9.00 am – Alert but not alarmed at swine flu
This week the swine flu pandemic alert swung into a new “protect” phase as the number of cases passed 2000. Victoria is no longer “the place to be,” with reports that up to one third of Victorians may have contracted the H1N1 virus.
The “protect” phase means an end to quarantining, and a focus on medical care of those deemed most at risk, such as pregnant women, the morbidly obese, and those with respiratory illnesses.
It’s not the end of the world. It’s a winter flu. Less than one per cent of patients have died, compared with 61 per cent for bird flu. Comparisons with the 1918 flu pandemic are unjustified.
Simple health precautions are what’s needed: covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands, and resting if you feel unwell. Public gatherings can proceed as normal, including church services – where we’ll be praying today for good health in body, mind and spirit. I’m Rod Benson for nswchurches.com
12.00 pm – Climate change here and now
A ground-breaking US government report on climate change has warned that the harmful effects of global warming are not decades away but are being felt here and now in our own backyard. And they are projected to intensify.
David Doniger, senior policy director at the U.S. National Resources Defense Council, likened the report to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, where the ghosts come and show Scrooge how the future could unfold peacefully or in disaster.
While people of faith disagree on what causes global warming, and the policies to address it, most agree that we have a duty to care for the Earth, to promote responsible energy consumption, and show compassion for the poor who will suffer most from climate change.
These are challenges to take seriously, for ourselves and for the sake of future generations. I’m Rod Benson for nswchurches.com
2.00 pm – A bill of rights won’t right wrongs
For several months Frank Brennan has travelled the country for The National Human Rights Consultation, listening to the views of regional communities on how to protect human rights. And he’s received more written submissions than any inquiry in Australian history.
The NSW Council of Churches opposes a bill of rights. The present legal system serves Australia well. Not perfect, but world class. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Experience elsewhere shows that a bill of rights can be used to deny rights, and may have unforeseen consequences that are hard to reverse.
A bill of rights would take power away from an elected Parliament and place it in the hands of an unelected judiciary. Judges are not immune to the narcotic of power.
And alleged injustice would not be eliminated. Laws don’t transform human nature. They seek to address its flaws. A bill of rights is the wrong call. I’m Rod Benson for nswchurches.com
5.00 pm – Peter Costello bows out
It had to come. Not in the way he would have wished, but one of the best Prime Ministers Australia never had, Peter Costello, has announced he will leave the Federal Parliament at the next election.
Both sides of politics paid tribute to the former Treasurer this week, although he joked that members on both sides were probably happy to see him go. And the Prime Minister has hinted that he might offer Costello a position of influence when he leaves.
Mr Costello has held the seat of Higgins since 1990, serving as federal Treasurer for 11 years, and profoundly shaping our national economic life.
We’ll never know how he would have fared in the top job. But one thing is clear: Peter Costello integrated his Christian faith and public life in an exemplary fashion. He served the Parliament and his party well. And, of course, there’s life beyond politics. I’m Rod Benson for nswchurches.com
