Fundamental Principle:

Not one cent of one dollar should be given to any religious tertiary institution, whether it be for a so-called public InstitutIon like the Australia Catholic University or a private one like the University of Notre Dame. Giving public funds to any religious tertiary institution offends the wisest public policy and the principle of separation of church and state. It provides pence for the pillaring of Australian society. It enables a religious group to have more influence in many areas of public activity than they should have in the interests of public policy.

ALP and Coalition in an Unholy struggle for University of Notre Dame support:

Last week both the Federal Coalition Government ( Julie Bishop) and the ALP opposition ( Stephen Smith) competed for votes of the Roman Catholic Bishops and their adherents with promises of millions of dollars of taxpayers' money in relation tofunding of places and facilities at Notre Dame University (in W.A.  and N.S.W.). Funding is to be provided in the areas of teaching, nursing, and medicine.

On August 23, Julie Bishop announced her offers to the University of Notre Dame . On August 24, Stephen Smith,  the committed Roman Catholic , outbid Julie Bishop.

Outbidding by Stephen Smith for the Roman Catholic Vote.

Stephen Smith's outbidding of Julie Bishop on the Notre Dame front comes as no surprise. He was appointed to the shadow portfolio in December 2006 and by the middle of February 2007 he had visited both campuses of the private University of Notre Dame. His visit to Notre Dame was probably his first visit to any educational institution after his appointment, and the only university to have received two visits.

It is worth noting that the ALP has a federal labour university compact entitled Investing in our Universties'Strengths and Promoting National Interest Priorities. Stephen Smith has clearly chosen a Roman Catholic private university to make the first financial initiative of the ALP.This is an insult to non-religious universities which far outweigh in number and size this private, sectarian, conservative institution.

  The following reveals Stephen Smith's gazzumping of Julie Bishop's coalition initiative.

1.    The ALP's bid is up to $4 million in Commonwealth supported university places  compared with the Coaltion's $3.5 million.

2.     The ALP bid is to support 330 additional Commonwealth supported places compared to 200 for    the Coalition

3.      In the separate disciplines, additional places are allocated in the following fashion: nursing ALP 100; Coalition 80; Teaching ALP 200; Coalition 120; Medicine: ALP 30; Coalition Nil.

4.       As if the above was not enough, Stephen Smith announced that a Rudd Labour Government will also invest up to $7.5 million to upgrade and improve facilities at Notre Dame's two campuses at both Fremantle and Sydney.

5.    The ALP News Release is at least twice the size of the Coalition's News Release

University of Notre Dame is a Religious Based Institution

If any reader is in any doubt about the religious nature of this Institution, we suggest you read the following information from Notre Dame's website.

1.    The first object of the University is the provision of a university education within a context of Catholic faith and values.

2.      A compulsory core curriculum for all students . DOGS quote: äll students, regardless of campus are required to study units in ethics, philosophy and theology dealing with issues that go to the very heart of participation in public life - we add in the context of Catholic faith and values.

3.       The University appears to appoint strong conservative Roman Catholics as Deans.  The following is gleaned from Notre Dame source material.

          "The Dean of the College of Philosophy and Theology:  Professor Hayden Ramsay had appointments in Melbourne in the office of the Archbishop of Melbourne and at the Catholic Theological College Melbourne. He also taught philosophy at the University of Melbourne and LaTrobe. In Sydney he works in Cardinal Pell's office and is also the Professor of philosophy of John Paul !1Institute for Marriage and Family. He has a special interest in Catholic philosophy and in debate between Catholic and secular moral thinkers.

          "The Foundation Dean of Education: Professor Allan Coman: is currently principal of Stella Maris College, the highly prestigious Catholic secondary college in Manly.  In his role as principal, he has made an outstanding contribution to Stella Maris overseeing a doubling in student numbers and significant capital works at the College. He is greatly respected through the N.S.W. Education community as being a leader of exceptional vision and professional integrity. Vice Chancellor Dr. Peter Tannock said: 'Professor Coman is an exceptional educator and a great advocate for Catholic Education in New South Wales.

4    Religious Tests for Employment

An example of a religious test for employment is provided by requirements for a curriculum support officer in the School of Medicine, Fremantle, August 2007 DOGS quote:

Essential Requirement : Supportive of the objects of the University, ( D.O.G.S. note one of which is the provision of university education within a context of Catholic Faith and values. )

5.     Promotes and Supports a Roman Catholic Event

Notre Dame proudly supports World Youth Day 2008  (a Roman Catholic religious event)

Where will the Tribalism End?

Those of us who remember the Industrial Groupers/ Catholic Action and the various other cells in a variety of activities are gravely concerned that the University of Notre Dame has established the following schools: Arts and Sciences; business; education; law; medicine; and nursing.

It is one proposition for religious groups to pay for their own universities which can lead to cells being created in many areas of human activity, but it is totally wrong for the taxpayer to pay for a religious enterprise that could spread the church's influence in many areas of human activity through adherents fellow travellers, and the cowardly ones .

Founding Fathers Would be Disgusted

Our Founding Fathers realised that it was wrong for the taxpayer to fund religious education and promotion. The fundamental political reason for opposing the support of religious educational institutions was that they created a cancer in the body politic. Unfortunately the bad effects of primary and secondary religious schools will extend further by the funding of tertiary religious institutions. DOGS call for the stopping of the funding of religious institutions. If is wrong in both principle and practice.

Where will it end? One can contemplate a Muslim University. One cannot forget the statement of John Dunmore Lang in the mid nineteenth century., that if you give money to the Christian, you will have to give it to Mohammed. This prediction took over one hundred years to occur, but it has happened. The Seventh Days Adventists already have a teritiary Institution. Can you go a bit further to a Jensenite Anglican University?

Can you go even further to a choice of ONLY a private, religious university.?

 Stephen Smith: Further Information.

If readers wish to find out more about Stephen Smith DOGS refer you to News Release185

( www.adogs.info/pr185.htm ); News Release 201, www.adogs.info/pr201.htm ; News Release 202 www.adogs.info/pr202.htm and News Release 203 www.adogs.info/pr203.htm .

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