Australian Christian Lobby not worried about marriage campaign vilification law
by Paul Karp, Guardian:
A bill banning vilification, intimidation and threats in the same-sex marriage postal survey has passed parliament, as the Australian Christian Lobby apologised for hurtful historical remarks about Aids.
The ACL director, Lyle Shelton, issued the apology at the National Press Club on Wednesday but said he was not concerned new anti-vilification laws would capture his own comments comparing children of gay parents to the stolen generation.
The lower house and Senate passed the bill requiring campaign communications to be authorised and banning vilification, intimidation and threats against participants in public debate.
Vilification based on a person’s sexuality, gender identity, intersex status, religious convictions or the views they hold or are perceived to hold about the survey is prohibited.
The bill contains remedies including injunctions and penalties of up to $12,600, but limits who can bring a case to authorised campaign groups and gives the attorney general a gatekeeping power to reject cases seeking a penalty.
Shelton started his speech to the Press Club by apologising for “very hurtful and hateful” things said about Aids by “people who represented Christian organisations” but said they were “a generation ago … before my time”.
Shelton said he was “not worried about these so-called safeguard laws”. “I have no fear whatsoever with regard to any of the comments that I have made on the public record.”
In 2013 Shelton said that a new “stolen generation” would come about “because of the use of technology to sever a child from its biological parent in order that same sex couples could realise their desire to have children”.
Asked about the comment at the Press Club, he replied: “I will always stand up and criticise public policy which requires a child to miss out on their mother and father, not through tragedy or desertion but because that public policy mandates that.”
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