Parliamentary religion and public accountability

The Constitution is unmistakably secular -- save for one antiquated reference to God in the Preamble. At the time of Federation all education was "free, compulsory and secular" -- but since 1963, when Robert Menzies began funding Catholic schools, Australia now has the most Christianised school system in the Western world.

And while the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, its 'secular' intent is to keep religion out of politics and education. We need to learn from the robust secular countries of Scandinavia and calmly reposition religion from its "public and political" status, and to see faith as purely a matter of "personal and private" contemplation.

To achieve that, Australia must take the bold step and finally remove an archaic Christian taboo -- the one that prohibits any public challenge to religious authority, and demands a pious right to secrecy. It's that very taboo of silence that lead to the Child Abuse Royal Commission -- and thousands of victims finally being heard . . .!

Both the public and media need to expect and demand parliamentary accountability in politics -- as it impacts on the social and educational agenda. We must end the era where parliamentary religion can silently and covertly impact so heavily on the contemporary socio-political agenda.

Brian Morris is Director of Plain Reason and author of a new book 'Sacred to Secular'.