Senator Alex Antic Puts Australian Christian Freedom Index into the Parliamentary Record Senator Alex Antic introduced the Australian Christian Freedom Index to Federal Senate yesterday (Tuesday, 30 June), placing the first systematic audit of Christian religious liberty in Australia into the parliamentary record. The survey findings paint a sobering picture. “92% said that they think it’s riskier to affirm Christian beliefs than it was 5 years ago,” Senator Antic reported to Parliament. “42% said they experienced hostility, threats, or harassment for expressing what they consider to be a Christian worldview.” Additional data revealed that 25% of respondents were denied opportunities at work, volunteering, or leadership due to their beliefs — issues that Senator Antic noted likely relate to positions on marriage and family. The report documents specific cases of institutional pressure, including university students dismissed for conservative opinions in supposedly “freethinking academic institutions” and teachers in Christian schools expressing frustration at being “policed in an environment where their faith is meant to provide the ethos in their workplace.” Senator Antic drew a striking parallel, sharing accounts from those with firsthand experience of totalitarianism: “Personally, I’ve had many many people who have escaped communist countries that tell me that Australia feels eerily like what they fled many years ago. Sometimes they whisper to state their honest opinion to avoid being overheard or the need to police themselves lest they face disciplinary measures from HR departments.” He emphasised that “Many Australians of conservative persuasions have felt for a very long time that an ideology hostile to Christianity has taken hold in our institutions.” “It shouldn’t be this way in Australia”, he concluded. The ACFI team, comprising the Canberra Declaration, Australian Christian Lobby, Australian Family Coalition, Citizen GO, Family Voice Australia, and the Human Rights Law Alliance, express our immense gratitude to Senator Antic for bringing the issue before the nation’s lawmakers. Senator Antic encouraged all Australians to review the full report. “I would encourage anyone listening to go and read the Australian Christian Freedom Index document from May of this year which touches on a whole lot of important subjects,” he said. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026… Download or order your ACFI report: australianchristianfreedomin…

The Digital Duty of Care Is Still a Threat by @SenatorAntic [COMMENTARY] The week before last, Labor introduced the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 and, despite some minor amendments to the Exposure Draft, the Bill still poses an alarming threat to free speech in Australia. First, the Bill allows for the Office of the eSafety Commissioner to create “sock puppet” accounts/identities, which presumably could be used to covertly “monitor” content on social media platforms, interact with other accounts, and generate material using AI. Rather than merely observing social media, that office could run secret tests and conduct investigations. Second, the concept of “serious harm” is still problematic and vague, and could be used as a cover-all term to force social media platforms to proactively restrict content that the government decides is “harmful”. Any material or conduct that the Office of the eSafety Commissioner decides “may cause serious harm to children” must be restricted, and that could mean pretty much anything. Moreover, the definition of “online service” in this Bill is so broad that it could capture over a million Australian businesses, triggering onerous obligations to abide by the Digital Duty of Care, including the requirement to produce annual online safety risk assessment reports in the same way billion-dollar platforms like X and Meta would have to. This is unfair and confusing, and has nothing to do with protecting children online. It is yet another utterly pointless and cumbersome imposition on small businesses. Just before the Bill was introduced, I sat down with US journalist and free speech advocate Michael Shellenberger in Parliament House to discuss the Exposure Draft. He considered it to be one of the most alarming pieces of proposed legislation concerning free speech he had ever seen. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Conversion Therapy Bans: Who Protects the Freedom to Follow Christ on the Highway of Holiness? by Shirley Baskett [TESTIMONIES] The erroneous drive to ban gay conversion therapy is back in the news, as activists work hard to push through laws in Tasmania and Western Australia. These introduced laws are draconian and even more harmful than the law in Victoria. It is well-known amongst many Christians in the world that the Victorian law is one of the most restrictive in place. Much of it was influenced by a similar law in Malta. Several years ago, a young man called Matthew Grech was taken to court in Malta for violating the conversion therapy ban law there. His crime? Sharing his own personal story on a Christian radio show, of leaving a gay life. The case dragged on for three years; however, it was a welcome victory when he did win it this year. Surely, Australia does not need to be so slow to recognise the foolishness of these laws? When the law came into place in Victoria, ministries that had been simply supporting fellow believers who wanted to live according to their own interpretation of Scripture were forced to close down. The risk to those who offered talk counselling, or who provided fellowship and encouragement, was too great. Most people are aware of how far this law extends, even into the private lives of people who may ask their pastor for prayer. Churches in general had already been very quiet on this subject for around two decades. Where some may have spoken out, now, like former LGBT+ adherents, they were bullied into total silence. It is abysmal that hundreds of former LGBT+ people, or those who do not want to follow through on their feelings, are disrespected. This small minority of people can be the most suppressed and beleaguered members of our communities. Some churches, by taking