Australian Christian charities exit “immoral” Federal program
Australian Catholic social services such as St Vincent de Paul (’Vinnies’), and Anglican charity Anglicare join a growing number of Christian charities that are refusing to be part of the Federal Government’s new case-management program for ‘breached’ welfare recipients.
In an unusually strong stand, almost all Christian charities have either refused to join up or have exited the conservative government’s scheme, under which recipients of social security will face a new regime of penalties for not meeting certain requirements.
The Uniting Church, the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Mission Australia have also refused to be involved, and the Salvation Army is reported to be considering its position. Meanwhile, conservative fundamentalist Christian church Hillsong has signed up with the John Howard government.
Stephen Crittenden: You were saying that if Vinnies accepted the government’s funding to help the people the government breached, that Vinnies would be accepting the breaching regime, and that the breaching regime was immoral. Why is it immoral?
John Falzon [from St Vincent de Paul Society]: Frederic Ozanam the founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society, put this so beautifully. Even though we’re talking about a quote that comes from more than a century ago, it’s so fitting to the current events. He said, ‘Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the traveller who has been attacked. It is justice’s role however, to prevent the attack.’ Now as far as we’re concerned, in 2006 in Australia it is the role of the St Vincent de Paul Society to do everything we can to prevent the attack, not to go into partnership with the attacker. … We’ll provide the charity but it is justice more than anything else, that these people have a right to, and we will not cease to clamour for justice.
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