Party Games 46/54 The Secular Party of Australia

The Secular Party of Australia are for a strong separation of church and state. The main areas they see this not happening at the moment are education, healthcare, equal rights issues, and taxation.

In education, they propose removing all religious teaching from public schools, replacing it with comparative religious studies and ethics classes. They are also for reduced funding to religious schools where funding from other sources for the school (fees, endowments, etc) are greater than the standard level of funding per student, with the reduction in government funding be spent on public schooling instead.

On healthcare they want restrictions on complementary and alternative medicines, greater reproductive health access for women including abortion, are pro-euthanasia, and no religious based restrictions on medical research.

They are strong on civil liberties wanting a bill of rights, strong anti-discrimination laws, are pro gay marriage, oppose internet censorship. I feel they fall a bit short on their proposed copyright reform where they simply want to bring copyright back to until death + 50 years from the current until death + 70 years.

Other issues include replacing parliamentary prayer with a non-religious oath followed by a minute silence, are for a republic, while opposing blanket bans on clothing items such as a burqa support requiring the removal of face covering clothing where there are specific safety or identification requirements (similar to how many places require you to remove a motorcycle helmet before entry), and support the carbon tax and investment in renewable energy.

The Secular Party of Australia have senate candidates in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and West Australia.

website: http://www.secular.org.au/
twitter: @secularparty
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SecularPartyAustralia