the easy way, have adopted weak theology, and have swiftly agreed that the Christian church has got this subject wrong for 2,000 years, and God is fine with people being actively LGBT+. The message of the fear of God is discarded, which is sad, as it is said in Proverbs 9:10 to be the beginning of wisdom. Even within churches where people continue to hold to stronger theology, some will challenge former LGBT+ people, telling them that they cannot expect any change as they were “born that way”, or that God has created them LGBT+. The “born that way” mantra is almost universally believed today, despite there being no valid scientific or theological base for it. Christians, of course, are not the only people who leave LGBT+ identities or lives. Many secular people give up their identities, especially as they get older. This article does not have enough space to cite the dozens of research studies that have shown this to be true. One lesbian feminist researcher at Cornell University upset her lobbying friends by collating studies, and her conclusion was that sexual feelings are fluid. She said that we have to stop saying it is innate. This advice has been ignored. Of course, if opinion disagrees with facts, then feelings and hard-held stances trump truth. Christians tend to be targeted more than those who are outside of the church, and who perhaps leave a same-sex life to marry or partner with someone of the opposite sex. Christians are usually motivated by their careful examination and understanding of what the Bible actually does say on this subject. For those who do decide to take this “narrow way”, it can be a hard journey indeed (Matthew 7:13-14). Their feelings may not change; however, there are many who refuse to let their feelings define their identities. Increasingly, people who are swimming against the currents of today find that few people are willing to support them and encourage them. Some struggle to find anyone brave enough to even pray with them. They often become isolated within their churches. They are the true heroes who are determined to continue in their difficult choices, and their understanding of obedience to Christ. Some may marry, but this is certainly not a cure, nor a goal. Many remain single and dwell in churches that are predominantly family-oriented. We should never underestimate the power of God to transform people. Why would we trust that God can take a drug addict or an alcoholic, or even a consummately selfish person, and that He can turn their lives around? What is the difference? We are all called to “die to ourselves” (Galatians 5:24). It is described as “crucifying our sinful natures.” This is more than simply suppressing feelings and gives the picture of radical death to our sinful inclinations. Not that many, whether they be gay or straight, embrace the kind of process that this can involve. Yet often those who walk away from their old lives or thoughts discover that to find true life, the old life has to die. We have to become aware of what we are entertaining in our minds. This is hard work, but in Romans 12:2, we are told that by doing this, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be renewed, as we bring every thought into the captivity of Christ. If a person has come from an LGBT+ identity or has spent many years cultivating the narratives that are all too common in our sexual era, working on every thought is hard work. Former LGBT+ people will often willingly submit to retraining their minds to agree with Scripture, despite the cost. Other Christians may not have the same motivation, as their sins are easier to excuse. Truly, all discipleship is costly discipleship, but we rarely hear that now. For a former LGBT+ person, if they make the goal to “go straight”, they are potentially doomed to failure. Many have done this and then thrown their arms in the air and said that none of the earlier beliefs they held worked. They quickly either leave to return to their old lives or become opponents of those who have not gone down that path. Some ex-ex-gays and lesbians hang around the church trying to persuade believers that their new position is far more gracious than God. They missed the mark completely by making heterosexuality their goal. Some say that they do not need to be concerned about sin or their behaviour, since grace covers them past, present and future. Speaking of grace, this is indeed the powerful key to give all of us hope. If God has asked us to do the impossible, then His grace will surely help us, as the Scriptures claim, to say no to sin (Titus 2:12). Grace is a powerful gift from God to help us to pursue holiness and that old-fashioned word, “sanctification”. The first key to a strong life living outside of any temptation or inclination to push God’s boundaries is to make Jesus the only goal. Those who ignore the pressure to try to better themselves in their own strength, or be ‘cured’, and who make Jesus everything, find they have built on something far stronger. They build their lives founded on the rock that is Christ. In seeking Jesus with all of our hearts, we stumble into a revelation of grace that is deeply and fully understood. It is not a licence to sin. Far from it! Grace is understanding the mercy and the expansive generosity of our God who sent Jesus to die for us. When we fully see this, we surely have the natural response of wanting to pursue this loving God with everything we have. We want to exchange the things that trip us up, and we want God to dig deep into us and heal every wound that has caused us to search for other ways to find life. