let’s face it, any other Rugby player who may be doing a normal weekly church reading or lay preaching may find themselves in trouble should someone take offence if they quote some part of the bible about one thing or the other.

I am not questioning the importance being professional and the valuing of all human dignity, but if redefining professionalism and the human dignity to mean compelling people to recant some of basics of the Gospel then that is not a strong foundation for an inclusive society.

If Government does nothing, as an individual employee you are left on your own against new emerging codes, organisational policies and standards of your organisation as these new professional forms are seek to disentangle themselves from the Judeo-Christian ethic.

Basically when commentators condemn Government efforts to legislate legal protections for people not to be kicked out of their jobs for subscribing to religion, what such commentators seem to be implying is that they want individuals to fend for themselves against employer organisations.

Unless Australia enacts a legislation protecting religious freedom, we will see certain entrenched change in some areas of workforce participation.  Much as people of faith are not immune from imperfections, you will have to be a brave person indeed to think that Australian society is better off by excluding some Christians from work spaces because someone quoted a biblical verse.

The words of one public commentator come to mind (paraphrased), if you think as a society our system has issues because of believers, wait and see how the system works out if these groups face institutionalised exclusion.  I suppose that goes for all of us, sometimes your true neighbour may not turn up in a form you expect. 

And just one more thing, employment participation is just one area. As increased areas of professional, moral and ethical practices are being revised such as the recent assisted dying laws and much more, I suspect we haven’t seen the last of religious freedom debates. At the centre of it seems to be effort to extricate from the Judeo-Christian ethic as a dominant form that underpinned the relationship between individual, society and the State.

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Heard about the Right to Repair Goods?

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Have you heard about the Right to Repair? Are you keen on responsible use of resources instead of our throwing out your cell phone, electronic gadgets, machinery and such? Are you interested in consumer and small business issues? There is a growing voice of people calling for the Right to Repair – I learnt this some months ago while flicking through radio channels.

Let me start at the beginning. Sometime back I went to repair my smartphone and Telco folks and repairers told me to get a new one. Can’t you just fix it I asked? One Telco retailer tried to sell me a new service contract instead. It seemed too wasteful to throw away after only two years since purchase. And money doesn’t grow on trees (LOL). Eventually I found a repairer who charged almost $300 for screen replacement and data recovery. Ouch, costly! But better than dumping my phone.

So I was really pleased one day when I heard this excellent Radio interview about the Right to Repair.

I turned to Google and realised many people hold similar concerns about diminishing consumer repair options for phones, vehicles, farm machinery like tractors and more.

I also learnt that some small businesses such as auto mechanic centres, some farmers and others are gradually restricted by manufacturers about repair work.

How does this come about? Basically more and more cars, phones, farm machinery are increasingly designed in such a way that they can’t be easily repaired at your local repairer as we did in the olden days. With vehicles we now rely more on service dealers authorised by a manufacturer. The reasons sound complex but may include how manufacturers choose to design products.

Obviously new innovative designs can be a reflection of product improvement and efficiency. But looking at articles on Google, it seems as possible that design strategy can be used as a way to maintain monopoly as to where and if goods can be serviced. Software used in these products is also implicated.

So it turns out there are situations you purchase a gadget or machinery, but you remain locked into the wishes of the manufacturer about your repair options.

Perhaps you have also heard about some big manufacturers using software update releases to degrade phone battery without your knowledge, presumably as a way to get some unsuspecting folk get a new phone or contract costing one or two grand or something (LOL).

This is not to dismiss the importance of innovation and technological development beneficial for society and the broader economy.

But I confess I was surprised to hear even some farmers face restrictions on repairs they can make on their own farm machinery purchased with their own hard cash. Before it is said they had more options to repair their own machinery.

And if opportunity for repair continues to reduce, this impact on small businesses like mechanic services, electronic phone repairers and the like.

But an economy is also how well we use our resources (resource allocation). If a global manufacturer sells goods and designs those goods in a way that monopolise the repair market, that runs the danger of stifling competition. It also means less sustainable small business auto businesses, unless we have market competition, etc.

Should manufacturers be designing items in a way that ensures they cannot be repaired? Is Australia able to impose some kind of standards on design of such imports and local produced goods? Is it sensible that we should be dumping our smart phones every two years so a Telco can sell us a new contract? Given the high value of material used to make these gadgets why not encourage designs that are less wasteful and keep small business like repairers in the market?

This is also the stuff of future economic equality or equity. Policy makers would want to see that small business are a having a fair go through fair competition.

