The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has argued for a 4.5 per cent rise in the national minimum wage.
Category Archives: Public Policy
Catholics have vital role in shaping Australia’s future
Australia’s Catholic bishops say the federal election is an opportunity to bring hope where hope has been lost, especially for the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
New bishop for Diocese of Bunbury
Pope Francis has this evening appointed Perth-based priest, Fr George Kolodziej SDS, to be the fifth Bishop of Bunbury.
Three conferences join forces to revise Lectionary
The bishops’ conferences of Australia, Ireland and New Zealand are pooling their expertise and resources in a joint Lectionary project.
Tim Norton installed as third Bishop of Broome
Australia’s Catholic bishops have welcomed the installation of the Most Reverend Tim Norton SVD as the third Bishop of Broome.
Church to mark International Day of People with Disability
The Catholic Church in Australia is committed to upholding and protecting the dignity and wellbeing of all people with disabilities.
Statement from the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education: Federal Government Funding Proposals
The Bishops Commission for Catholic Education, speaking on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has expressed concern at some elements of the Federal Government’s budget announcement regarding Catholic school funding.
As Bishops, we acknowledge the difficult financial situation currently faced by the Government and the nation. We are fully aware of the need for restraint and responsible stewardship of the nation’s resources. We also acknowledge the Government’s recognition, in its funding proposals, of its responsibility to facilitate parental choice in the matter of education. It is this principle that undergirds the now well-established practice of funding a Government education system and a Catholic education system, as well as hundreds of Independent schools.
We are encouraged that the Government has now announced that there will be a minimum funding indexation for all Australian schools in the medium to long term. The Government’s proposed floating indexation rate had been creating uncertainty for schools, school systems and families. Continue reading
Budget 2017: Fairness and compassion should be the cornerstones of our society
Fairness and compassion should be the cornerstones of our society. How we treat our poorest and most vulnerable is a measure of our commitment to a fair and just society.
Today, Archbishop Denis Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said, the Catholic Bishops welcome the government’s commitment to fully fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme and its housing measures to help people secure more affordable housing.
The Bishops acknowledge the government’s decision to remove earlier measures from the 2014-15 budget that may have affected families and the vulnerable in our society.
For those on the very margins of our society, especially those with no prospect of meaningful work, the budget offers no new hope.
‘A lack of regard for the poor and marginalised alienates them from society rather than allowing them to participate fully within it,’ Archbishop Hart said. Continue reading
Destroy human trafficking by 2030, Catholic Bishops say
Bishop Terry Brady
Australia’s national policy should be directed to destroying human trafficking by 2030, Bishop Terry Brady told a parliamentary inquiry today.
Bishop Brady was giving evidence on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement in Sydney at their hearing on human trafficking. Bishop Brady is Chair of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life.
‘Australians have a moral imperative to eradicate the injustice of human trafficking and modern slavery,’ Bishop Brady said. ‘If we know that the human dignity of people is being harmed in this way, we should do what we can to free them from that ill-treatment.
‘As an example to others and to spur reform in Australia, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney announced in March that it would slavery-proof its supply chains. Continue reading
Australia’s Catholic bishops speak out for persecuted people
Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, Australia’s Catholic bishops have told a Parliamentary inquiry.
More than 100,000 Christians are killed each year because of their faith and the bishops highlighted how Christians had been driven from the cradle of Christianity in the Middle East.
The Australian Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is holding an ‘Inquiry into the status of the human right to freedom of religion or belief’. The inquiry this week published the Bishops’ submission.
But Christians are by no means the only people suffering for their faith, with the submission also condemning the persecution of Yazidis, Baha’is, Jews, Muslims and others.
“Understanding and recognising the full complexity of the right to freedom of religion or belief will be increasingly important to Australia negotiating its way in the world,” said Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president, Archbishop Denis Hart. Continue reading