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Nine Killed in Jordan Church Attack as King Vows ‘Iron Fist’ Response by @Rod_Lampard [NEWS] The death toll from an alleged Islamic terrorist attack on a Christian church in the Kingdom of Jordan has risen to nine. More than thirty people were injured. Official sources ruled that St George’s Greek Orthodox church in the Karak village of Hamoud was targeted by “extremists”. Victims were attending a funeral. While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the 23 October massacre, Karak is an area where Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda are known to have had a presence. Without naming any specific groups, official Jordanian sources declared the mass murder to be an act of terrorism, mentioned extremist ideology and stated that an investigation is underway. Jordan’s King Abdullah II isn’t messing around either. He quickly condemned the attack and promised full retribution, directing the use of an iron fist against “the outlaws of Islam.” The King emphasised “the need to pursue and hold accountable anyone supporting or justifying this act under the full force of the law.” Petra, Jordan’s official news agency, said he has asserted “no room for leniency”, stating “that the hand of justice will reach every terrorist.” The King, they added, also “directed the government and relevant institutions to review policies for countering extremist ideology and to intensify efforts to eradicate its root causes through a systematic plan developed in coordination with religious authorities.” A day after the terrorist attack, his wife, Queen Rania Al Abdullah, referred to the church’s victims as martyrs. On X, she wrote, “Today’s heinous crime against worshippers in Karak has devastated us all. This deep wound is borne by all Jordanians, and the loss is not only felt by the village of Hamoud, but by each member of the larger Jordanian family. “Our hearts are with our people of Al Karak. May the martyrs rest in peace, may the injured make a speedy recovery, and may God protect Jordan and its people.” Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

The Mount Moriah Trust: A Ministry of Comfort and Encouragement by Tony and Kathy Stewart [TESTIMONIES] In 2027, the Mount Moriah Trust celebrates 25 years of ministry supporting the Body of Christ in the Holy Land — Israel, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza. The ministry started in 2001 after Kathy had attended a David Hathaway conference in Jerusalem entitled “Fire Over Jerusalem”. The Lord spoke to her and told her to start a trust to help needy believers in the Land, and that we were to call it The Mount Moriah Trust. In late August 2001, He said that he was “birthing” the work, and sure enough, nine months later in May 2002, we received our official charity status in the United Kingdom. At the same time, He told us not to fundraise or ask for money. We were to tell people of the needs and leave the Holy Spirit to touch hearts to give. He has so far provided £2.7 million for His people in His Land! Ken Burnett, the founder of “Prayer For Israel (PFI) became our first patron and helped us to get established in the Land by introducing us to pastors, including Ps Howard Bass in Beer Sheva and Ps Claude Ezagouri in Tiberias, whom we still support to this day. MMT works with and through pastors — they are our eyes and ears on the ground. They identify the needs and monitor them so that our funds are continually targeted where the greatest need lies. We started helping three needy families, and now we work with around 40 Pastors, Congregations and Christian Organisations. The work started by helping Jewish Messianic believers, then expanded to Christian Arabs in Israel and finally expanded to help Arab believers in Judea and Samaria (The West Bank) and Gaza. Today, we are truly the One New Man in Christ, supporting and encouraging the whole Body of Christ in the Holy Land, where there are currently around 30,000 Messianic Jewish believers and 130,000 Arab Christians. The needs among the believers are great. New immigrants need help to get established in a new country and a new culture. Many have arrived in Israel with little more than the clothes on their backs and what they can carry. There is government assistance, but it is not enough. Similarly, the allowances given to the elderly are insufficient to cover rent, food, utilities and health insurance. All the pastors are under pressure of one sort or another; they are harassed and persecuted. The Messianic Jewish believers by the Ultra-Orthodox and the Arab Christians by their Muslim neighbours. Pastors and congregations up and down the country receive regular threats and harassment. Currently, it is the Messianic Ethiopian pastors who are being targeted as “dangerous missionaries”. Throughout the last 25 years, a large part of our funding has been used to provide basic humanitarian support — food parcels and everyday needs — especially in times of war. But increasingly we have been able to support and encourage Christian-run ministries, including drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres, children’s homes, a home for the blind and children with special needs, Gaza Baptist Church and most recently ministries dealing with those suffering from the stress and trauma of the last three years. In 2009, the Lord led us to spread the word about the work in the Far East and Australia, where He has touched hearts in amazing ways, so much so that half our regular financial support now comes from there. When you think about it, nothing much has changed since the time Jesus and the Apostles were in the Land. They too faced opposition, often violent, from the religious leaders of their day. We should not be surprised by what is happening today. The body of the Messiah in the Land needs our support to grow and flourish, in just the same way as Apostle Paul stated in Romans 15:25-27. Despite everything, the Lord is in charge! We are seeing scripture fulfilled before our eyes through Aliyah as He builds the remnant in His Land. It is the Mount Moriah Trust’s privilege to have been chosen to be a part of this work. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Moira’s Launch: The Room Was Buzzing (and $90k Raised) by @LyleShelton, @FamilyAu [COMMENTARY] Two Saturday afternoons ago, 150 members and supporters gathered in western Melbourne to launch @MoiraDeemingMP's re-election campaign. There was genuine buzz and excitement. Because the big parties rigged the system, Family First had almost no chance in Victoria. Then the Liberals unjustly kicked Moira out again. She joined Family First and has put the party within striking distance of winning. That’s why the room was electric. Her profile as a courageous fighter for families, combined with your support, is making the difference. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