If they put their mind to it, surely policy makers should be able to do a bit of sorting out about which design practices a fair and good innovation. And which product design strategies are merely used to gradually do away with competition.

What can Government Do?

I reckon among other things the Federal Government can undertake what they call Competition Neutrality reviews in relation to designs and servicing of smartphones, vehicles, farm machinery. This is one way of encouraging manufacturers and their dealers to play fair.

Basically the practices of manufacturers and their dealers need to be brought under the banner of Australia National Competition Policy for a particular period.

In such a situation a Competition Neutrality review will help with some baseline understanding of which aspects of manufacturing design are truly about innovation and good technological development, and which bits are just strategies to stifle competition.  

While we can never go back to the olden ways, we can still manage the current situation more fairly.

Don’t miss out the info below.

Links

My blog article above only gives you a glimpse. You will find some interesting media coverage on the Right to Repair on the links I have provided below. They are worth your time and they highlight some really practical stuff.

A link to ABC story about what Australia’s Consumer Affairs Ministers are considering to boost laws that may help consumers have more opportunity to repair their electronic gadgets

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-30/smartphone-electronics-right-to-repair-request-ministers/11462572

A link to ABC story highlighting a call by small business and environmentalist for Government to introduce regulation on Right to Repair

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-03/does-australia-need-a-right-to-repair/10864852

6PR 882 Story on Right to Repair

https://www.6pr.com.au/podcast/we-need-to-fight-for-the-right-to-repair/

A Guardian story about manufacturers who got fined in Europe for slowing smartphones using software releases!

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/24/apple-samsung-fined-for-slowing-down-phones



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Red Rover, Science and Christianity

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We have heard some amazing scientists’ space exploration stories this year. Among other things, I had caught glimpses about the Red Rover and Mars tales on TV before. But it is always even more delightful to learn of scientists who love and seek God.

So imagine my surprise recently as I discovered a worshipper in our row at a Perth church Sunday Service was none other Dr Roger Wiens, the ChemCam & SuperCam Principal Investigator. He is also known as the author of Red Rover: Inside the Story of Robotic Space Exploration, from Genesis to the Mars Rover Curiosity. To God’s glory!

Dr Wiens was in attendance at a Hillsong Perth Service enroute to the Pilbara region as we learnt from him that particular Pilbara fossils have something to tell or teach us about Mars.

For those keen on things space-exploration, the book mentioned is published by Amazon, here are some links:

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Rover-Exploration-Curiosity-2013-03-12/dp/B01F9FRBZM

And

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Rover-Robotic-Exploration-Curiosity/dp/0465055982

There are interesting reviews on Dr Wiens Red Rover publication the Washington Post, and also a Kirkus Review.

Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/red-rover-inside-the-story-of-robotic-space-exploration-from-genesis-to-the-mars-rover-curiosity-by-rogers-wiens/2013/05/10/9afeb994-b0e7-11e2-baf7-5bc2a9dc6f44_story.html?noredirect=on

Kirkus Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/roger-wiens/red-rover-robotic-space/

And to finish on things Christianity and science, there is another interesting web link to Dr Roger Wiens interviewed about how science sits with religion.  Happy reading folk.

Dr Roger Wiens On Faith Science, and Mars – Biologos web link:

https://biologos.org/articles/an-unexpected-adventure-roger-wiens-on-faith-science-and-mars

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African Resource List - Perth

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This page is under progress, it contains African Resources List in Perth, Western Australia.

It is aimed to inform any Africans in WA who may be isolated and are looking for what’s out there relevant for everyday living. It includes resource info can be social, cultural, economic, recreational, services, support group and so forth. Care is taken at the time of publication to ensure the info is current. However be aware that contacts and nature of support provided by organisations can change over time.

Community Groups

Ethiopian Church in Kenwick

Debre Amin Abune Teklehaimanot Church

358 Bickley Road

Kenwick WA 6107

Contact:

