Voices in the Political Wilderness – Women in the Sydney Anglican Diocese

Abstract

The Sydney Anglican Diocese neither ordains women as parish rectors (priests) nor consecrates women as bishops. While appointment to these positions allows male clergy to lead a church parish or other church community, senior clergy may be voices in political discourse – for example, on topics such as abortion, euthanasia, religious tolerance legislation and marriage of same-sex couples. By preventing women from rising to positions from which they may contribute to such political debates, the Sydney Anglican Diocese’s bans on ordaining women as rectors or consecrating them as bishops may constrain women’s political speech. This article considers whether NSW anti-discrimination legislation, which supports the church subordination policies, may infringe the implied freedom of political discourse that the High Court of Australia has held exists under the Commonwealth Constitution.