OECD Boss Says Australia is Going Backwards by @Rod_Lampard [ANALYSIS] The Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says Australia is going backwards. Former Australian Senator Mathias Cormann, now OECD boss, isn’t vague about what’s to blame. Although Cormann didn’t specifically lay the blame on Labor, the criticisms he shared with John Anderson on Wednesday implicate the Albanese Government. When sharing his thoughts on globalisation and the OECD’s role, Cormann affirmed objectivity. He said that the OECD’s data was a strong resource for nations that want to work together to overcome obstacles to market-based democracies. Cormann then talked about nations needing fiscal buffers to absorb economic shocks. From his unique vantage point with the OECD, he also issued a warning. He said that unless the problem is resolved by politicians with a backbone, Westerners will have to work longer and spend less time in retirement. Pensions, he remarked, are hit by people having fewer children and an ageing population living longer and healthier. Cormann said that more people are spending longer in retirement, adding, “either you pay more on the way in, or you get less on the way out, or you stay longer contributing.” Alongside discussing the hard decisions required to fix this, and the inevitable public pushback on pension reform, he also talked up the economic benefits of women in the workforce. Cormann argued that gender equality brings balance while at the same time acknowledging there are fewer kids and that the West is facing population decline. Marking one area where Cormann and Anderson appeared to disagree, Anderson rightly pointed out that those benefits in the workforce have their ups and downs. He said, “It’s worth keeping in mind that in Britain, 70% of young mothers say that they would like to be able to work a little less if they could afford it. But they feel such pressure now to go back because of the problem of housing affordability, which seems to be universal across the West.” Affordability is a problem of demand and supply, the OECD boss replied. The way to tackle housing affordability, he said, “is to ensure that supply keeps up with the level of expected demand, and that involves many different levels. When you look at planning and local zoning arrangements, there’s got to be a better way to ensure that supply can match the demand.” Anderson responded by expanding on his point about women in the workforce, saying this is where culture clashes with economics. Young Australians don’t believe they’ll enter home ownership without inheriting money. Anderson described the numbers as “quite frightening.” He then added, “It’s playing into the hands of declining demographic performance. People are delaying family formation. Young Australians are spending more — Gen Z — on their pets than their cohorts anywhere else in the Western world. It’s extraordinary.” Anderson said the simple point is, younger Australians appear to be making spending decisions based on the bleak assumption there’s no point in saving for a house. This feeds into the demographic issue of ageing populations, mass immigration, and suspicions among young people about higher immigration affecting housing supply and prices. Another impression, he explained, “is that because we’re having fewer children, we’re not being told upfront that we need higher migratory intakes to do the work and pay taxes.” As a migrant to Australia, Cormann said that throughout Australia’s history, waves of migrants have helped build and develop the country. “I would suspect,” he continued, “that going forward, there will continue to be a need to rely in some areas on migrant workers to make up some of the impacts, among other things, of population ageing or those areas where we need skills that we don’t have readily available in Australia. The OECD Secretary General acknowledged the sensitivity of the subject, stating he thinks the pressure points were due to immigration being handled on a federal level, whereas housing supply is handled by the states. “There’s a level of disconnect between the two,” Cormann said, adding that without a plan, Australia’s annual immigrant intake will put pressure on infrastructure and housing availability. In what I would call a damning indictment of the Albanese Labor Government, Cormann added that Australia is a smart, sophisticated country. We should be able to do better than what we are. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Blame Hanson. Find Evidence Later. by @NationFirstAust [COMMENTARY] Helen Haines had barely reached hospital before her suffering became ammunition against Pauline Hanson, One Nation, conservative commentators and men generally. The accusations practically outran the investigation. Political opponents were being handed responsibility for an alleged crime without evidence connecting them to it. Labor MP for Macarthur Mike Freelander singled out “the disparaging and hateful rhetoric from fringe parties like One Nation”⁠. ABC presenter Rafael Epstein asked whether One Nation amplified dangerous rhetoric. Victorian Premier Ben Carroll agreed its rhetoric could be dangerous. But where was their evidence linking One Nation to what happened in Wangaratta? The ABC advertised Carroll’s interview as “Premier calls out One Nation after attack on Helen Haines”⁠. Its summary also said Carroll claimed misogyny contributed to the attack. A premier was offering an explanation while police were still investigating the motive. Political commentator Niki Savva brought One Nation’s Please Explain cartoons into it on ABC News Daily⁠. Discussing political rhetoric and cartoons targeting Andrew Hastie and Jacqui Lambie, she said such behaviour gave “all the maddies licence to think that it’s OK to abuse politicians”. Crikey politics editor Bernard Keane⁠ acknowledged the motive was unknown, then singled out Hanson as the country’s foremost contributor to a darker political atmosphere anyway. He highlighted the attack occurring on the day she defended the Lambie cartoon. As if putting two events beside each other in a hardly-read blog establishes that one caused the other. What it does do, though, is plant a politically convenient suspicion in the minds of the silly and the Left (but I repeat myself). Enter Exhibit A as proof of such left-wing nonsense. The Socialist Alliance’s Sue Bolton and Sarah Hathway warned against weaponising the attack⁠, then dragged in right-wing influencers, the manosphere and One Nation as those to blame. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Saint Anthony and the Miracle of the Disappearing Dirt File by @JamesMacpherson [COMMENTARY] There are few things more reassuring than a politician lecturing the rest of us about civility. But that’s exactly what we’ve had to endure from Saint Anthony all week. The Prime Minister has been at pains to stress just how important it is that we lower the temperature of political debate. And there’s nothing wrong with that advice — especially in light of the appalling attack on Independent MP Helen Haines. It’s just a bit rich coming from the PM whose own office was shopping around a so-called dirt file on Helen Haines just weeks before she was attacked in the street. Now, of course, I’m not suggesting any link between the dirt file and the car ramming. But I am suggesting that, when it comes to the issue of civility, the PM has all the moral authority of Pope John XII. It’s all a bit too convenient to sermonise on lowering the temperature right after you’ve finished fiddling with the thermostat to see just how much heat you can apply to your political opponent. As is now well known, Helen Haines had been critical of a $6m government grant awarded to a golf club in Anthony Albanese’s Marrickville electorate. Rather than answer the criticism, the PM’s office created a dirt file on Helen Haines, casting aspersions about her own funding requests. Because nothing says “healthy democratic debate” quite like responding to questions about your own conduct by encouraging questions about somebody else’s. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Inquiry Wants Industries to Collaborate — What Industries? by Patrick Byrne, @readNewsWeekly [COMMENTARY] While the Federal Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence inquiry into national resilience and civil preparedness is greatly welcomed, its terms of reference are lacking in several respects. The inquiry does not define “national resilience”. “National resilience” means a society with a cohesive view of the threats to its sovereignty; a country with serious strategic industries and a military that toge­ther are capable of withstanding, defeating/deterring and recovering from wars, protracted crises or disruptions, while keeping essential services, the economy, governance and the military functional at a high level. Somewhat lacking a sense of urgency as to the threats facing Austra­lia, the committee says its purpose is to inquire into “whole-of-nation support to National Defence”, collaborating and coordinating with state, territory and local governments, the private sector, and the broader Australian community to ensure “continuity of government and the availability of essential services, including fuel, in (a) crisis or conflict”. This begs further questions. Collaborating and coordinating among what industries? Australia has de-industrialised. Does anybody see the elephant in the room? Under radical free-trade policies, critical manufacturing and heavy industries have been either destroyed, diminished or shifted offshore. Australia barely has the critical mass of industries capable of keeping the nation running should trade routes be cut. The nation is utterly dependent on imported liquid fuels, motor vehicles, fertilisers, computers, computer chips, smartphones, water-processing chemical, and consu­mer goods. Australia’s manufacturing is just 5 per cent of the economy, one of the lowest in the developed world. The sector is half the GDP size of the U.S. and a quarter that of China. And as News Weekly has revealed, Australia is set to become a net importer of food and fibre within 11 years. As well, Australia has allowed China to become its major trading partner, when Beijing stands out as our most likely adversary. Further, where is the proposal for national resilience exercises — like those run by Singapore, Israel, Sweden and Finland, to name but a few — that are necessary to bring the nation together to define the threats, rebuild strategic industries and to build skills, collaboration and coordination between all sectors of society? Moreover, where is the sense of urgency? Since the 1970s, Australia has lost its focus on societal preparation for war, focusing instead on national disaster planning for single events like cyclones, floods, fires and droughts. But as pointed out by Mike Burgess, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General of Security, we are now in an environment of concurrent, cascading and compounding threats. The emphasis is “compounding”. We are organised to manage events, but we are not nearly as well organised to manage accumulating threats. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

2,500 Too Many: A Call to End Male Suicide in Australia by Nathaniel Marsh, @Dads_For_Kids [COMMENTARY] This past Thursday, a sea of shoes was placed on the lawns of The Domain, Sydney. Thousands of empty boots, sneakers, and shoes. Each representing a life lost, a family impacted, and a call for action on male suicide. Watch Dads4Kids’ short documentary to find out more. The visual representation of the male loss of life is shocking, and it truly is an urgent national crisis. Thanks to the hard work of Paul ‘Paulo’ Withall and his team at Zerosuicide Community Awareness, this is the ninth 2500 Too Many Shoes display event, and the momentum for change continues to build. Here’s some background from Paulo on the numbers that should shake us all into action: "In the year 2000, Australia was losing 5 males per day to suicide, about 2,100 each year. In 2015, we saw an increase to 6 males per day, about 2,270 per year. 15 years to increase by 170 per year. In 2022, Australia saw a jump in male suicide of 97 males in one year, taking us to 7 males per day, around 2,455 per year. 7 years to increase by 185. BUT 1 YEAR TO INCREASE BY 97! We heard CRICKETS from our leaders. In 2024 (last available reporting), we saw a rise to a loss of 2,529 males per year. Surpassing the 2,500 and beginning to head towards 2,600. Males now make up more than the entire Australian suicide rate from 2013, only 13 years ago. In 2013, the total suicide rate for both genders was 2,455 — the 2024 male suicide rate alone was 2,529! The people tasked with reducing and stopping suicide won’t talk about this gender-based emergency, so it’s up to me and you. These deaths are rising at a rapid rate, and it’s highly possible we will begin to see 8 males lost per day by 2028 if we don’t fight for change NOW! This is an emergency! You and I are the only voices these souls have. Please help us stop this! It’s time for a gender-based emergency response to male suicide, and we can’t wait one more year. THE TIME IS NOW, NOT NEXT ELECTION!" Sobering words indeed, and I’m so thankful for Paulo’s passion and advocacy for men and boys. He’s an everyday bloke with a dogged determination for doing as much as he possibly can to reduce male suicide. Dads4Kids will continue supporting the #2500 Too Many initiative, and I hope Paulo inspires you as much as he inspires me. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

“I Never Wanted to Feed That Beast”: Joel Houston on Fame, Faith and Stepping Away by @Rod_Lampard [TESTIMONIES] Joel Houston stepped back from the stage three years ago. Now he’s explaining why. The Hillsong UNITED leader, who is on hiatus from the band, spoke with Rich Wilkerson (of the ‘Cross and the Switchblade’ clan) about church, the stage, ministry and responsibility. Some of what he talked about could also be categorised as performative Christianity. Wilkerson, a Miami-based pastor and podcaster, was in Australia for this year’s Parable Conference, hosted by Houston’s sister and brother-in-law’s Parable Church plant. Houston said he’s still trying to work out what he described as a strange reluctance with the platform. It’s a hesitation about the stage that he thinks comes from growing up in and around it all. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

How the LGBTIQ+ Taliban are Targeting Children by Mark Powell [COMMENTARY] The Tasmanian Greens are seeking to introduce — with the enthusiastic assistance, unfortunately, of the Liberal Premier, Jeremy Rockcliff — a version of the Conversion Practices Bill which is truly Orwellian. Significantly, their anti-conversion laws are almost identical to those imposed under Sharia law, with both worldviews having the same totalitarian goal. Just as under Sharia law, an individual is not free to convert to another religion — except if it’s to Islam — so also the Greens want to prohibit people’s freedom to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. Even if this is what someone wants to do, and they themselves are seeking outside assistance. No wonder the Greens often portray Palestinian flags outside their offices right next to the one for LGBTIQ+. The ideological dissonance between the two groups seems to be totally lost on them. But it’s probably an illustration of the old proverb, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” as they both hate the nation of Israel and especially the Christian faith. What makes the “good news” of the Christian Gospel so good is the promise of salvation. The assurance that everyone who turns to Jesus in faith and repentance will not only be forgiven of their sins but also empowered to live a new life of obedience to God’s Word (See 1 John 3:1-10). At the risk of incurring the condemnation of those who champion the vacuous mantra that ‘love is love’, this was the message which Israel Folau was famously persecuted for. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Archbishop Peter Comensoli Speaks Up Against Political Promises of Free Abortions by @BillMuehlenberg [COMMENTARY] It is a sad thing to say, but far too few Western church leaders of all stripes are willing to speak out on the vital moral and cultural issues of the day. There are, of course, notable exceptions to this, but regrettably, Australia is in the same boat. Consider the horrific plan by Victorian Labor to basically force taxpayers to pay for baby-killing. I wrote that up at the time here. For the most part, few if any church leaders called this out. But then just the other day, I saw this online Herald Sun post: ‘Culture of death’: Melbourne Archbishop compares abortion to capital punishment. The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne has slammed Victoria’s major parties for backing taxpayer-funded abortion, warning Australia harbours a hidden “culture of death”. The piece is behind a paywall, so that is all I could see of it — but that was sufficient. I am glad that Archbishop Peter Andrew Comensoli has spoken out on the abortion issue. Noted pro-lifer Joanna Howe has praised him for doing this, when so many others are silent on it: "The uniparty just made free murder an election promise and finally a prominent church leader has exposed this as the evil this is. Thank-you to the Archbishop for his strong words in today’s Herald Sun. Free baby murder should never be an election commitment. A line has now been crossed. Killing babies should never be a cynical ploy to get votes. I disagree with all the media commentators saying abortion shouldn’t be an election issue. Of course it should…" I say a hearty amen to that. I just found this piece on his website with this title: “Who will stand for the least among us?” I assume it is the same that appeared in the HS. It goes like this: "Australians were rightly horrified by the announced livestream execution of a convicted mass murderer. While US authorities have seen sense and cancelled the livestream, they still plan to execute the man. This isn’t the only execution to grab our attention recently. The failed execution of another prisoner in the US has shown there is no neat, ‘dignified’ way to take someone’s life, despite the promises of advocates. To many Australians, this culture of death seems foreign to us. The truth, however, is that the taking of lives does occur here. The