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1. ACT Govt Minister Katy Gallagher is playing politics in trying to level criticism at Archbishop Coleridge and Cardinal Pell.
   By making them the focus of her 'consultation' on the proposed purchase by the ACT Govt of Calvary, Ms Gallagher doesn't have to debate the very real critique of the finacial underpinnings of the proposal.
   The proposal, as it stands, of the ACT Government will be bad for the people of Canberra as well as for those of us in the surrounding NSW country areas which have access to Calvary.
   The bottom line is that the ACT Govt's continuing funding of Calvary, run by the LCMHC will actually benefit the ACT Govt finances over the same period that the ACT GOvt say they need to expend $200 million and cannot do this if it remains in Catholic hands.
   And no wonder the the ACT Palliative Care nurses and supporters are up in arms about the proposed sale of the ACT Hospice, Clare Holland House. At the present time, there are nineteen beds in the Hopsice but the ACT Govt will only allow the operation of ten of them. The situation if the the Govt sells the Hospice to the LCMHC would not improve as the Govt could then blame the LCMHC for the shortfall in bed space - approx 400 people are desparately waiting for Hospice care in the ACT.
   The LCMHC and the Archdiocese need to petition the Commonwealth Government for a takeover of ACT Health, it's the only solution for justice for all Canberrans - patients, nurses, doctors and those resident of NSW who need the care in Canberra.

   Posted By: Fr Mick Mac Andrew, Bombala NSW

2. The Archbishop is spot on about secrecy. We now know the ACT government has been pushing for this for over four years, but we the voters didn't hear a word about it until - very conveniently - just after the October 2008 elections. The government's reluctance to put the matter to the electorate is telling - they know it would cost them votes.
   And it's no secret that the radfem mafia in Canberra, which calls the shots in ACT social policy, has been gunning for Calvary for years. See, for example, Angela Shanahan's articel on Amy Haddad,
   (For the record, I am not a Liberal; I'm happy to vote Labor federally, but the ACT branch is something elese again.)
   Fr Mick is, with all respect, being too modest in his ambitions. Quite a few Canberrans would be happy to go back to being run by the Commonwealth Department of Territories across the board.

   Posted By: pm

3. Normally my dictum is 'choose cockup before conspiracy', however in this case I think Fr MacAndrew has hit the nail on the head.
   The secular Australian Establishment is generally becoming more hostile to the Christian presence (except behind closed doors between consenting adults). This is hardly seen more clearly in the ACT Assembly and the stream of legislation it has spawned.
   Sadly, too, we see that the demise of nursing orders, and I expect the trickle of charitable benefice signal something about the lack of, perhaps not faith, but resolve on the part of the Christian people in Australia.
   These are hard economic times, but perhaps Catholics need to consider putting our money where our mouth is too.

   Posted By: Peter

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