Archbishop Peers was in Sydney primarily to consult with the Rev Dr Bruce Kaye, General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Australia, as part of his research for a sabbatical project looking into General Synod establishments. He also gave a briefing to some church legal officers about the effect on the Anglican Church of Canada of legal suits relating to abuses at residential schools in Canada in earlier decades. In the discussion at Anglican Media the Archbishop addressed additional issues such as lay presidency, and the forthcoming Primates' meeting in Oporto, Portugal to be held from 22nd to 28th March. Though talking carefully about confidential discussions at the forthcoming Primates' meeting later this month, Archbishop Peers stressed that the 'Singapore consecrations' have raised, in many Primates' minds, the question of provincial autonomy. He pointed out that this is also raised in the most recent letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury to the bishops of the Anglican Communion.
Territorial integrity is a most important element of due episcopal order and collegiality.
In addition, Archbishop Peers mentioned the lack of decision-making power of the Primates' Meeting, agreeing with Dr Carey's comment that it is simply a consultative body. Listening to Archbishop Peers' comments, and considering Archbishop Carey's letter, it seems that a red light is already set against the hopes of those many faithful Anglicans, and even some Primates, who are looking for forceful resolutions and decision-making from the Primates' meeting. They want Communion-wide acceptance of the 1998 Lambeth resolution on Human Sexuality. Archbishop Peers' stress on provincial autonomy, coupled with the recent strong statements from the bishops of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, indicate where the opposition will lie to the conservative hopes from the Primates' Meeting. Archbishop Carey has also pointed out to the Bishops, and Archbishop Peers agreed, that the Primates' Meeting is a consultative and not an authoritative body.