Labor has announced it will not support any amendments to the Dean Smith same-sex marriage bill, including an amendment proposed by George Brandis. Here’s why it is right to do so.
An analysis of of countries that allow same-sex marriage shows that the proposed amendments to the Dean Smith bill, if allowed, would still enshrine much discrimination.
What’s still missing in the religious freedoms debate is any clarity around what people think they won’t be able to do, or where the existing laws are likely to fail to protect them.
Despite its dubious ancestry, the popular vote on same-sex marriage has done its job, delivering an overall majority and majorities in all states and territories.
Malcolm Turnbull needs to continue to stare down the conservative forces in his government, because what they are demanding is prejudiced and discriminatory.
Churches have been exempt from sex discrimination laws for years – now those opposed to same-sex marriage want that exemption to be extended to individuals.
After an ugly and unnecessary postal survey, Malcolm Turnbull has had a win – but the conservatives in his government will still be pitching for a fight.
The assisted dying bill in Victoria – complex and significant – is engendering less heated debate than marriage equality although both tap into some of our most fundamental fears and motivations.
Australia’s Human Rights Council election provides an ideal opportunity for it to show leadership and commitment on issues such as refugee flows and the death penalty.
Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity