Action Australia

SPECIAL EDITION - SEPTEMBER 2007

Australian Christian Lobby Monthly News

THE ‘Federal Election 2007 – Make it Count’ event attracted attention both in Australia and overseas as politicians, the media and the general public took note of the commitment of Australian Christians to engage in the political sphere and help shape how our nation is governed.

Around 100,000 Christians from a wide variety of denominations met at 702 public venues and 339 home church locations on August 9 to take part in the web-cast of the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader addressing Christian leaders at the National Press Club in Canberra.

Media commentators were struck by the importance the two leaders placed on the Christian constituency, the wide range of churches involved in the event, and the innovative way technology was used to bring it about.

The large numbers of Christians watching the event were given a greater insight into the policies and directions of the two main political parties n a range of matters.

Importantly, politicians also gained a greater understanding of issues which are of concern to the Christian constituency and the place of the Christian voice in helping shape a society which is moral, compassionate and just.

The success of the event is a testament to the strong support it received from a wide range of denominations and churches located across the breadth of Australia.

ACL is very appreciative of the tremendous effort of ACL supporters in making this event a landmark one for Australia.

Please also pass on our thanks to your churches for their involvement.

This newsletter primarily reports on the ‘Make it Count 2007 event of 9th August with Mr Howard and Mr Rudd. There is little doubt that the event was very significant in highlighting both the presence and commitment of the Christian constituency. However we mustn’t simply rest on our laurels and think this is all we have to do for the election.

As Christians we have proven to politics we exist, now we have to prove our discernment! ACL will be providing many opportunities to do this over the period of the election campaign, which will begin soon.

A comprehensive list of questions has already been distributed to parties and their responses will be displayed through our Australia Votes website when we have the answers. In addition there will be Meet Your Candidate Forums (MYCFs) held in many electorates in each state.

If you were disappointed by the limited time for questions to the two major party leaders on the Make it Count 2007 night, these offer much more scope, and you can put them forward yourself.

Watch the website www.australiavotes.org for the locations where MYCFs will be held. There is also the opportunity to become directly involved with a party by manning polling booths on the day of the election and handing out election material.

If you feel strongly that a particular candidate or party should be elected, then your help could make a big difference. Finally we have to consider the consequences of our vote, not only in the House of Representatives, but also in the Senate.

With the Democrats on the way out and it not being likely that either Labor or the Liberals will control the Senate, the balance of power will probably be in the hands of either the Greens or Family First - parties with a very different philosophy on many social issues.

We need to both think and act with discernment!

Church Unity to the Fore

People from 36 different Christian denominations took part in ‘Make it Count 2007’ ranging from Australia’s biggest denominations such as Catholic, Anglican, Uniting and the various Pentecostal groups, right through to smaller denominations such as the Quakers.

The central event at the National Press Club in Canberra drew together around 200 denominational, para-church and major church leaders. The presence of such a wide crosssection of Christian leaders under one roof impacted politicians and media commentators. It was a testament to the willingness of Church leaders to play a part in making the Christian voice heard in Australia.

Churches participating in the web-cast came from all States and Territories, and both city and rural areas. Some of the more far-flung venues include Lightning Ridge District Bowling Club (NSW), Nhulunbuy Uniting Church (NT), Sugar Reef Baptist Church in Ingham (Qld) and Ulverstone Baptist Church (Tas).

Although not the chief aim of the ‘Make it Count 2007’, one of its real strengths was the way it fostered church unity and highlighted the willingness of many Christians to put aside denominational differences to work together to bring a Christian influence to bear on our nation. There were many instances of local churches from different denominations deciding to get together at one venue to receive the web-cast.

Leaders Stand Together at Bateman’s Bay

For example, seven churches from the Bateman Bay Minister’s Association met together at the ‘Church of the Ascension’ Anglican Church for the web-cast with the aid of information technology expertise from the Bateman’s Bay Baptist Church. Other churches to take part in the night were the Bateman’s Bay Presbyterian Church, the local Christian Outreach Centre, Church on the Bay (AOG), the Salvation Army, the Apostolic Church and the South Coast Christian Family Church.

Rev. Ian Lambert of the Church of the Ascension said that participants shared a meal prior to the web-cast. During the midway break they had a time of prayer and praise which included prayer for the nation and church unity. At the end of the evening leaders from all the churches came forward to pray and acknowledge that they stand together.

“The highlight of the event for us at a local level was having the pastors together in one church and all coming out in front of the people,” Rev. Lambert said. “Another highlight is the grace that’s shown between believers when they gather because they all have a different style of worship.”

Depth of Prayer at Penrith

Prayer and unity was also a highlight of the event for the representatives of the local Presbyterian, Anglican, Church of Christ and Baptist churches who met together for the web-cast at Penrith Church of Christ in Sydney.

“The highlight was the prayer time in the middle, because out of it came the decision that we should pray together more often,” said Perce Mallard, an elder at Penrith Church of Christ. “The depth of the prayer of commitment for both sides of politics was excellent.”

Mr Mallard said he thought ‘Make it Count 2007’ was a great event. “It’s about a God who can do more than we think He can!”

Unity in Wyndham

Over in Wyndham in Victoria, representatives of eight local churches met together at the Werribee Salvation Army venue for the web-cast. The churches are part of the Wyndham Christian Ministers Network and the denominations represented at the event included Presbyterian, Baptist, Salvation Army and Pentecostal.

Pastor Shane Cassidy from the Wyndham Presbyterian Church said the Network is also looking at hosting a Meet Your Candidate Forum prior to the upcoming Federal election.

What the Leaders Said …

In addressing Christian voters at ‘Make it Count 2007’ Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd made two very different speeches reflecting their different positions on the political spectrum and the contrasting approach of Government and Opposition.

The Prime Minister

Mr Howard championed the benefits of a strong economy, marriage, and freedom of choice in education. He announced measures to upgrade protection for families from Internet pornography and gave an unqualified assurance that any future government of his would maintain Christian prayers at the opening of each parliamentary day.

The Prime Minister also defended the Government’s record in caring for the poor in society and the effect of changes to the industrial relations system. He also spoke of the Government’s initiatives in the areas of foreign aid, climate change and Northern Territory indigenous affairs.

The Opposition Leader

Mr Rudd spoke about society’s problems in balancing work and family life and the way he feels these are exacerbated by the industrial relations law changes. He coupled these concerns with the financial strains of reduced housing affordability and spoke of the Opposition’s initiatives in this area. He also referred to Opposition policies in the area of education funding, early childhood education, indigenous affairs, climate change and foreign aid.

Mr Rudd committed a Labor Government to having family impact statements prepared for every submission to Cabinet and to assisting Christian refugees fleeing Iraq by initiating a multilateral conference on how to deal with the needs of refugee communities in Syria, Jordan and beyond. When questioned, he did not rule out introducing “mechanisms” of some type to protect rights, but said that any changes would only be made in complete consultation and partnership with the Christian community.

A key feature which both leaders’ addresses had in common was their acknowledgement of the nation’s Christian heritage and the importance of the Christian faith in the development and future of Australian society.

If you would like to watch videos from ‘Make it Count 2007’ or download MP3s or transcripts of the event please go to our website at www.acl.org.au and click on the relevant links.

Federal Election 2007:

The Next Step Prime Minister John Howard recently confirmed that the Federal election will be held before the end of the year, which means campaigning will soon be in full swing.

In the lead up to the election, ACL is taking a two-pronged approach to bringing a Christian influence to bear on political parties and their policy platforms:

1. Detailed Questionnaire:

ACL has distributed a detailed questionnaire to all political parties which asks them 25 questions on issues of interest to Christians – ranging from topics such as abortion, pornography, marriage and advertising to climate change, overseas aid, refugees and homelessness. Parties have been asked to provide answers to each question in no more than 250 words, as well as a bullet point summary.

The questions and answers will go up on ACL’s Australia Votes website at www.australiavotes. org in early October. Please keep an eye on the site and take the opportunity to compare the different party responses on issues of interest to you. If you are unable to access the Internet then hard copy extracts of responses will be available on request. Please phone ACL’s National office on 02 6259 0431.

2. Meet Your Candidate Forums:

Planning is under way for a large number of ‘Meet Your Candidate Forums’ in a wide variety of locations throughout Australia, with a particular emphasis on marginal seats.

These forums give Christian voters the opportunity to meet and question those people seeking their vote. Closer to election day a full list of locations for these forums will be posted on the www.australiavotes. org website or can be obtained by contacting your National or State/Territory ACL office. If you are interested in hosting or assisting with a forum in your local area please contact your State or Territory office.

TV Standards Plummeting

ACL is increasingly concerned about the way in which television stations are chasing ratings at the expense of community standards. Programs such as ‘Californication’ on Channel Ten and some crime dramas are pushing the boundaries in terms of gratuitous sex and violence, with the clear aim of using ‘shock value’ to attract ratings. The commercial television industry is primarily selfregulated and this is contributing to the decline in standards.

TV Standards Plummeting ACL is increasingly concerned about the way in which television stations are chasing ratings at the expense of community standards. Programs such as ‘Californication’ on Channel Ten and some crime dramas are pushing the boundaries in terms of gratuitous sex and violence, with the clear aim of using ‘shock value’ to attract ratings. The commercial television industry is primarily selfregulated and this is contributing to the decline in standards.

Fight Against Legalising Brothels in WA

The West Australian Government has introduced a bill into Parliament which seeks to legalise brothels and the purchase of sex. The Prostitution Amendment Bill 2007 will permit brothel owners to apply for a certificate to run a ‘sexual service business’ and to employ ‘sex workers.’ A similar approach to regulating the sex industry has previously been taken in Victoria, NSW and Queensland with disastrous results – such as a massive expansion of both the legal and illegal sex industry after the laws were passed.

The Prostitution Law Amendment Working Committee, chaired by ACL West Australian Chief of Staff Michelle Pearse, has been formed to fight the Government’s proposals. The committee is holding a public meeting on Thursday September 20 and is flying in a former special advisor to the Swedish government, Gunilla Ekberg, to talk about the far better ‘Swedish Model’.

Please contact Michelle Pearse on 0419 956 319 or email plawc@yahoo.com.au if you would like more details about the meeting. We’d also encourage you to join ACL’s ‘Women are Worth More’ campaign at www. makeastand.org.au.

Cloning Bill Introduced in Tasmania A bill to permit human embryonic cloning was introduced into the Tasmanian Parliament late last month. ACL is opposed to the bill and has urged Tasmanian parliamentarians to reject the legislation. Cloning bills are also soon to be debated in Western Australia and Tasmania.

If you would like to take part in ACL’s campaign against State cloning bills please go to our Make a Stand website.

National Office
Suite 9 Level 1
National Press Club
16 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600

T 02 6259 0431
F 02 6259 0462
E natoffice@acl.org.au

acl monthly / SPECIAL EDITION - SEPT 2007

www.acl.org.au