ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with three emerging issues in the dynamic State and religion relationship in Australia: terrorism, same-sex marriage and institutional responses to child sexual abuse. Australia's response to terrorism is the longest standing of the three issues. The most recent legal change is in relation to same-sex marriage which was legalised in Australia in December 2017. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse handed its final report to the federal government in December 2017. While terrorism was not a new phenomenon, the unprecedented scale and publicity of the attack prompted political, legal and military action around the world. In Australia a connection is almost inevitably drawn between Islam and terrorism. Examining Australia's list of declared terrorist organisations also gives the impression that modern terrorism is intrinsically linked to religion. During debate on the Marriage Amendment Bill 2017 a number of amendments were proposed in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