Abba Haileluel Tefera (Monk) – 0431 145 940

 Abba Sahlemariam Tessema (Monk) – 0410 832 672

Email:    debreamin.church@hotmail.com

Youth Group: Tegaru Youth Group

Mr Araya Abera – 0401 172 627

Women’s Group :    Tigray Women’s Association of WA       

Secretary: Mrs Desta Hadgu – 0402 655 528

Email:    tigraywomensassociationwa@gmail.com

Tanzanian Community of WA

Contact: tanzaniacommunitywa@gmail.com

Fashion, Beauty & Style

Amare Fashion

Connect With Us

Instagram: @AMAREFASHIONHOUSE

Facebook: : @AMAREFASHIONHOUSE

Mob: 0420437925

Beauty in Totality

Safuratu Bakare

Cosmetologist

Mob: 0415 848 900

Range of Services

·        Make-up, Bride and Bridal Train

·        Engagement/Traditional Marriage

·        Birthday/Special Occasions

·        Advertising/ Model make-up

·        Magazine coverage of events

·        Sales and rental of African costumes

·        Tailored to fit clothing and sales of African fabrics

Email: saf@thebeautifiers.com  or thebeautifiers@yahoo.com

Stylist

Molinda Danda

Web: www.dandacouture.com.au

Email: molinda@dandacouture.com.au

Phone: 08 9510 6914

Mob: 449 166 802

A Taste of African Food

My Place Bar & Restaurant

Caters for wide ranging Australian tastes and also captures African tastes. I have included their special section featuring “African Eats” further below. My Place Bar & Restaurant describes their service in broader terms here:

“We are a restaurant and bar where you can unwind with your friends and loved ones after a hectic day at work. Our restaurant features stunning views which sweeps across the vast swathes of the Australian landscape. Our dishes are as aesthetically pleasing as the views. They are prepared with utmost dedication. Dining at our restaurant would be a captivating experience. It is because I have strived hard to showcase the great quality and diversity that modern Australian cuisine can offer.”

General website: https://myplacebar.com.au//

“African Eats” Menu can be located here: https://www.myplacebar.com.au/our-menu/

Includes special section listing to name a few: spicy African soups, Ugali (sadza) to plantain (ndizi), pounded yam, tilapia and the like – worth clicking on the full menu

Address:                    70 Pier Street

Phone:                       9225 5963 / 0421 854 552

Email:                         info@myplacebar.com.au

Multicultural Services

Multicultural Services Centre

The Multicultural Services Centre supports migrant settlement, health and wellbeing, employment services, Emergency Relief, Multicultural Housing Services, Multicultural Disability Services, etc.

Locations: North Perth, Morley, Mirrabooka, Cannington & Bunbury

Head Office: Address: 20 View Street, North Perth, WA 6006

Phone: 9328 2699

Website http://mscwa.com.au/

Contact: http://mscwa.com.au/contact-us/

Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre

Offers settlement and case coordination supports, support groups, family support, youth, sports and recreational activities, employment supports and so forth.

Address: 9/24 Chesterfield Road, Mirrabooka WA

Phone: 08 9345 5755

Website: http://www.mmrcwa.org.au/

Multicultural Futures

Multicultural Futures offers various migrant support services mainly south of the river.

Settlement services, health and wellbeing, accommodation and housing,

Address: 241-243 High Street, Fremantle

Phone: 08 9336 8282

Operational locations also include Cockburn, Kwinana and Langford. Further details as below:

Contact Details: https://multiculturalfutures.org.au/contact/

Services: https://multiculturalfutures.org.au/

CARAD

The Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees (CARAD) Offers basic welfare & advocacy assistance to asylum seekers, refugees and detainees in WA.

Web: https://www.carad.org.au/

Refugee Council Directory Link

This site offers multiple links to wide ranging agency and community supports across WA.

https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/services-wa/

Mainstream Australian Resources

Ask Izzy

https://askizzy.org.au/

This mainstream website is worth a look. It provides extensive list of resources in wide ranging areas such as:

·        Food assistance

·        Housing support

·        Everyday things

·        Domestic violence

·        Health

·        Centrelink

·        Money help

·        Emotional and mental health support

·        Legal assistance

·        Money assistance (Emergency Relief)

·        Drugs and alcohol support services

·        Assistance to find work

·        Life skills and education

Sussex Street Community Law Centre

A useful legal service includes free legal education sessions & short night legal advice appointments if you are dealing with family or civil law issues

Web: http://www.sscls.asn.au/

Community Legal & Advocacy Centres

Community Legal & Advocacy Centres across Western Australia can be located on the link below. You will also find specific info on each site about specific, general or specialised support they offer. It can be a handy resource when you need to navigate the Australian legal system, including consumer law issues.

https://www.communitylaw.net/clc-directory

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the following individuals for their input in the resource info:

Elaine West

Lesley Akora

Letty Durkin

Pius Joseph

Subscribe to Updates:

Contact: pendobtm@gmail.com

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Religious Freedom, Natural Law & Employment Sphere

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I picked up on Tele that the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) is now reviewing the Australia’s framework on religious freedoms, as next step from the Ruddock Review. Are employment issues included, I puzzled?

