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The NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) and the Australian Education Union (AEU) are at it again, spending members’ funds on political left-wing ideology rather than what it is meant to be doing, which is furthering the education standards, welfare, and professional development of teachers.

Both the NSWTF and the AEU are saying, unbelievably, that they are “proudly” hosting the first Secularism Australia Conference on Saturday 2nd December 2023. They also vaguely claim they are supported by pro-secular Australian organisations which have joined together to sponsor what they call a ‘long overdue’ conference.

What is disturbing is that they claim that the conference will feature ‘high-profile speakers and secular champions’ who’ve been working hard for many years to ‘reclaim’ Australia as a genuinely secular nation. Really?

At the conference, we are told that we will hear from inspirational pro-secular speakers as they share their visions for secularism in Australia. Among the line-up of speakers sharing their so-called vision for a truly secular Australia appear to be predominantly left-wing activists. In addition, we are told we will meet the ‘secular champions’ who are pushing for reform. What reform and why?

Disturbingly, the Conference will discuss topics including the history of secularism in Australia, the need for secularism in our country, and the threats to secularism that we face today.

But the true underlying reason for this ideologically driven conference is, as the conference states, to make education a key focus of the conference, with topics including Special Religious Education (SRE), the National Chaplaincy program, and government funding to religious schools.

Without Christian and Independent schools – who educate nearly half of 4,042,512 students enrolled in 9,614 schools in 2022 – the education system would collapse.

Missing Links

It seems blatantly obvious that both the NSWTF and the AEU need to go back to school and study some Australian history. They believe the conference will be a key step in the creation of a ‘unified national voice’ articulating a vision for a future Australia that establishes a balance between freedom of religion, and freedom from religion.

The Australian Constitution, which became law on 9 July 1900, clearly highlights under Section 116 that:

The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.

It must also be recognised that according to experts at that time, it is very unlikely that the Federation of States would have been approved if the preamble or opening words of the Constitution had not included a reference to Almighty God, as pointed out in a constitutional convention debate by Mr Lyne, who was one of the delegates from New South Wales. Even the editorial of the Sydney Morning Herald on 14 April 1897 stated:

… no Christian could in conscience vote for a Federation Bill that did not recognise God.

The preamble to the Constitution was adopted unanimously. At that stage, Sir John Downer, together with Edmund Barton and Richard O’Connor, were responsible for drafting the Australian Constitution during the 1897-98 Convention in Adelaide, remarked:

… the Commonwealth will be from its first stage a Christian Commonwealth …

So, if the Secularism Australia Conference wants to ‘reclaim’ Australia as a genuinely secular nation, then are they suggesting that the preamble to the Constitution be changed? Are they wanting another referendum?

A Christian Nation

Let us make it perfectly clear that the preamble of the Australian Constitution states that the people of the six self-governing colonies agree to federate into a Commonwealth while ‘humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God.’ When the Constitution was being drafted, several religious groups and denominations had advocated for the recognition of God in the Constitution. In essence, the preamble exemplifies the nation’s religious, and specifically Christian, heritage, and the Judeo-Christian values strongly embedded in the community.

Whether the NSWTF and AEU like it or not, legally, Australia is not a secular society but a Christian nation. Christianity is indeed under attack here in Australia and globally. In a paper released last month, the Canadian Human Rights Commission cited Christianity’s two biggest holy days as examples of “present-day systemic religious discrimination” because they are statutory holidays in Canada.

Are we going to have to say ‘goodbye’ to the Easter hat parade, the family Christmas tree, or Christmas day? To my recollection, there has been no objection from other religions, such as the Jews or Buddhists, et cetera, to the observance of events on the Christian calendar.

The Secularism Australia Conference is nothing more than an attack on Western Civilisation, with the main aim of further destabilising Australia’s political, social, educational, and Christian foundations.

The Australian Constitution invokes divine blessing and binds those who hold public office to the performance of their official duties through a mandatory oath or affirmation. The oath of office thus suggests that law and religion may be as intertwined as they are separated in today’s politics.

Our Judeo-Christian values have helped shape the nation of Australia, and this legacy should be acknowledged by people who wish to become citizens. Moreover, our Judeo-Christian values have been an integral part of the nation’s remarkably successful system of government and society, and Australians should not be ashamed of it.

We need to seriously question the motives of the NSWTF and the AEU as to why they want to change Australia’s value system through their ideologically driven conference.

Finally, we need to appeal to the Australian people and our governments to protect and preserve who and what we are as a nation. Non ducor, duco.

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio.