By Rod Benson The Rudd Government’s third budget has many critics, as budgets do. Former federal treasurer Peter Costello called it futuristic but devoid of reality. Current Treasurer, Wayne Swan, was at pains to cast it as a “no frills” budget, and with good reason since we are looking down the barrel at a $40 …
Compassion, caution and asylum seekers
By Rod Benson There was a time when humanitarian concern guaranteed that the tensions generated by an influx of asylum seekers was not politicized by our leaders. Those days are gone. In a speech last week, federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott claimed that “millions of Australians feel less secure in their own country” due to …
Mr Rudd’s great big moral issue
When someone claims to be a Christian, and attends church every Sunday, and identifies climate change as “the greatest moral challenge of our time,” and then backs away from policies to address the issue, questions arise about their moral compass. Just last week the Prime Minister assured us that climate change remained on his government’s …
Kevin Rudd on his Christian faith
In view of the series of policy reversals by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd over the last few weeks, most notably his decision to abort the proposed emissions trading scheme (despite casting climate change as "the greatest moral issue of our time"), I thought it was worth reminding the real world of what Mr Rudd said on air …
A Christian response to the economic crisis
Historically market capitalism has delivered enormous material benefits to millions, but there are also unintended negative consequences of rapid economic growth such as inefficient distribution of wealth and power, consumerism, and climate degradation. We live in a fallen world, and legislation and regulation are important instruments to protect people and communities from the impact of wrong attitudes and actions
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