Coincidentally (or otherwise) the Folau-Rugby Australia controversy put a spotlight on employment contracts, codes of conduct, and organisational policies as spaces where religious freedoms are being challenged. But how are changes being made by some employers to contracts, codes and organisational policies sit with understandings of religious freedom as a natural law?

Christians work in government institutions, Not-for-Profit Organisations, private sector, etc. Presumably they go about their business doing their best for their employers and the public (as Christianity requires). Still, if the government is to cast a big-picture gaze on contracts, policies and codes this will be a productive exercise. It will help to lay a framework that does not violate a person’s religious freedom.

I came across another related Federal Government response I was not aware of. I am pasting their summary here:

Our response to the Religious Freedom Review includes

·        establishing religion as a protected attribute in a new Religious Discrimination Act, rendering discrimination on this basis unlawful;

·        establishing a new statutory position of Freedom of Religion Commissioner in the Australian Human Rights Commission;

·        developing a Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill for introduction into Parliament as soon as practicable, implementing a range of amendments recommended by the Ruddock Review;

·        supporting the Australian Human Rights Commission to increase community awareness of the importance of freedom of religion.

We look forward to consulting on the legislative package, which we intend to introduce in 2019.

          Source: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/government-response-religious-freedom-review

How the ALRC review tackles issues at hand is no small matter both in terms of what it focuses on and what it omits. It seems to me whether we like it or not, some of the employment issues at play are those touching on religious freedoms and natural law.

Individual and religious freedoms are understood to exist in nature (known as negative rights). But they were still hard-won over centuries! They didn’t just happen. Definitions and background of religious freedoms and how they came about to frame Western society and structures are useful.

Religious freedom as a natural right - Western civilisation had come to regard religious freedom as a natural right which cannot be just taken away by anyone (inalienable). They cannot be extinguished (i.e. negative freedoms are not given to you; unlike positive rights).

Where did the idea of religious freedom as a natural right that cannot be taken away come from? - This idea was influenced particular Greco-Roman and Germanic philosophies. It was also taken from the Bible. This includes movers and shakers such as Thomas Aquinas, Immanuel Kant, Martin Luther, Locke, the Enlightenment; the Protestant Reformation church movements had a role in the solidifying religious freedoms as natural rights onto Western systems. So these are not new ideas, see Wikipedia (Wed Link) and also here 

here.

In their wisdom and perhaps for good measure those who have gone before enshrined religious freedom in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Perhaps they had seen enough turmoil in Europe and elsewhere.

UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Source: https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

So as reviews proceed on framework and protections it is about to be seen how Australia align with the wisdom of UN’s Article 18 of Declaration of Human Rights.

It is also going to be seen how principles of religious freedom as a natural right long embedded in Western institutional structures are going to be treated.

Needless to say employment contracts, codes and organisational policies are tied up with such big picture stuff, they don’t exist in a vacuum.

That all said Christianity is about “Love your God…and love your neighbour as yourself”. That is the context.

Web Links

Government Response to Religious Freedom Review, Prime Minister & Attorney General. Media Release. 13 December 2018

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/government-response-religious-freedom-review

·        Highlights what Government is pursuing to protect religious freedoms after the Ruddock Review

Review into the Framework of Religious Exemptions in Anti discrimination Legislation, 10 April 2019

https://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Media/Pages/Review-into-the-Framework-of-Religious-Exemptions-in-Anti-discrimination-Legislation-10-april-19.aspx

It includes Terms of Reference:

·        Review of religious exemptions in anti-discrimination law

·        Scope of the reference

·        Consultation

·        Timeframe for reporting

 

Australian Law Reform Commission, Background Paper: Inquiry into Religious Exemptions in Anti-discrimination Legislation, Wednesday, 1 May 2019

https://www.alrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/background_paper_religious_freedom_inquiry.pdf

·        It gives you an idea about some of what is in play, worth a look

Media Release

https://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Media/Pages/Review-into-the-Framework-of-Religious-Exemptions-in-Anti-discrimination-Legislation-10-april-19.aspx

 

Freedom of Religion, Australian Government, Attorney General Department

https://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/HumanRights/Pages/Freedom-of-Religion.aspx

Definitions/ Background - religious freedoms and natural rights

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_and_legal_rights

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