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	Church Cuts Funds to Unit Handling Abuse The Daily June 18, 2008 http://elephen.deviantart.com/art/Elephen-Company-Content-Layout-11562115 Australian Anglican leader Archbishop Philip Aspinall has backed a cut in the budget of the body charged with handling sexual abuse matters in his own diocese. The Brisbane diocese's annual parliament, or synod, will meet this weekend to approve the church's budget for 2009. Budget papers show the diocese's professional standards unit will take a 30 per cent cut, from $195,000 to $135,000, in 2009 despite ongoing public concern over the church's handling of sexual abuse. Dr Aspinall told AAP there had been an initial burst of training this year, to give more than 2,000 church workers skills in child protection and safe ministry practices. "That initial burst of training will be completed in 2008," Dr Aspinall said. "Training will continue but at a reduced level in 2009. "That is the reason for the reduction in budgeted expenditure for that year. "Future requirements will be assessed year by year." Bravehearts executive director Hetty Johnston said the move was disappointing. "I hope they are not thinking that they can take the foot off the accelerator because the spotlight has drifted slightly to the right," Ms Johnston said. "That is disappointing - they should be doing more and not less." Dr Aspinall said this weekend's synod would debate changes to church laws making it easier to "defrock" clergy convicted of a criminal offence. Since 2002, child sex offenders have not been permitted to minister in the church, by the archbishop removing the clergyperson's licence to minister. The changes would provide a faster route for a clergyperson convicted of a criminal offence by a court to be removed as a priest forever, technically known as being "deposed from holy orders". At present, the process involves a church hearing following the court hearing. If the changes are approved by synod, the separate church hearing into the facts of the matter will no longer be necessary where a clergyperson has been convicted of a sexual offence. They will still have the right to a review of the decision, but the review process will also be sped up. The synod will also debate new laws allowing the Brisbane diocese to appoint a woman bishop in the future. The Anglican Church has to date appointed two female assistant bishops, in Perth and Melbourne.
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