Committee Secretary

Select Committee on the Exposure Draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill

Department of the Senate

12 January 2017

On behalf of the network of over 400 Christian groups & ministries in I would ask that the present Marriage Act remain unchanged for many reasons including one of mere religious freedom. It is not the role of the state to enforce so called compliance and to grant exemptions. They will be disobeyed!

We have seen people attempting to use government legislation to silence both individuals and groups such as the case in reported below in the ABC News dated Sep 27, 2015 at

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-28/anti-discrimination-complaint-an-attempt-to-silence- the-church/6810276 after comments reaffirming traditional marriage in the booklet “Don’t Mess with Marriage,” a pastoral letter the Australian bishops’ conference released May 28. Julian Porteous of Hobart said the booklet “explains the meaning of marriage enshrined in our laws from a religious perspective.”

"Tasmania's has described an anti-discrimination complaint against a marriage booklet it distributed as an attempt to silence the institution.

Transgender activist and Federal Greens candidate Martine Delaney has lodged a complaint about the Church's booklet bearing the slogan "don't mess with marriage", which was handed out at all Catholic schools in Australia.

The booklet stated marriage should be a "heterosexual union between a man and a woman" and changing the law would endanger a child's upbringing..."

as well as other reports such as in the Australia dated Nov 13 2015 at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/catholic-bishops-called-to- answer-in-antidiscrimination-test-case/news-story/b98439693f2f4aa17aca9b46c7bda776

"All Australia’s Catholic bishops have been drawn into a national test case for freedom of religion and speech after Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commission found they have a case to ­answer over humiliating gay, ­lesbian and transgender Australians by distributing a booklet supporting traditional marriage..."

Whilst this charge was finally dismissed it is quite evident through this and other cases that these threats by bullying activists will continue with the more than16 attempts by their lobbyists to change the definition of traditional marriage.

Or do you want Christians being threatened with fines and possible goal sentences?

Dr Graham McLennan Chairman

National Alliance of Christian Leaders