People of faith across South Australia have had their say at the ballot box on MPs who attack their fundamental values.
‘Our faith is important, it impacts how we live, where we send our children to school, and how we vote’, said Mark Spencer, Director of Public Policy at Christian Schools Australia.
‘As the ABC has recognised in its coverage just last weekend,(1) Christian voters cannot be taken for granted by the Coalition’, he said.
‘We saw very clearly the impact of religious freedom as a key issue in the 2019 Federal Election, and once again it seems that a government perceived by many people of faith as not sharing their values is reaping the consequences.’
‘How MPs vote on issues of conscience matters’, Mr Spencer said, ‘proposing Bills, such as the Equal Opportunity (Religious Bodies) Amendment Bill 2020 (SA),(2) that would strip protections for religious bodies including Christian schools matters.’
‘While people of faith may not engage in high profile stunts, or attract coverage by the media, in the privacy of the polling booth their faith makes its impact known’.
‘Families continue to flock to Christian schools across the country because they are attracted by the values based education we provide’, he indicated, ‘governments of all persuasions ignore those parents, and the values they are supporting, at their peril.’
ENDS
(1) Australian Christian Lobby, religious parties seek to gain influence in SA election
(2) The Bill would have had the effect of removing the existing clear protections for religious bodies, including Christian schools, to:
- administer themselves in accordance with their beliefs regarding gender and sexuality;
- teach a Biblical view of gender and sexuality when offering the above services; or
- enforce Biblical standards of gender and sexuality when offering the above services.
The ability of schools to work with and support parents would have been replaced by Court and Tribunals imposing their views on families.
Download Media Release