Secular Party of Australia
Encyclopedia
The Secular Party of Australia is a minor Australia
n political party founded in late 2005, and officially approved as a political party in 2010. It supports secular humanist ethical principles with its stated political aims being:
The current executive officers are listed on the party's web site.
concerning abortion, contraception, and gay marriage
.
In 2007 the party merged with the similar Freedom From Religion Party. The phrase "Freedom From Religion" was appended as a subheading to the main party name on the website and in marketing materials. This subheading has since been changed to the sub heading "Freedom of religion and freedom from religion".
The party contested the 2007 Federal Australian election by fielding candidates for each Australian state's representation in the Senate under the campaign slogan "Don't Let the Church Govern Australia - Keep Religion Out of Politics". The party was not registered federally, so the party name did not appear on the ballot paper. Ian Bryce appeared on ABC Radio in a discussion on secularism and John Perkins submitted an article to the Australian political e-journal On Line Opinion
, but the party received little other media attention during the campaign.
In 2008 and 2009 the party became more active in Senate Committee discussions around the taxation of religious organisations and the HREOC submission on same sex discrimination.
On 2 July 2009, the Secular Party applied to the Australian Electoral Commission
to be registered as a federal political party; its application was accepted on 16 June 2010.
The 2010 federal election is the Secular Party's first election as a registered political party. The party fielded thirty one candidates across Australia. These included Senate candidates in all states and nineteen candidates for the House of Representatives. According to the Australian Electoral Commission the total number of votes cast for the party in lower house seats was 10,287 or 0.1% of the overall total. The party received 8,741 first preference votes in the Senate election, or 0.09%.
The party supports:
The party opposes:
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n political party founded in late 2005, and officially approved as a political party in 2010. It supports secular humanist ethical principles with its stated political aims being:
- To bring about separation of Church and StateSeparation of church and stateThe concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
in Australia - To promote secularismSecularismSecularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
world wide - To stand for human rights and social justice, affirming the dignity of each human being
- To support the maximisation of individual liberty and opportunity consistent with social and environment responsibility
- To defend freedom of expression everywhere
- To espouse policies which support a rational approach to human problems
- To promote the fullest use of science for human welfare
- To gain and maintain for non-religious people the same rights that are enjoyed by members of religious bodies
The current executive officers are listed on the party's web site.
History
In 2005, the Secular Party took out a series of advertisements airing in prime time, spoken by party founder and then vice-president John Goldbaum. The campaign often used the slogan "Don't Let the Church Govern Australia", attacking the policies of the Howard GovernmentHoward Government
The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...
concerning abortion, contraception, and gay marriage
Same-sex marriage in Australia
Same-sex marriages are currently not permitted under Australian federal law. In 2004 the Marriage Act 1961 was amended in federal parliament to expressly state that marriage is considered a union between a man and a woman only and that any existing same-sex marriage from a foreign country is not to...
.
In 2007 the party merged with the similar Freedom From Religion Party. The phrase "Freedom From Religion" was appended as a subheading to the main party name on the website and in marketing materials. This subheading has since been changed to the sub heading "Freedom of religion and freedom from religion".
The party contested the 2007 Federal Australian election by fielding candidates for each Australian state's representation in the Senate under the campaign slogan "Don't Let the Church Govern Australia - Keep Religion Out of Politics". The party was not registered federally, so the party name did not appear on the ballot paper. Ian Bryce appeared on ABC Radio in a discussion on secularism and John Perkins submitted an article to the Australian political e-journal On Line Opinion
On Line Opinion
On Line Opinion is an electronic opinion journal, founded in 1999 by political commentator and strategist Graham Edward Young, a former president of the Queensland branch of the Liberal Party of Australia, and edited by Susan Prior...
, but the party received little other media attention during the campaign.
In 2008 and 2009 the party became more active in Senate Committee discussions around the taxation of religious organisations and the HREOC submission on same sex discrimination.
On 2 July 2009, the Secular Party applied to the Australian Electoral Commission
Australian Electoral Commission
The Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections and referendums. State and local government elections are overseen by the Electoral Commission in each state and territory.The Australian Electoral Commission...
to be registered as a federal political party; its application was accepted on 16 June 2010.
The 2010 federal election is the Secular Party's first election as a registered political party. The party fielded thirty one candidates across Australia. These included Senate candidates in all states and nineteen candidates for the House of Representatives. According to the Australian Electoral Commission the total number of votes cast for the party in lower house seats was 10,287 or 0.1% of the overall total. The party received 8,741 first preference votes in the Senate election, or 0.09%.
Policies
The Secular Party holds the view that the law and policy in Australia isn't that of a truly secular Government and that voters in Australia are looking for a secular alternative.The party supports:
- Constitutional separation of Church and State
- A secular Republic, free of hereditary privilege
- Pro-choice regarding abortion
- Same-sex marriage recognition
- Recognition of gay families
- Contraception and sex education
- Anti-homophobia education
- No anti-discrimination exemptions for religious schools and businesses
- Right to die
- Voluntary euthanasia
- Embryonic stem cell research
- Lesbian IVF availability
- Scientific research not to be limited by religious objections
The party opposes:
- CensorshipCensorshipthumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
- Unwarranted impositions of religious dogma
- Government support for religious schools
- Religious attireReligious attireReligious attire refers to clothing worn in accord with religious practice, custom, tradition or significance.* Clothing#Religion - section:Category:Religious_vesture* Robe* Hat* Wedding ring* Crucifix* Islam and clothing...
at schools - Religious indoctrination of children
- All forms of religious coercion and theocracy
- Sharia Law
External links
- The Secular Party of Australia website
- A commercial from the Secular Party of Australia 2005 TV campaign
- http://www.australiavotes.org/policies/index.php?election_id=5&topic_ids=all&party_ids=114
- http://www.ausgamers.com/forums/news/thread.php/2939283
- http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Registration_Decisions/3741.htm