A few days ago Gregory Storer, candidate for the Secular Party in Melbourne Ports, posted a blog “No to the Chaplaincy Program!“. Read it, it’s got some good facts and figures about how tax-payer money is going to support loony churches that put in inappropriately qualified (or unqualified) chaplains who invariably prey on young kids’ impressionable minds in the guise of doing good in schools, when the money should be spent on providing qualified counsellors.
Today I received an email about the High Court challenge to this insidious program. Take a minute to read it. You might also want to consider supporting it with a few dollars. I plan to.
Michael.
Breaking News! The High Court Challenge against Australia’s National School Chaplaincy Program has announced its legal team. Representing Ron Williams in the court action will be high-profile barrister, Bret Walker SC (Senior Counsel). The importance of having the case represented by such a leading figure in Australian law cannot be overstated.
Walker is one of Australia’s leading barristers. He has been president of both the NSW Bar Association and the Law Council of Australia and Governor of the Law Foundation of NSW. He is Editor of the NSW Law Reports and Director of the Australian Academy of Law.
Walker will be supported by Gerald Ng, Barrister, and the Sydney law firm Horowitz and Bilinsky. The next step in the legal process is approaching, and further details will be released when it occurs.
People, this case is going to be huge and we’re expecting some jaw-dropping revelations to be made about our politicians and education systems. Chrys had lunch with one of the Australian Secular Lobby team this week and, while information about the case is highly confidential she gleaned enough to know this might be an explosive case.
Be a part of it. Please donate whatever you can afford at the High Court Challenge website. Note – money raised goes into a trust for the payment of legal fees, not to Ron Williams and his family. Ron has put the financial future of his family on the line for this and really needs our support. Besides, for a small (or large) investment, this is a chance to be a part of Australian history.
We do hope our Atheist Nexus (Australia/NZ) team will put their support behind this important court action.
The address for the High Court Challenge against Australia’s National School Chaplaincy Program is:http://www.highcourtchallenge.com
Donations can be made using Paypal.
Cheers
Chrys Stevenson and Richard Jamieson
Forum HostsVisit Aussie, Kiwi & South Pacific Atheists at:
http://www.atheistnexus.org/groups/group/show?id=2182797%3AGroup%3A13176&xg_source=msg_mes_group
Mate , you are on the wrong track..
If you have nothing better to do I suggest u get on your bike and go and seek out a few chaplains and spend a couple of days with them.
Anything we can do to produce better citizens and to try and identify kids problems and give them early assistance should be applauded.
If you care to extend your knowledge , you may like to spend some time researching the life and teachings of Jesus and then tell me if there has ever been a more influential or morally principled person in the living history of this Planet.
Thankyou for taking an interest in the matter.It is a shame to waste so much money on an issue such as this when it could be better used helping people.
EGH
Australia is a secular nation. The NSCP program requires that those placed in schools must preferentially be religious chaplains. This discriminates against people who are not religious. How do you justify this? Are chaplains better at helping school children than the rest of the population?