Christians favour politicians with religious faith: survey

Australian Christians would be more likely to vote for a political leader active in another faith than for an atheist, according to recent research.

Grant Power, as part of his PhD, surveyed 1109 Australian Christians about the effects on their voting intentions of political party leaders' religiosity. Full results here.

In an article published in Crikey last October, Power wrote:

'The two most important factors influencing voting intentions were not religious —  party policies and the political party were key. That is no real surprise — previous research has shown that party policies and the political party are significant factors affecting the voting intentions of the general population.

First Yom Kippur, now Nazi allusions - where to next?

One wonders if there are any coincidences in politics, not the least Julia Gillard's announcement of an election just before Craig Thomson is arrested and two ministers announcement retirement.

Another instance could be Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne's likening of the ALP's ministerial reshuffle to the 2004 movie Downfall, about the last days of the Hitler regime.

'This government is starting to resemble a scene from Downfall,' Mr Pyne told reporters in Adelaide.


Did he know that new Attorney General Mark Dreyfus is descended on his father side from German Jews, some of whom fled to Australia to escape the Nazi's and some who didn't and died in the Holocaust?

Understandably, Mr Dreyfus is leading expressions of revulsion against Mr Pyne's comments:


'These immature and offensive comments have no place in Australian political debate.There is no place in Australian political debate for a comparison of any Australian government with Hitler's Third Reich.These comments are deeply hurtful to holocaust survivors, they are deeply hurtful to any right thinking Australian.'

The problem for Mr Dreyfus is that last year he was making headlines for Nazi comparisons of his own:

'Abbott’s wildest claim is that he is running a "truth campaign". Leaving aside the Goebbellian cynicism of labelling a scare campaign a "truth campaign", I think it shows Abbott’s contempt for the Australian electorate.'

When asked by journalist today about his own comments, Dreyfus, predictably, said:

'That's a quite different thing, it's a very, very specific and targeted comment about the propaganda techniques.'

Make up your own mind and watch those coincidences...

New political party has high hopes: Australian Christians

'The political landscape is at a crossroads. We believe the time is right for a new party, shaped by Christian values, to step forward as a viable third alternative.'

This is the bold declaration of a new political party known as Australian Christians which was launched in some states early last year.

A news story on the party by Perth Voice reports comments by national director Ray Moran who hopes that three existing political parties with Christian affiliations - Family First, Australian Christian Democrats and the Democratic Labor Party - can be united into one large Christian party.

However at the time, according to Perth Voice, the only progress had been some "official talks" with Family First.

A Victorian State Conference and Campaign Launch is being held on February 3 with the theme defending the essential three strands of faith, family freedom. Ecclesiastes 4:12 is highlighted - 'A cord of three strands is not quickly broken' - perhaps applicable also to the goal of uniting Christian political parties.

One of the speakers is Australian Christians' lead Senate candidate in Victoria, Vickie Janson, author of Ideological Jihad. She has recently completed a trip through regional Victoria meeting church leaders and other Christians. Tasmanian lead Senate candidate is Kevin Swarts.

On its website, Australian Christians describes a hopeful vision, clearly unsullied by political realities that too easily engulf even experienced hands.

'We see a movement that is known for what it promotes, not what it opposes. A party with a voice in the political conversation that can shape policy, promote and protect the values that create a better Australia for all Australians, no matter what their faith and belief. We believe this movement has the potential to unite Australian Christians. And we believe it has the potential to influence the values and culture of our next generation.'

Comment: at first glance, Australian Christians would seem to have unrealistic hopes and little organisation - the twin plagues of most Christian endeavours in the world of politics. A closer look reveals that, in Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania at least, there is some degree of organisation and resource and even a few candidates. ACV

Wikipedia contains a small and slightly outdated reference to the party. It claims that Australian Christians will not operate in NSW due to the strength of the CDP in that state.

Roxon, Evans and McClelland all go leaving Labor campaign in turmoil

News Limited papers and ABC are reporting this morning that Attorney General Nicola Roxon will soon announce that she is standing down from Cabinet and will leave politics at the next election.

This is in addition to reports that Labor Senate leader Chris Evans will announce his retirement as early as today. Senator Evans is also Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research.

And this follows Tuesday's news that ALP Member for Barton Robert McClelland will not contest the next election. Now news has emerged that he is being considered for a judicial post which could force a by-election in his Sydney electorate held by a margin of 6.9per cent.

Who is Mark Dreyfus?
Of interest to many Christian voters and others, will be the effect of the departure of Ms Roxon on the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill currently being debated across the country.

The Attorney General is tipped to be Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Mark Dreyfus QC, Member for Isaacs. 

To find out more about the man who may become Australia's next Attorney General:
Read Mark Dreyfus's maiden speech
Read a wide-ranging interview
Read transcript of ADHR bill debate


More on today's political turmoil

God invoked twice on day two of longest election march

God was invoked twice today in circumstances that may have a bearing on the far off but announced federal election.

Daily Telegraph columnist Simon Benson says that '...fate or God's cruel design, made a mockery of Julia Gillard's claim that by calling the election early the government could rise above the political muck.'

He was speaking of the arrest and charging of former Labor MP Craig Thomson the day after Prime Minister Gillard's created Australia's longest federal electoral lead-up by announcing a September 14 poll.

Meanwhile Moses Obeid must have felt the spiritual vibe and brought Jesus, the friend sinners, into the corruption inquiry examining allegations that former NSW resource minister Ian Macdonald provided inside information to the Obeid family that has allowed them to make millions of dollars.

When asked about confidential documents and maps seized in a raid on his family's offices, Moses said 'it might have been drawn by Jesus Christ.'

Both investigations are electorally damaging to the ALP as it makes the long march to election day and we can only assume that many ALP supporters will be invoking God on their knees in the hope these dramas are long gone by then.

(Election) Time for a deft look at Tony's faith says ABC

The Prime Minister has said she will not be distracted by the election even though she has announced the date, but she may be in the minority.

The election is certainly colouring much media coverage (not the least our own) at present although whether this can be sustained for eight months remains to be seen.

An example is ABC's Religion and Ethics today advising followers on Twitter that, 'It's a good time to revisit @CUhlmann's deft treatment of the tension between Tony's faith and Abbott's ambition'.

If a good time refers to the fact that we'll be voting on September 14, then no doubt we'll also see something deft delivered from the archives on various other politicians and their faith - which will be helpful! From the article:

'Tony's Catholic voice is raised whenever he seeks to describe his political vocation. Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas echo when he tells Paul Kelly that politics is a way of giving glory to God: "This idea that politics is a managerial exercise, a simple question of resource allocation, I just think is dead wrong because politics is about inspiring people and persuading people there is value in what they do."'

Check out the full story:

Sparse Christian response to election news, but it's early days...

Response from faith-based organisations and churches was relatively sparse in the hours after Prime Minister Julia Gillard's announcement of a September 14 federal election.

Anglican analysis
Sydney Anglicans has a page devoted to the 'political year ahead' which pre-dates the announcement but provides some good analysis.

Among other things, it lists issues as:

• The key issue will be the economy.
• Voters will likewise expect more from Tony Abbott and his colleagues.
• A proper debate on poverty and income support needed.
• Expect big debates on law reform issues, starting with Commonwealth plans for national anti-discrimination laws. 
• Praying for let’s a more civilized climate of public debate.

Catholic comment
Catholic Health Australia tweeted that the election will be '2.5 weeks after the CHA national conference. Might be some people keen to be added to our program :)'.

Scott Prasser, executive director of the Australian Catholic University's Public Policy Institute, said in the SMH that Ms Gillard's 'unprecedented' move would benefit the government because it could keep campaigning with government resources.

Prof Prasser it would also put pressure on Tony Abbott to release policies and change tenor of all debates until the election.

ACL action
As of midnight on announcement night, the Australian Christian Lobby had not publicly commented on the election announcement and is still focused on the March 9 West Australian election.

"In the lead up to the election, the ACL has organised a Make it Count event with the Premier and Opposition Leader of the major parties on Tuesday 26th February at Mount Pleasant Baptist Community College from 7.30 to 9pm" the ACL website says.

Jewish response
Despite the Prime Minister announcing the election for the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, head of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Peter Wertheim, was unconcerned saying the clash of dates on September 14 ''is not an issue''
Mr Wertheim told The Age that every federal election is held on a Saturday - the Jewish Sabbath - and he believes that Jewish people are well used to voting early either by pre polling or through the mail.

Handel's Messiah rates a mention
One blog has pointed out that among other things, September 14 is the date Handel completed the Messiah in 1741. If the Day of Atonement was not enough...

Election 2013 has religious overtones from beginning

From the day of its announcement, the 2013 Australian federal election has had religious overtones.

Choosing Yom Kippur - the Jewish Day of Atonement, this year starting on September 13 and concluding on the evening of September 14 - would be to Christians something like holding an election on Christmas Day.

And while most Australians of faiths other than Christianity are realistic about not having their special days featuring on the national calendar in the same way as Easter or Christmas, they might just expect to avoid competing with a national poll.

Still other Australians, of no or indifferent faith, will be asking what the fuss is about and are probably trying not to think about the election at all.

Finally, for the many for whom AFL is the religion of choice, they will feel vindicated that the Prime Minister has most carefully avoided their most holy of days.

Whether we like it or not, religion - or as we will more often describe it - faith is a fact of life and a reality of political life. And if you need a sign of its importance, then the intersection of election and holy day may be just for you.

We are reviving Australian Christian Voter for just that reason. There are many Australians who hope faith, especially the Christian faith, has a significant influence on the policies and outcome of the next election. There are many other Australians who hope, vehemently, that it doesn't and instead have their own special agenda. That is the nature of politics.

Australian Christian Voter is really for the average Australian, who may have an active or even dormant faith, or none at all, who seeks to be slightly better informed about what Christians and others are saying about policies, candidates and issues in the lead up to the election. And with good conscience cast a decent vote.

So with 226 days and about 21 hours until the September 14 election, lets keep open minds, ears and eyes as to how to cast our vote - and perhaps our noses might be useful for a whiff of pretense, or something stronger...

Reaction from Jewish politicians