Not the Church Again!

Raging against the evils of religion influencing government filled in much of my 2006. It's an issue that will continue to anger me and my Administration as long as it keeps rearing its ugly head. The primary culprit here in Australia, it’s of course our health minister, Tony Abbott. He was singled out for assassination early on in our campaign and the minute we get elected, a laser sight will hover over his forehead, just before the world becomes a better place.

I'm not going to beat this already dead horse too heavily today, but suffice to say the most recent decision to put pregnancy counseling services in the hands of the Catholic Church is a colossal mistake. It is the second government recommendation in as many months seeking to replace professional counseling services with religious teaching. I can't quite believe that the people of Australia tolerate Abbott, and the Liberals pushing their faith based prejudices on us. The alleged safe guards in place for the Centacare service are guaranteed to be inadequate with The Catholic Church renowned for its strict adherence to biblical dogma throughout the ages. The decision to award this contract to the Church will place extra burdens on women who are clearly seeking counseling because they are in a difficult situation.

The right to choose abortion has stood up to decades of legal challenge in the US and remains a fundamental entitlement of Australian women. Attempting to erode this right through religious indoctrination is criminal. I hope that in 2007 the trend toward right wing observance of religion to make political decisions can be reversed and we can begin to legislate for the good of the people, not for the good of the church.