A group representing Australian Christian schools is targeting women across the country with Facebook advertisements calling on them to pressure their local candidates about trans women, including supporting embattled Liberal candidate Katherine Deves.
ValuEd Voices is a campaign run by Christian Schools Alliance, a religious school lobby group that claims to represent 148 schools with 72,000 students nationwide. In the past, the campaign has focused on pushing for the unamended religious discrimination bill that would allow schools to expel LGBTIQA+ students or fire teachers, as well as for increasing independent school funding.
But with neither issue at the forefront of the 2022 federal election, the campaign has pivoted to focusing on trans rights, despite it being seemingly outside the purview of an education-focused group.
Almost half of its advertisements during the campaign so far — which have been seen by close to 900,000 Australian Facebook users — focus on trans issues. These range from opposing trans women in sport to “support[ing] women fighting for fundamental rights”.
At least one advertisement features the image of Liberal transphobic candidate Katherine Deves while claiming she is the victim: “Do you agree we need a debate without abuse on protecting women and girls in sport?”
None of the trans-focused ads are specifically about schools or education.
These Facebook ads are all targeted to women in each state and territory. The highlighting of Deves and her pet issue lends credence to the idea that, while her own candidacy may be doomed, it could be used to in an attempt to move the vote of religious voters.
Rather than formally endorsing one candidate or party, all the advertisements funnel users to an email form that allows people to send a message to candidates for their electorate. The default email text focuses on the religious discrimination bill: “I’m incredibly disappointed that Parliament has failed myself and other people of faith by not passing the Religious Discrimination Bill,” it begins.
Christian Schools Australia has been contacted for comment.
Even LNP moderates are saying the legislation re “protection” already exists. How closely Morrison’s bigotry follows the lunacy of the US so-called “evangelical” right, with an imagined society over-run by sexual predators of all descriptions. Where is the concern for genuine case of sexual abuse by violent partners, often masquerading in society as “good blokes” or religious leaders. Once again. Morrison attempts to harness the crazy element in society for his own gain. Liar.
The article is not about Morrison, Oztralian. It doesn’t mention him.
The article is about advertising by Christian Schools Alliance.
That group is free to spend its money to put forward views its members hold, isn’t it?
If you and your friends felt strongly about an issue, such as ‘concern for genuine cases of sexual abuse by violent partners, often masquerading as “good blokes” or religious leaders’, you would be free to spend your own money on ads putting forward your views and concerns, wouldn’t you?
If you did that, would you support my right to accuse Albanese of bigotry?
If you support free speech you might support my right to say that, but you might also think I was drawing a long bow accusing Albanese for an ad you had written and paid for, mightn’t you?
You forget that these schools are heavily funded by the tax payer
That’s another topic, Peter Wotton, worthy of its own discussion.
I’ve only responded to Oztralian’s argument against Morrison, which isn’t related to the article.
Sorry Frank, you can’t write off taxpayers subsidies that easy. For this reason we need an ICAC to keep politicians in line then perhaps the same rules should apply to “charities” that receive Taxpayer funding.
The only reason this is an article, the only reason this perspective is being advertised, is because Scott Morrison hand-selected a candidate based on of her views, then censored her past and barred her from speaking with the media – to transform it into an issue on girls in sport, and cancel culture – that spans and speaks well beyond Warringah.
He saw an opportunity for a semi-populist headline/vote grabber, ignoring the further demonisation of some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The article is absolutely about Scott Morrison and his disgusting contempt for anyone and anything that he can wield as a tool in the pursuit of re-election.
Indeed.
I was handing out leaflets at the last WA election and frequently heard Australian ‘Christian’ party members outright lying to voters about LGBTI+ issues! They claimed that people could be forced to have “a sex change” under Victorian law, without parental consent, and that this would be brought into the rest of Australia if Labor ever won an election. Despicable lies from a hate filled party.
I see the LibNats have given this Australian ‘Christian’ party first preference in the same area, the electorate of Swan.
Yes, well explained for Frank. I hope he reads and comprehends it.
Morrison himself pushed the “religious” agenda re the legislation. He himself voiced his “disappointment” that it was blocked. Pretty simple connection, really. And yes, the CSA can advertise as they want, as could I. Interesting twist on the topic. My “friends”, who might they be, in your mind?
Should these Christian schools lose their tax exempt status for this blatant political advocacy?
That’s why they’re not explicitly telling people who to vote for
Nah, they’re not endorsing any party. Instead they’re harming some of the most vulnerable in our community. Shame on them.
Is that a trick question?
The nasty Christian Right is intent on infiltrating every aspect of Australian life, all with the aid of hypocrites like Schmorrison and his bros Stuart Robert and Alex Hawke. No, thank you, fellas. Your version of religion (the one you’re trying to impose on everybody whether they like it or not) is narrow, intolerant of difference, divisive, and ultimately just ill-informed and stupid.
Get out of people’s faces and keep your evangelical BS private, where religion belongs.
Religion was always meant to be seperate to politics, how far the apple has fallen with this sad lot in Parliament and the muppets that follow.
Discrimination for religious cranks, but not for anyone else: Morrison’s Nirvana.