The Diocese of Brisbane, which is led by Archbishop Phillip Aspinall of Australia, a key player in Anglican Communion politics, has passed up a chance to support the proposed Anglican Covenant. Jonathan Clatworthy has the story gleaned from the Australian Catholic discussion board:
Just came from the Brisbane synod vote [Saturday 23/June] on approving the Anglican Covenant. Rather than approve or reject it, they took the ‘Welsh Option’ and instead passed the following motion which acknowledges that the process has been somewhat overtaken by events.
That this Synod recommends to the General Synod that it:
Affirm the commitment of the Anglican Church of Australia to the Anglican Communion.
Affirm its readiness to engage with any ongoing process of consideration of the Anglican Communion Covenant
Request clarification from the 15th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council as to the status and direction of the Covenant Process in the light of the position of the Church of England.
Urge upon the Instruments of Communion a course of action which continues to see reconciliation and the preservation of the Communion as a family of interdependent but autonomous Churches.
Aspinall himself spoke in favor of the covenant, but his argument did not prevail.