termination of the unborn at one end of life and the terminally ill at the other end is just as brutal and should be just as shocking. But, like capital punishment, the reality of these deaths is often hidden from us. In the past week, the Labor Party proudly announced that, if reelected, Victorian taxpayers would cover the full cost of abortions for expectant mothers in Victoria. The Liberal/ National Coalition swiftly confirmed they would follow suit. Last year, Victoria made so-called ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying’ easier to access. Despite advocate promises about ‘dying with dignity’, it’s not hard to find accounts of patients whose attempts to end their life using VAD have not been quick or easy or painless. Australian authorities don’t often publish this sort of data, so this reality is largely hidden from us. But do we hold in our mind and heart the stark reality of what is occurring when human lives are deliberately ended? Each person is unique and unrepeatable; made in the image and likeness of God, with inherent dignity and infinite worth that is never lost. Sadly, this is too often ignored. Australia rightly recognised decades ago that it could no longer justify capital punishment, if it ever could. We have the means to safely incarcerate convicted criminals for the rest of their lives if necessary. How then can we justify ending the lives of the unborn, whatever the reason given? Do we not have the means to support the least among us and their mothers? And with the sick and the terminally ill, don’t we have the means to support them fully with love, compassion and medical care, to the end? Will politicians who advocate to fully fund one ‘choice’ also advocate to fully fund the alternatives? Sadly, no major political party — Labor, Liberal, National — or the Greens or One Nation is offering to really turn back the tide on this culture of death. True, no candidate or political party can ever solve every issue or be a perfect representative. When casting our votes in November we will need to weigh up the full range of issues and policies before us to decide who would best serve the common good — or least harm it. Let us pray that those we choose will govern wisely and prudently, upholding the good of all, especially the least among us." Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

How Did Disagreement Become So Violent? by @JamesMacpherson [COMMENTARY] How is it that the world in which we live has suddenly become so vicious? Surely I’m not the only one who has noticed. Public debate has become more hostile, and people are frighteningly willing to intimidate, threaten, or even kill those with whom they disagree. How did this happen? Our politicians have lately taken to blaming the “algorithm”. If you listen to government ministers, the single greatest problem in the West today is the ubiquitous algorithm that is destroying everything. No matter that no-one can properly explain what the algorithm is, who controls it or what should be done about it — other than more government control, naturally. But could there be other factors influencing the West’s sudden descent into societal chaos? Here’s an explanation I have a great deal of time for, because I think it’s one of the most logical. Having rejected the Christian worldview that helped shape Western civilisation, people are increasingly turning to ideologies that promise to both explain and save the world. Ironically, the opposite is happening. People are mis-understanding the world and then behaving in ways that threaten to destroy it. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

BLM-Style French Riots Offer Cautionary Tale by Joshua Arnold, The Washington Stand [COMMENTARY] Devastating riots swept across France this weekend, and they show no sign of ending soon. The agitation echoes America’s BLM riots from the “mostly peaceful” summer of 2020, but several factors make it far more dangerous. These factors provide a cautionary tale for America: a lesson not to follow down France’s path. More than half a million people demonstrated across France this weekend, with black-clad agitators jumping out of crowds of protestors to loot shops, vandalise property, and assault police officers. In some cases, the police admitted they had “lost control” of the situation. Demonstrators burned down a 19th-century town hall in Limoges, forced their way into the city hall in Marseille, set the Lyon tourist office on fire, looted stores in Bordeaux and Lille, and waved the flag of Palestine atop a statue in Paris’ Place de la République. Some 600 police and firemen were hurt, and 2,500 agitators were arrested. Parisian police imposed curfews Monday night on high-profile areas that saw weekend rioting, and France’s second-largest city Marseille banned all public gatherings. The demonstrations began fairly innocuously with students protesting purportedly low funding for schools on 17 September. However, by 6 October, a quarter million demonstrators had reached a level of violence that caused police to release tear gas. That week marked the third anniversary of Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, and this occasion has tinged the protests “green” (the colour of Islam), as agitators spray-painted Paris’s city hall with Hamas slogans and “Free Palestine”. In the most recent riots, 70% of those arrested are adults. “We have seen Palestinian flags at demonstrations that were supposed to be about education and social demands. What does Gaza have to do with any of this?” asked Shannon Seban, executive director of European affairs at the Combat Antisemitism Movement. “This has nothing to do with legitimate student demands anymore. We are talking about organised violence, about people who are not coming to demonstrate but to destroy, to attack our police officers and to challenge the authority of the Republic.” Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Victorian Labor Promises Free Abortions by Mark Powell [COMMENTARY] If there is still anyone left in Australia who doesn’t recognise the current cultural crisis we are in, then just consider this. One of the key election policies of the Labor Party in Victoria leading up to the state election is a promise to provide free abortions. This includes travel expenses and accommodation for those from rural areas, as well as the waiver of approximately $1,000 medical fee for the procedure. To be fair, though, the Labour Party in Victoria already effectively killed the state economically over their past twelve years they’ve been in office, and so the provision of government funding to murder the unborn should come as no surprise. I mean, you’ve got to hand it to them, at least they are consistent! The Presbyterian Church of Victoria has been one of the Christian denominations to come out publicly against the issue. The Rev. Dr John Wilson, Moderator for the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, has published the following open letter to Labor’s leader... Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

