In a new book, Max Wallace of the Australian National Secular Association argues that democracies should be republics characterized by constitutional separations of church and state and that it is not the role of a state to ‘advance religion’ through tax breaks.

South Australian Democrat MP Sandra Kanck has published a speech made to the South Australian parliament about euthanasia on a New Zealand site after the parliament voted to censor its own proceedings on its own web site.

Max Wallace

In my talk today I am going to argue there is no separation of church and state in Australia and New Zealand. There is formal separation in the United States and France. While there is no separation in Australia and New Zealand it is also true there is no separation in England. But the situations in Australia, New Zealand and England have to be distinguished.

I will argue separation of church and state is a basic requirement of democracy. Any nation that has not formalised it remains to a lesser or greater degree under the influence of the churches and has compromised its taxing powers. I say that is undemocratic and unacceptable.

This Congress urges the state governments of Australia and the government of New Zealand to enact legislation which will permit an intolerably suffering person to request a willing doctor to assist them to die quickly and peacefully, and to render lawful the provision of such assistance.

IHEU Regional Congress, Australia, November 2000