UJA offers this response to the Discussion Paper on
Marriage as a contribution to a timely and
significant theological conversation about the nature
and practice of marriage within the Uniting Church in Australia

UnitingJustice supports the proposed amendment to the Migration Act 1958. This amendment will ensure that a baby born in Australia to asylum seeker parents will be able to remain in Australia with their parents until their protection claim is processed, preventing the child from undergoing indefinite and mandatory detention including removal to regional processing centres.

UnitingJustice Australia has made a response to the Interim Report to the Minister for Social Services from the Reference Group on Welfare Reform chaired by Patrick McClure. 

UnitingJustice has made a submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014. The Uniting Church believes that no child should ever be detained. The indefinite and mandatory detention of children is a gross violation of international human rights laws and inflicts terrible harm on children. 

The Uniting Church in Australia Assembly has submitted comments to the Attorney General’s Department on the Exposure Draft of the proposed legislation to amend the Racial Discrimination Act. The Church strongly believes that the proposed Bill should be rejected in its entirety.

UnitingJustice has made a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. The Uniting Church believes the Protection Obligations Bill will not enable Australia to meet even a minimum of requirements for the protection of refugee rights under international law.

UnitingJustice Australia has made a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communication in response to the Government’s Direct Action Plan. The Uniting Church believes that Australia needs to be a leader in the Asia-Pacific region in mitigating climate change. It questions the Government’s ability to achieve vital reductions to emissions through the Direct Action Policy, having deep reservations on the plan's short and long term efficacy.

In light of the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013, UnitingJustice wrote to the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General expressing its support for the removal of exceptions for religious organisations.

The National Director of UnitingJustice Australia has written to Scott Morrison, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship addressing his recent comments in regards to asylum seekers living within the community.

UnitingJustice welcomes the release of the Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 and its commitment to key international human rights treaties to which Australia is a signatory. UnitingJustice reccomends the bill be passed, but has also proposed improvements.