Atheists Too Hot to Handle for Victorian Government
Posted on : 27-11-2009 | By : davo | In : Media Releases
Tags: atheism, Atheist, Media
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The Atheist Foundation of Australia (AFA) has questioned a decision by the Victorian Government to reject an application for funding for the Global Atheist Convention to be held in Melbourne next March.
The application was made in June 2009 through the Premier’s Department. It was then passed like a ball of flaming brimstone to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and, from there, to the Victorian Multicultural Commission where it has remained, smouldering, for months.
The AFA was advised that the basic criteria for funding was over one thousand ticket sales, including purchases from interstate and overseas. That goal was accomplished in October.
Also in October, the Atheist Foundation received a letter of rejection from the Premier’s Department. But, when AFA President, David Nicholls, questioned the decision he was told the letter had been sent in error, because the application was now being handled elsewhere.
This week, the Convention & Visitors Bureau advised that it was rejecting the AFA’s application because the Convention was already ‘secured’. This was a surprise to the AFA, who believed their application was being handled through the Multicultural Commission and had never been told that securing a venue would disqualify the Convention from funding. In fact, the venue was secured months ago prompting no comment from any government department until now.
"One has to ask," says Nicholls, "how you can confirm 1,000 ticket sales before having a venue secured."
"And," Nicholls continues, "if our application didn’t meet the government criteria, why did they hold on to our application for five months without once mentioning that fact?"
The Global Atheist Convention is a major international event, involving an impressive line-up of world-class speakers. The Convention has been promoted world-wide and will be the largest gathering of freethinkers in Australia’s history. At least 2,000 people are expected to attend the event, bringing considerable publicity and revenue to Victoria. While applications were made to federal, state and municipal authorities with careful attention to meeting funding criteria, not one application has yet been approved.
Conversely, The Parliament of the World’s Religions which is hosting 5,000 people at the same venue (the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre) has attracted $4.5 million in government support – 16 times the amount requested by the AFA.
"The atheist community is large, well-educated and well-connected," said Nicholls. "It’s not going to take long for word to get out internationally that Victoria does not welcome non-theists."
Still, Nicholls is hopeful the situation can be resolved.
"Either this is an ideological and bigoted decision on the part of the Brumby government or a serious bureaucratic bungle. We’re very hopeful that it’s the latter and that Mr Brumby will step in quickly and put things right."
Contact:
David Nicholls
President
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc
Private Mail Bag 6
Maitland SA 5573
Email: info@atheistfoundation.org.au
Phone: (08) 8835 2269
International +61 8 8835 2269
Web: http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au
Forum: http://atheistfoundation.org.au/forums/
Convention: http://www.atheistconvention.org.au
The reason World’s Religions need to be subsidised , with tax moneys they have not contributed to, is because they are begging organisations made up of professional beggars. They have grown from prophets and fortune tellers from past eons and have made a good living selling fresh air.
Atheist on the other hand have Jobs and pay taxes so don't need Government funding with tax money they Have contributed to.
nice that you have activity, just try to be friendly..
While I'm not an Athiest myself I think it's a great idea to host the AFA in Melbourne. Some (hopefully) would say that we are a free thinking city and welcome other points of view.
I will happily buy a ticket and go myself even if its just to listen to the views of intelligent and respected people.
Rudd's failure to open the conference and Government rejection of funding in the context of funding a conference of religious groups has serious implications for the separation of church and state. Both the Victorian and Federal governments choose to support theist groups and marginalise an international non-theist convention.
Is there now a requirement that organisations must have religious affiliations for funding support? Is the next step that individuals who receive support must belong to a church or a sect and subscribe to theist beliefs before receiving assistance?
Many historical and contemporary examples of repression based on religion come to mind. Where do Federal Labour, the conservative parties and the State intend to lead the Australian body politic when they cut out non-theists? What is the basis of treating atheists any differently from religious groups? Are we seeing the beginning of the demise of the democratic principles that breed tolerance and diversity
> While I'm not an Athiest myself I think it's a great idea to host the AFA in Melbourne.
Thank you for saying this. Open-minded discussion of people's views is exactly what is needed, and one certainly need not be an atheist to value this discourse.
> I will happily buy a ticket and go myself even if its just to listen to the views of intelligent and respected people.
Please do, I'm sure you'll be welcome and find it a very stimulating experience. Not to mention a great social event!
> "One has to ask," says Nicholls, "how you can confirm 1,000 ticket sales before having a venue secured."
I would guess the simplest effective way would be to assert it confidently, in a fatherly voice, while wearing clerical robes of a mainstream religion. Actual ticket sales would be entirely optional.
This is so appropriate because the Victorian government is the same as the State of England during the Victorian Era, conservative and fanatically religious. One has to ask, why is the government publicly supporting a fascist convention and not a liberal one, could it be that the government is overrun with religious lunatics (rhetorical question)?
[...] See article posted at the convention’s website Atheists Too Hot to Handle for Victorian Government. [...]