I was shocked to read the other day that leaders of the global Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir had announced to Australian Muslims that democratic government was “un-Islamic,” that Allah alone should make laws, and that so-called “moderate Islam” was a corruption of the real thing.

Addressing 500 participants at a convention at Lidcombe, speakers allegedly called for the creation of a transnational Islamic state, and stated that the Qur’an prohibited Muslims from doing this through the democratic process.

That’s a rather more serious issue than whether a woman should be allowed to wear the burqa.  Imagine a Christian conference being told that God was the sole lawmaker, democracy was un-Christian, and Christians should work to overthrow the state.

Like most Australians, I want a peaceful and inclusive society.  But in any society there are those who desire to bring about change by stealth, or through violence.  Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. 

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 11 July 2010.

Image: http://www.sbs.com.au

It is 30 months since former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said sorry to the Stolen Generations, acknowledging the great harm done to children and their parents.

A large number of Australians strongly approved of the National Apology.  They felt the right thing had been done, and they felt relieved and cleansed.

But many believe no further action needs to be taken.  Lawyer and human rights activist Julian Burnside is not among them.  He believes the harm done should be compensated, and advocates for the creation of a national compensation scheme focused on children removed from their parents by the state without welfare justification.

Will the original owners of this land receive justice in the form of compensation for the wrongs done to them?  Will it heal our national wounds?  Probably not, at least not until lone voices like that of Julian Burnside are joined by thousands of others who agree that saying sorry is not enough. 

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 11 July 2010.

Image: http://www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Stolen+Generations+Accept+Apology+Kevin+Rudd+WAet_3yLD5ml.jpg

The federal government announced on Thursday it will increase funding to churches in Papua New Guinea by $50 million over six years to deliver basic health and education services to the nation’s poorest and most disadvantaged.

Some will see this as an inappropriate compromise of the separation of church and state.  But the fact is that the best way to avoid corruption and ensure that funds reach their target is to use the reliable and accountable services of church agencies – agencies that have worked in these locations for decades, and are well placed to get the best value from our tax dollars.

As Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith put it, “Australia’s support for these efforts recognises the vital role churches play in delivering approximately half the country’s health and education programs.”

It’s the story of the Good Samaritan played out in thousands of lives, and we’re all a part of it, wherever our aid dollars go to work.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 11 July 2010.

Image: http://images.smh.com.au/2010/07/07/1679869/PNGmain-420×0.jpg

The fact that the Prime Minister is in a de facto relationship has not gone unnoticed.  And it seems as though every second person has an opinion on what was until last week a private matter.

One of the most outspoken has been Bettina Arndt, the cultural conservative’s Germaine Greer, who noted that the proportion of adults in de facto relationships more than doubled between 1986 and 2006, and that more than one in eight Australian children are now born to de facto couples.  She says it’s often wrongly assumed that, in the absence of a marriage contract, children will keep the couple together.

Celebrities are “dragging children through a succession of chaotic ‘blended’ families.”  And women who have a series of live-in relationships often find themselves childless and partnerless as they hit 40.  Which is why a traditional commitment to marriage and family is so relevant today, for parents and children alike. 

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 4 July 2010.

Image: http://www.govstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Family-Law-Marriage.jpg

Figures in a new report on children in the welfare system indicate that about 36,000 children and young people in NSW, or two in every 100 kids under 18, have experienced out-of-home care through abuse or neglect, or due to parental illness or inability to cope with parenting.  The number of children placed in foster care or with relatives has risen 72 per cent since June 2002. 

The current system isn’t working.  Case workers are under enormous pressure.  The rise in case numbers means higher costs.  And above all, there is the emotional and psychological price paid by children and their parents. 

Community Services Minister Linda Burney says the government’s new child protection system aims to reduce numbers by putting more emphasis on early intervention.

Another step in the right direction would be to make better use of non-government agencies which are able to offer a wider range of support services. 

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 4 July 2010.

Image: http://www.newbiemommy.com/images/Free-Online-Foster-Care-Classes.jpg