In the lead-up to the Queensland state election, this 20Twenty discussion explores how Christian beliefs shape political issues. The two key voices in this conversation are Rob Norman from the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) and Lyle Shelton from the Family First Party.
With the election just days away and early voting starting, the atmosphere in Queensland is charged. The Labor Party is hoping to secure a fourth term, while the Liberal National Party (LNP) is trying to regain power. Rob Norman points out that many people in the Christian community feel uncertain about politics right now.
‘There’s probably an element of fear in terms of freedom of speech issues,’ says Rob. ‘But the church always survives. It is resilient. We’re going to see revival, I believe. And it will happen whether or not there’s a Liberal LNP government or a Labor government.’
How Christian Beliefs Shape Political Issues
Some are feeling disappointed with traditional parties due to recent inaccurate poll results and ongoing issues they believe are being ignored. But the ACL continues to be focussed on these concerns and emphasises that Christian voters can still have hope even though they are facing challenges.
Lyle Shelton talks about Family First’s involvement in the election with many candidates running. He shares his concern about the current political situation, especially religious freedom, youth crime, and how the economy is being managed. Both the major parties have moved away from values that families and faith communities uphold.
But Family First stands as a strong advocate for these issues. ‘We’ve seen fifty nine brave Queenslanders willing to put their name on a ballot with the Family First Party,’ says Lyle. ‘That is indicative of people wanting to do something to push back against the negative trends that are coming from both sides of politics.’
Lyle says he is encouraged by that response, and the willingness of people to respond to the pressure they’re feeling. They are actively addressing the cultural and political decline by engaging in the conversation and taking positive steps to influence change. Through their involvement, they are having a meaningful impact on society.
Strengthening Families
Queensland voters are concerned about youth crime, healthcare, housing, and the high cost of living. Rob and Lyle agree that strengthening families is key to improving society. They believe it’s important to protect parental rights and keep families strong, and they suggest that helping families financially could help address these big issues.
Religious freedom is a big issue, especially with new laws like Queensland’s Respect@Work amendment. Rob and Lyle think these laws could harm free speech and religious expression. They’re disappointed that major political parties won’t change them, but Rob believes that if the government changes, there might be a chance for reform through effective lobbying.
‘We want to see parents given back the controls of their children’s lives,’ says Rob. ‘We want to see things like confidentiality through the school system opened up so that parents can know what’s going on at school. Particularly with gender ideology and what kids are learning. We believe that those things really feed into the fundamentals of society.’
Both Rob and Lyle criticise the Labor government’s economic approach, highlighting rising state debt and costly spending promises. They argue that these measures are short-term solutions. But they fail to address deeper economic problems and contribute to inflation, which hurts families.
Carefully Consider the Candidates
‘We can improve the family unit,’ says Lyle, ‘and encourage mums and dads by taking some of the financial pressure off them. That is a big cause of family breakdown and fatherlessness. As well as the social problems of pornography and gender fluid ideology. These are the things we need to be addressing to to make families strong, and that’s going to have an impact on crime in the future.’
Another major issue is the recent changes to abortion laws, particularly the Live Births Amendment Bill. Rob and Lyle advocate for laws ensuring humane care for infants who survive abortion procedures. They also encourage politicians to adopt a pro-life stance and address the moral implications of these laws.
Regarding election strategies, they discuss the challenges posed by the major parties’ small-target approach, which makes it hard for voters to understand candidates’ true positions. This lack of transparency hinders accountability, emphasising the need for Christian voters to carefully consider candidates’ policies based on actions rather than just promises.
‘I think Christians around the nation are becoming more interested in politics,’ says Rob. ‘I’ve noticed that pastors are becoming more interested as well and communicating better with their congregations. People are doing their research.They’re looking at each candidate and what they stand for.’
‘So I think we can be encouraged by that.’
Listen to Rob and Lyle’s full interview on 20Twenty below:
