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A pro-life Catholic hospital in Canberra is being forced to hand its staff and building over to the Australian Capital Territory government.

In a statement posted May 10, ACT Chief Minister, Andrew Barr, said new laws were being fast-tracked to allow the ACT government to take “Calvary Public Hospital land” without question or concern for compensation.

Over AUD $1 billion in funding has been allocated to deliver, what Barr described as “healthcare that is more consistent with the evolving needs of the ACT community”.

In other words, ‘not Christian’.

The ACT government will destroy the current hospital, replacing it, and its landmark blue cross, with a government-run, Northside hospital to be operated by Canberra Health Services.

Calvary’s 1800 staff will be transitioned to the left-wing, Labor government’s ‘healthcare’ ethos, and helped to adjust to the tax-payer-funded hostile takeover.

Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith, delighted by the news, defended the ‘acquisition’ saying,

Consolidating our public hospitals to create a single network will allow us to better coordinate our health services, and improved health outcomes for all Canberrans.

Paying tribute, Smith added,

Calvary has played an important role in the delivery of public hospital care for generations of Canberrans over the last 44 years.

Canberra Health Services looks forward to welcoming current staff while recognising the need to respect the hospital’s distinct culture and values.

The hospital was established in 1885 by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary.

They are a non-profit Catholic healthcare organisation, with a mission to “provide quality, compassionate healthcare to those in need”.

Julian Bajkowski, writing for The Mandarin, explained, “the church doesn’t own the land, making compulsorily acquisition of Crown Land a significantly simpler exercise.”

The ‘stealthy’ move to ‘nationalise’ the Christian hospital, he inferred, potentially proves just how hostile the ACT Labor Government is towards the Church.

Noting community sentiment, Bajkowski said,

There is a perception in many migrant communities that the ACT government wants the church out of the local healthcare system for political reasons.

The ABC described the plans as ‘controversial’.

They then reported the ACT Health Minister had refuted the notion the government was retaliating against the Christian hospital because of their notoriously ‘strained relationship’.

Backing the Government, the information report said ACT authorities had been negotiating “the hospital’s future [since] May last year, but were unable to reach an agreement”.

Catholic Weekly unpacked the shock decision, saying the takeover of Calvary’s Public sector came,

Less than a month after a government inquiry into abortion and reproductive choice described Calvary as “problematic… due to an overriding religious ethos.”

Christopher Prowse, Archbishop of Canberra-Goulburn, told DW he was “stunned” by the news, saying “there was no warning or discussion”.

Prowse said the government’s unilateral decision was setting a “worrying precedent”.

It’s a very sad day when governments can simply decide to mount a take-over of any enterprise they like without any justification.

Catholic Health Australia representative, John Watkins AM, was of the opinion that the overreach should be wake up call to all Australians, not just Catholics.

Watkins recalled,

Catholic hospitals account for around 10 per cent of the country’s total hospital services and treat more than 1.5 million patients annually.

If they are to continue to provide their vital role, they need to know their long-term arrangements will not be unilaterally terminated on a whim.

Calvary chief medical advisor Dr Tracey Tay reasserted the Hospital’s long commitment to quality healthcare.

This includes the Hospital’s ‘do no harm’ pro-life position regarding abortion and euthanasia.

Giving possible reasons for the bureaucratic belligerence, Catholic Weekly pointed to Calvary’s opposition to the ACT Government’s euthanasia (VAD) policy.

The Christian hospital refused “to implement the scheme if legalised”.

Responding to the news, the Australian Christian Lobby called for the protection of conscientious objection, rightly framing the Labor-Green acquisition, a ‘Soviet-style’ grab of a non-government asset.

Calvary’s government takeover starts on May 31, and is set to be completed by July.

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Photo by Catholic Weekly/Calvary Hospital.