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TV production companies must now meet minimum diversity requirements, ensuring the inclusion of “under-represented people and perspectives”, in order for their programs to be commissioned by the ABC.

Michael Carrington, ABC’s director of entertainment and specialist programming is reported as saying that externally produced series must be either about under-represented communities or experiences, or include at least one main cast member who is Indigenous Australian or from a culturally or linguistically diverse background, someone who lives with a disability or someone who identifies as LGBTQI plus.

Even more harsh is that production companies must also “demonstrate representation” of these communities among key staff such as writers, producers and directors; and at least half of the main cast and crew must be women or people who identify as “gender diverse”.

“But where are the provisions for those who identify as Christians,” asked Greg Bondar, spokesman for national advocacy organisation FamilyVoice Australia.

“The new self-righteous and ‘un-inclusive’ rules by the ABC have failed the majority of Australia’s mums and dads and are merely adopted to appease minorities once again.

“The new Diversity & Inclusion Commissioning Guidelines by the ABC lacks proper inclusion of the Christian worldview. The ABC Charter requires that it reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community yet there is no mention of Christianity given that almost 52% of Australians still identify as people of faith.

“The ABC has once again sanctimoniously appointed itself as spokesman for political correctness at the expense of the majority of Australians,” said Greg Bondar.

“The ABC should reverse this appalling decision which will further marginalise the overwhelming majority of Australians who identify as Christians.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund this woke nonsense targeted at ensuring programming conforms to the ABC’s left-wing agenda. 

“The Federal Government should urgently review the funding criteria for the ABC given this blatant social engineering,” added Mr Bondar.

pregnant

FamilyVoice Australia is urging MPs to reject abortion legislation, after only about 300 people attended a pro-abortion rally outside South Australia’s Parliament House on Saturday 13th February.

“The miserable showing of support for revised abortion legislation is crystal clear,” said FamilyVoice Australia spokesman David d’Lima.

“While around 4,000 pro-life people gathered and marched, regardless of strong rainfall at a rally on 6th February, only 300 pro-abortion advocates were prepared to brave the sunshine a week later,” he said.

“We also understand MPs are almost drowning in correspondence and communications from concerned voters who are upset and angry by moves to give full acceptance of abortion, with no gestational limits.”

FamilyVoice Australia says the poor turnout at Saturday’s pro-abortion rally confirms the findings of a recent phone poll commissioned by Senator Alex Antic, that found most South Australians reject late-term abortion.

“MPs who are chosen by a majority of voters must pay closer attention to their electors - but clearly some MPs are thoroughly out of touch with the people.”

PeterRiddBeach

University professor Dr Peter Ridd has been granted special leave to appeal to the High Court about his sacking from James Cook University over his comments disagreeing with colleagues’ work regarding the Great Barrier Reef.

As FamilyVoice reported last year:

For 27 years Dr Peter Ridd was a professor of physics at the James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville, Queensland. His research focused on the Great Barrier Reef.

He has had over 100 papers on his research published in peer-reviewed scientific journals across the world. His students liked and respected him.

But in May 2018, the university sacked him.

The university said a key reason was his lack of “collegiality”. He had publicly disagreed with some of his university colleagues, who claimed their research showed the Great Barrier Reef is dying.

Dr Ridd recently explained: “In the final analysis, I was fired for saying that, because of systemic problems with quality assurance, work from the JCU coral reef centre, which also publishes extensively on climate change, was untrustworthy. I believe what I said was true and have given plenty of published evidence to support the statement.

“After I was fired, it was proven beyond doubt that I was correct when a group of seven international scientists who audited eight of the major studies from the JCU coral reef centre found them ALL to be 100% wrong. You can’t get much more scientifically untrustworthy than that.”

Dr Ridd sued the JCU for unfair dismissal in the Federal Court last year. The judge found in his favour and awarded him $1.2 million in damages.

But the university appealed that decision. Last month two judges fully upheld the appeal, and a third wanted a retrial. The majority said that the university’s code of conduct takes priority over the academic freedom (or freedom of speech) guaranteed in Ridd’s employment contract.

In effect they said that academic freedom no longer means what it once did, and universities have the right to tell their employees what they can and can’t say, whether or not it is true.

Dr Ridd will have his appeal heard by the High Court later this year.

POkerMachine

NSW gamblers fed a staggering $2.17 billion to poker machines in late 2020 – the highest yearly increase since 2017 according to a latest report.

Gamblers in New South Wales lost millions more to club poker machines in the second half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 confirming FamilyVoice findings that gambling has bloomed under COVID-19.

Gambling, whether casinos or other forms, is a serious wealth hazard with a recent report showing that people who bet 3.6% of monthly outgoings were a third more likely to miss a mortgage payment. It is a proven fact that each game one plays at a casino has a statistical probability against that person winning.

“FamilyVoice is committed to ensuring that families do not suffer additional hardships under COVID-19 which has resulted in job losses, confinement, and unfortunately deaths which has severely impacted the family,” said FamilyVoice Gambling Reform spokesman Greg Bondar.

“Gambling is blatantly anti-family, soul-destroying and harmful when mortgages go unpaid, family violence increases, mental health suffers, jobs lost, increase in on-line gambling by the young, and worst of all children growing up in a culture of ‘sport betting’ which sends the wrong parental and societal message.

“We call on all media to stop promoting gambling in the guise of ‘talk-back’ shows and advertising in peak viewing/listening times,” added Mr Bondar.

BrisbaneCouple

Foetal homicide laws in Queensland need immediate strengthening, according to advocacy group FamilyVoice Australia.

A couple and their unborn child were allegedly hit and killed by a driver while out walking on Australia Day in Brisbane last month resulting in a triple fatality.

While a 17-year old teenager is facing charges over the deaths of Matthew Philip Field and his partner Katherine Jane Leadbetter in the tragic incident, QLD Police Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd has confirmed that no charges will be laid with respect to their unborn child due to legal advice. 

“This is a direct contravention of Section 313* of the Queensland Criminal Code which includes an offence of killing an unborn child,” said Greg Bondar, NSW/ACT State Director.

"The law is quite clear and anyone who prevents a child from being born alive by any act or omission - excluding legal abortions - would face life in jail. The advice from the Queensland Law Reform Commission to Queensland Police is flawed and only appeases the pro-abortion lobby", said Mr Bondar.

This tragic incident also highlights the need for NSW parliament to adopt foetal laws that protect the unborn.

*Queensland introduced specific foetal homicide laws in 1997.