Legal hassles
PENNY Wong said there would not be any legal hassles for businesses from redefining marriage in Australia.
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Northern Ireland is one case among many internationally that contradicts the senator’s assertions.
The McArthurs, bakers, lost their appeal against a judgment of discrimination by the equality commission of Northern Ireland.
Their conscientious objection to supporting gay marriage with a cake with writing on it was not intended to cause offence, they said.
Here is the statement Mr McArthur gave:
‘We’re disappointed with the way it went. They didn’t consider how much our conscience affects us as Christians, in how we run our business, but we still believe that God is in control. I think whenever we’ve been called discriminatory or homophobic, the people calling them, maybe don’t fully grasp the arguments and what’s at stake. Or that as Christians, how our beliefs affect every part of our lives, including running our business and the decisions that we make in our business.’
Interestingly, even The Guardian newspaper and supporters of gay marriage declared they were on the side of the McArthurs against the legalistic interpretation of the law in Northern Ireland.
This indicates that strange forces come into play when people fight with each other.
We in Australia need peacemakers like author Dr David van Gend to be given adequate and impartial time on the ABC and SBS and all media outlets.
ROBERT WORTHINGON
Warracknabeal
Rabbit virus trial
A NEW virus known as RHDV1 K5 will be trialled across Australia next year, including at 19 sites in western Victoria, to significantly reduce rabbit populations and their devastating impact on agricultural production and native ecosystems.
I welcome the support of residents who helped to identify potential trial sites for next year’s release of the virus that scientists and landowners hope will significantly reduce rabbit populations
Australia has a good track record when it comes to the biological control of rabbits.
When we first released rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in 1995, populations had multiplied to around 600 million, and we managed to reduce this by 98 per cent in arid areas.
This built on the massive reductions achieved in the 1950s from the release of the myxoma virus, which killed more than 85 per cent of Australia’s rabbit population.
Rabbit populations are on the rise again and a co-ordinated effort is needed from all levels of government, working with researchers, industry and communities to address this pest problem.
The release of RHDV1 K5 is part of the Australian government’s $1.2 million commitment to assist in the research and development of new rabbit controls.
Areas with high rabbit density were a priority in the site selection process, which aims to achieve maximum coverage and provide the best outcomes through a broader spread of the virus.
RHDV1 K5 won’t kill every pest rabbit, but it is the best option to address population resistance to existing RHDV strains and tackle this growing pest problem on a national scale.
Rabbits are a real problem in our community and cause an estimated $206 million in lost national production each year.
I ask that residents remain vigilant by reporting pest sightings to authorities and by recording and mapping rabbit activity in their area using the RabbitScan mobile app, which will be used to monitor the effectiveness of control measures.”
Information entered in the app will provide essential data to land managers undertaking follow-up controls once the RHDV1 K5 virus has been released.
DAN TEHAN
Member for Wannon