au

Care Not Killing warns against changing assisted suicide law

Dignity in Dying campaigner Debbie Purdy, who has progressive multiple sclerosis, said she may at some stage wish to receive assisted suicide and wants her husband Omar to be immune from prosecution in the UK should he accompany her to Dignitas, the Swiss assisted suicide clinic. .

  • Christian group welcomes EU's strong stance on Iran apostasy bill

    A Christian human rights group has applauded the European Union for issuing a declaration to Iran urging the repressive state to drop its draft apostasy bill and to release Christian converts from detention.

  • The Northern Territory Intervention is a Shame Job

    Several hundred people converged yesterday in Alice Springs to demand the roll back of the Northern Territory Intervention. Speakers at the convergence had a clear message - the Intervention has brought shame and humiliation to Aboriginal people across the Territory and has done little or nothing to protect children as it was supposed to do.

  • Victorian Single Women and Lesbians to Receive Assisted Reproductive Treatment

    Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls says new legislation on assisted reproductive treatment (ART) and surrogacy would allow women regardless of their marital status or sexual orientation to gain access to ART. ART includes in-vitro fertilisation and other technologies which help a woman become pregnant when heterosexual intercourse is impossible or difficult. Criminal checks will be undertaken for potential parents and surrogacy made easier by removing the condition that surrogate mothers must

  • National Religious Freedom Review to Be Launched

    A national review of what Australians think about religious freedom is being launched by the Human Rights Commission. The commission\'s race discrimination commissioner Tom Calma says Australia needs to understand what religious freedom means in the 21st century. He says in a secular, multifaith society, people sometimes have different expectations about the way laws reflect those beliefs. Mr Calma says there is evidence of a growing fundamentalist religious lobby, in areas such as same-sex rel

  • Reformers want end to ban on Catholic monarchs

    Politicians and constitutional experts threw their weight behind proposals sent to Downing Street this week to end a 300-year-old ban on Catholic monarchs.

  • Memorial service to break silence on suicide

    The annual Wesley Mission LifeForce Memorial Service for people struggling with suicide and its equally tragic aftermath will take place on Wednesday, 1 October at the Northern Boardwalk of the Sydney Opera House at 12 noon.

  • Hidden agenda behind Australian Human Rights Review (Video)

    The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) expressed concern at a review of freedom of religion launched by the Australian Human Rights Commission recently, saying that it appeared to be biased before it even started and aimed at undermining the rights of people with faith to have an influence in the public sphere.

  • Hollywood's Embrace of Homosexuality Adds Fuel to Debates

    Homosexuality has been increasingly splashed across all types of media and making especially big waves in Hollywood, where a number of celebrities have either recently "come out" or offered support to efforts to normalize a behavior that many still agree is unnatural.

  • Study: Abortion Disproportionately Affects Black, Old, Poor Women

    While the overall abortion rate has declined dramatically over the past 30 years, a new study shows, the rates fell more among white women and teenagers than among black, Hispanic, old and poor women.

  • Hurdles Remain For Same-Sex Couple Legislation

    An attempt to end discrimination against same-sex and de facto couples faces an uncertain future, with the federal Coalition and Family First senator Steve Fielding still considering their position on the changes. The Government wants to alter 85 pieces of federal law to remove discrimination against same-sex and de facto couples in areas such as health, social security and tax. The first of the bills, which related to superannuation, was introduced in May, but the Coalition used the last days o

  • New WA Government to tackle prostitution (Video)

    New WA Premier Colin Barnett has restated his commitment to repealing the recently enacted brothel laws and agreed to look at the \'Swedish model\' again.