Today I speak about a wonderful Australian-based women’s organisation that I have admired and supported for many years, and which has just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Formerly known as Christian Women Communicating International, it now goes just by the initials CWCI. Continue reading →

I rise today to give tribute to the Reverend Frank McInnes, founder of Southern Cross Crusades, who died in Sydney on the 9th of August 2009, at the age of 89. Continue reading →

I wish to tell the House about a fine, local Christian ministry that I have known about and supported for many years called the Jesus Cares Refuge. Several supporters of the Wesley Mission founded this refuge in 1987, during my time as superintendent. Jesus Cares reaches out to the homeless, the poor, those recently released from prison, the drug and alcohol addicted, sex workers and the other marginalised people living on the dangerous streets of inner Sydney, particularly in the Kings Cross and Darlinghurst areas. Continue reading →

I rise to offer comments about the factory farming of meat chickens, which I learned more about while reading the publication From Nest to Nugget: the Expose of Australia’s Chicken Factories published by Voiceless, an organisation working for farm animal welfare. Continue reading →

Many honourable members will be familiar with the work of English parliamentarian William Wilberforce, especially since the release last year of the film about his work against the slave trade called Amazing Grace. But many honourable members might not realise that another great social reform that Wilberforce championed was the founding of the first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Continue reading →

About a year ago the year 10 students of Redeemer Baptist School in North Parramatta, a school that has been trenchantly criticised in the House, started to raise money for Aboriginal communities in need after I advised their headmaster, at his request, that the school readiness program, known as HIPPY La Perouse, would be one project very worthy of their assistance. Continue reading →

The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts is currently accepting public comment regarding the proposal to convert Sydney Olympic Park into a street circuit for the V8 supercar races. The public had 10 days to submit a comment from when it was posted on the departmental website on 6 March 2009, so only five days remain. Continue reading →

On Tuesday this week a friend of mine died in America. He was a miracle of what God can do with a man to whom he gave a hammer. Millard Fuller, the millionaire entrepreneur who gave it all away to help found the Christian house-building charity Habitat for Humanity, died Tuesday 3 February 2009. He was 74. Continue reading →

The shocking attack in Mumbai on two hotels and some other public places, which resulted in nearly 200 deaths and hundreds of injured, shocked the world. When we learned of the deaths of Australians in the attack we all felt involved—as we did following the Australian deaths that occurred in the New York Twin Towers attack, and with the tragedies in Bali the following year. Continue reading →

Billy Graham celebrated his ninetieth birthday this week. Graham has preached in person to more than 215 million people in more than 185 countries during his more than 70 years of ministry. Billy Graham is believed to have spoken face-to-face with more people in more places than any other person in history. Continue reading →