The ongoing communist style takeover by the ACT government of the Catholic Calvary
Hospital has clear Federal implications that should concern every Australian,
particularly those of faith. Let me explain and update you on the developing situation.
Australia is a Federation of six states and two territories, all of which have their
own constitutions, parliaments, governments and laws. Now, as long as their laws don't
contradict National laws, state and territory governments have a significant degree of autonomy,
but whether or not the ACT government has crossed the line with their hastily passed
legislation to allow themselves to take over a faith-based hospital, is now under legal scrutiny.
The outcome of this case will set a precedent for every Australian organisation, faith-based or
otherwise. So here's a quick summary. Ignoring the stellar reputation of Canberra's Calvary Hospital,
the ACT government tabled a report in April claiming that the hospital's religious ethos
is problematic. Less than a month later, on the 10th of May, without warning or consultation,
the ACT Health Minister summons the Catholic Healthcare Chief Executive, in what he would later
describe as a pre-dawn raid, to tell him that the government was taking over their hospital. No ifs,
buts or maybes. Seemingly drunk on the power that comes from over two decades in Government,
ACT Labor have since doubled down on their socialist style takeover, refusing to rule out
a further forced acquisition, this time of Claire Holland House, an inpatient palliative care unit
with specially trained teams caring for Canberrans with life-threatening illnesses. It is a place of
unbridled care, love and compassion. The news that the hospice may be acquired sent chills down the
spine of all who value the end-of-life care given at Claire Holland House, especially in light of
the Territory's impending radical euthanasia laws. It's a shocking indictment on the ACT government,
that they are determined to forcibly bypass established democratic processes and enforce
their twisted will on the ACT citizens, despite massive community pushback. In a rare
but encouraging display of grassroots there was people powering Canberra in force when there was
standing room only at a packed town hall meeting to oppose the brazen act. The Catholic petition
against the takeover has gathered well over 33 000 signatures, people are gathering to pray,
thousands of emails and phone calls have poured into MP's offices and protesters across all ages
and backgrounds have twice gathered outside the Legislative Council. Listen to what some
had to say. This is not about efficiency, this is not about making Calvary Hospital better,
it is about making it worse and it is about making it a factory for death. It is a great
place to work and you know I'm hoping to continue to work there under the same management that's for
sure and I really appreciate people coming here to defend my workplace and and something that's
obviously precious to a lot of people here in Canberra. ACT's Acting Opposition Leader,
it was Jeremy Hanson, he attended both the town hall meeting and the demonstration. The
legislation itself, when you go through it, it basically is a heist. You know,
metaphorically, they've got a gun at Calgary's head, give us everything that you've got and if
you don't deliver we are calling in the police to take it by force. That is the legislation.
Tellingly, Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith has refused our invitations to meet.
In recognition of the clear Federal implications regarding freedom of conscience and faith, though,
the Prime Minister and the Federal Opposition Leader have spoken to the media about the
takeover. They've drawn a very clear distinction between the major party positions. Mr Dutton
supports the hospital's right to its ongoing existence and pro-life stance, but in a shocking
betrayal of his Catholic roots, Mr Albanese has ignored pleas from the hospital to intervene.
The Prime Minister's reluctance to stand up for freedom of conscience and faith does not all go
well for his promise to deliver a Religious Discrimination Bill, the very process of
which has already drawn the eye of faith-based schools and institutions due to the anti-faith
draft report presented to government by the Australian Law Reform Commission.
If followed, their recommendations would effectively remove the rights of parents across
the country to choose their child's education and parents are not happy. The precedent here
in the ACT shows that if the government-funded Law Reform Commission get their way, they won't stop
at faith-based schools either. Churches certainly appear to be in their sight. As far as the Calvary
Hospital goes, lawyers will now decide whether to allow the ACT government to proceed with
their disregard of democratic processes. On behalf of every fair-minded Australian,
the Calvary Hospital has commenced legal action against the ACT government, successfully applying
for an injunction to stop them from carrying out their raid, just for a brief window of time,
to allow for legal scrutiny and this seems to have taken the ACT government by surprise because
so conceited are they that this propaganda pamphlet, quite obviously planned and printed
in advance, turned up in letterboxes in Canberra early this week. It celebrates their coup in
taking over the Calvary Hospital, but they popped the champagne corks a little bit too prematurely,
and as an embarrassing turn of events for the ACT Labor government and for the Prime Minister,
as their totalitarian attitude and actions are now being exposed to the legal process. So we wait
but whichever side the legal battle falls, we will not stop fighting back against this
decision and the precedent it sets. It's a very clear election issue both in the ACT
and Federally. The Labor government in the ACT and Federally have ignored the cries of
the people they were elected to represent. This week the Australian newspaper featured a Johannes
Leak cartoon about the hospital takeover and it speaks volumes. The drawing features the cross,
clearly identifying the hospital as a Christian institution, but more than that the cross is a
symbol that clearly represents the true healer, Jesus. It is He who heals the brokenhearted and
binds up their wounds. Clearly, if the government wins the legal battle to take over the hospital,
one of the first things they will do is remove that cross, along with the compassion,
love and care that it represents. We will keep you informed. God bless you.