Society

Moral values deficit in Australian government

For the first time in history the Australian Christian Values Institute has conducted its consultative evaluation process on all parties contesting the up and coming Tasmanian State Election on Saturday 20th March. This summary of the positions of major parties on issues of concern to Christians is provided as a service to the Christian community. In the 2006 Census 64% Australians identified themselves as Christians.

The checklist has been compiled after an exhaustive search of party platforms, voting history, statements, including in some cases the voting record of their Federal counterparts. Positions are often difficult to summarise in a format of this kind, and parties have not always made definitive statements. Therefore a '?' indicates in some instances a conscience vote, or a less than conclusive opinion on the party's position on some of the issues. A tick equals yes, a cross equals no. The sight is not pretty.

Jack Sonnemann, Tasmanian Representative for the Australian Christian Values Institute and a long time campaigner for families said, “The Tasmanian checklist shows that some of the parties are devoid of a moral and social conscience and are ruled by politically correct anti-family ideologies. We encourage Tasmanian voters to make up their own minds about the moral deficit in some of the major parties. All the parties need to lift their game and realise there are a lot of people concerned about what is going on in our State Parliament.”

“In a recent Australia Day, major newspaper Galaxy Poll, Australians were asked the question, “Do you think Australia has changed in the last 20 years?” The answer was surprising considering our nationalistic Australia Day euphoria. 52% said that Australia was worse. 39% said Australia was better and 9% of Australians had not noticed.

Mr Sonnemann continued, Those interested in the Christian Values Checklist represent more than 52% of people in Australia who are deeply concerned by our increasing levels of family breakdown, increasing levels of child abuse, high divorce rate, high rates of cohabitation without marriage, the declining status of marriage, the proliferation of pornography, the homosexualisation of our society, the breakdown of moral standards, higher levels of rape of women and children, higher rates of violence against women and children, rising rates of violence in the playground and general societal decay.”

“We live in an age where political spin glosses over parties’ fundamental beliefs. The Checklist aims to provide a picture of where the parties stand on issues of concern to Christian voters.”

“It is important that debates about new hospitals, sporting grounds and water policies do not obscure burning social issues.”

“The Christian vote is a growing constituency and cannot be taken for granted.

On the web: www.christianvalues.org.au

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