Leaked education funding modelling shows the way Australia’s public, Catholic and private schools may be affected by the Senate’s decision to block or support Gonski 2.0: the Turnbull government’s school funding model. The model would see a money-go-round in Australia’s education budget, with the country’s public schools getting an extra $4 billion over the next Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Australia’
Vinnies stands up for asylum seekers
Thursday, May 25th, 2017
Australia’s St Vincent de Paul Society – Vinnies – is condemning a Federal Government ultimatum to 7,500 asylum seekers. They are being told to shape up with their paperwork or ship out – back home or somewhere else. Anywhere else. They have until 1 October to produce the documentation the Government wants. Vinnies National Council Read more
Australian Catholic schools funding blowup
Monday, May 22nd, 2017
Australian Catholic schools are a not pleased with the way the extra $18.6 billion earmarked for all Aussie schools will be allocated. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the funding under the “Gonski 2.0” plan model last week. Under this model, he says government funding will be allocated on the sole basis of the needs of Read more
Abortion protest in Australia could become criminal
Monday, May 1st, 2017
It could be a criminal offence to protest abortion within a 150 metre exclusion zone around abortion clinics if an Australian private members’ bill is passed. The New South Wales member’s bill is seeking to make it a criminal offense to: “bother, beset, harass, intimidate, interfere with, impede, obstruct or threaten, by any means, a Read more
Church told to practice Jesus’ teachings
Thursday, April 6th, 2017
Australian reform group Catholics for Renewal has sent an open letter to all Australia’s Catholic parishes saying the Church needs to be challenged start practising the teachings of Jesus. The group wants parishioners to sign the letter showing their support for “renewal in the church”. The letter is addressed to Australia’s archbishops and bishops. “Renewal” Read more
Slavery, forced-labour, human trafficking in Australia
Thursday, March 30th, 2017
Slavery, forced-labour and human trafficking are all alive and well in Australia, the Archbishop of Sydney says. Speaking at the parliamentary inquiry into human trafficking in New South Wales, Archbishop Anthony Fisher outlined his personal experience of these practises. He said when he was a parish priest a South American nanny asked him for help. Read more
Australian Anglican Church: 1,100 abuse complaints
Thursday, March 23rd, 2017The Australian Anglican Church has had around 1,100 child abuse complaints reported against it in the past 35 years. A Government report says most children were aged around 11 when they were abused. Their publication about the Anglican Church comes a month after the Royal Commission into child abuse was told the Australian Catholic church Read more
The Catholic wrap-up at the Royal Commission
Thursday, March 2nd, 2017
We have just emerged from what the media calls ‘the Catholic wrap up’ at the Royal Commission. This three-week hearing culminated in the joint appearance of the five most senior bishops in our Australian Church. They apologised not just for the sins of those church personnel who violated children, the most vulnerable members of our Read more
Australia’s archbishops split over confessional secrecy
Monday, February 27th, 2017
Australia’s archbishops expressed very different views on whether information children “confess” about abuse should be kept private, last week. They were being quizzed at the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. One of the questions they were asked related to a fictional child called ‘Sally’ who reported abuse to them in Read more
Confession in Australia may not remain sealed
Thursday, February 23rd, 2017
Whether what is heard in confession stays in confession is being considered by the Australian Royal Commission investigating sexual abuse. Throughout the hearings the Royal Commission has heard a number of perspectives on this issue. For example, a priest (later jailed) said while continuing to abuse his victims he confessed his paedophilia several times. When asked Read more