WA’s Equal Opportunity Act Rewrite Sparks Religious Freedom Fears by @Rod_Lampard [COMMENTARY] The Western Australian Labor government’s sales pitch for its “modernisation” of the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act 1984 is safetyism and inclusivity. Those buzzwords say it all. This looks like a diabolical attack on Christians, freedom of association, parental rights, school choice, free speech, conscience and informed consent. The proposed law is also pre-emptive, meaning it presumes discrimination where none exists in order to prevent discrimination. Announced on 20 October, the press release dropped all the “progressive” buzzwords, raising red flags about protections for faith, families and freedom. As reported by The ABC, “Religious schools will no longer be allowed to sack teachers or expel students due to their sexuality, or to reject students due to a disability, under new laws proposed by the Western Australian government. “Religious institutions, including schools, will still be allowed to discriminate based on religion, but not other grounds under a rewrite of the state’s Equal Opportunity Act. “Attorney General Tony Buti said ‘that would stop institutions discriminating against people in the LGBTQIA+ community’.” The ABC added that the “latest proposed overhaul follows Independent MP Allegra Spender’s calls to reform federal laws which exempt religious institutions from the Sex Discrimination Act.” Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

New Release: Queensland’s Abortion Statistics by @mattcliff, @CherishLifeQLD [ANALYSIS] For the first time ever, with a heavy heart, we have the official Queensland Health abortion statistics for 2018-2024. Below we have produced two videos to make the information accessible to a wider audience: a longer video which includes a commentary on the current political landscape in Queensland, and a shorter video presenting the statistics alone. Underneath these clips, you will also find the full written article, including commentary and analysis of the official statistics. We encourage you to watch these videos and share them as widely as possible. We also urge you to take this information to your local Member of Parliament and use the videos as a resource to educate them and help raise awareness about the fate of unborn children in Queensland. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

False Messiah Emerging in Israel’s Elections? A Prophetic Warning for Christians by Enoch Lavender [COMMENTARY] Israel’s upcoming election on 27 October features a candidate calling himself “Yeshua Ben David” (Jesus, Son of David). This unusual political development is raising fascinating questions about the Antichrist, Israel, and the rebuilding of the Third Temple. Heading up the “Garden of Eden” Political Party, Yeshua Ben David aims to restore the biblical Jubilee system, re-establish the Sanhedrin, and bring back the Temple priesthood. Most remarkably, one witness reports that he believes himself to be the Almighty Himself. While these claims require careful verification, they raise important questions for Christians interested in Bible prophecy. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…

Forcing Taxpayers to Kill Babies by @BillMuehlenberg [COMMENTARY] By now, you would have heard of one of the most demonic campaign pledges to have been made by a major political party. With just a few weeks to go to the Victorian state election, the Labor Party has announced that abortion in this state would now be free of charge if they win office — that is, fully paid for by all Victorian taxpayers. The state will pay private and public providers for all costs when they do a medical or surgical abortion within the first 16 weeks. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said that Labor will invest $30 million over four years to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortions in Victoria. She made these remarks: “Women should never have to make a decision about their health or their right to choose based on cost. Abortion, of course, is an important part of our health system here in Victoria, and we want to make sure women can access abortion care when they make that decision free of cost.” Um, killing innocent babies is not health care — it is death care. And forcing taxpayers to cough up their hard-earned dollars to pay for these is abhorrent. If someone wants to kill their own baby, let them pay for it themselves. Don’t force me and others to become complicit in this evil. All this is horrific enough. But what makes it even more deplorable is that Liberal Party leader Jess Wilson first said there would be no changes to their abortion policy, and then turned around hours later and said that the Liberals would match the Labor plan. Useless! And people wonder why political outsiders such as One Nation are on the ascendancy all throughout Australia. When you have both major parties just echoing each other on something as important as the killing of the unborn, then you know we do not have a genuine two-party system: we have a uniparty. Of course, Victoria has long had some of the most liberalised abortion laws in the nation, and aspects of baby-killing already have been getting some taxpayer backing. But this just takes it to a whole new, barbaric level. Read more: dailydeclaration.org.au/2026…