This article of mine was published in the Australian Humanist—Summer 2015. Since Phillip Ruddock made his statement on QandA, Clive Palmer has come up with a plan that sounds very much the same. Here is the full text of my article.

The unique Australian Civil Celebrant Program was and is a great social and political initiative. For over forty years it has enabled secular humanists to free themselves from religious connections. Unfortunately, in the last ten years this program has been partially destroyed and certainly greatly diminished by hostile (religious?) public servants and politicians.

The very existence of the civil celebrant is now under serious threat. It is close to possible annihilation. If the enemies of secularism do succeed in finishing it off, it will go without a bang or whimper—ceasing to exist while still under the radar.