Consistency is key, right?
South Australia’s election highlighted the support for Christian MPs who represent Christian values in Australian politics.
Incoming Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas leads a secular party, but he is a semi-socially conservative Catholic. And Christian parties — whose values align closely with the Australian Christians — played a substantial role in the weekend’s favourable reshuffling.
Praise God, two-thirds of the SA Liberals who lost their seats were pro-abortion, and three-quarters who kept their seats voted to protect the unborn when the abortion-to-birth bill passed last year. All of the Labor MPs who bravely supported life will remain in parliament.
These results wouldn’t have been possible without the work of Christian candidates representing Christian parties in dozens of seats around the state. While not many will serve in parliament, their preference flows to pro-life candidates in other parties will now make a big difference for the pro-life cause over the coming four years.
The same is true when you vote for an Australian Christians candidate. Christians should not lose heart, even if few Christian MPs make it into the legislature each cycle. One of the reasons for this is how preference flows work in Australia’s electoral system.
No vote is wasted. If you voted for a pro-life Christian candidate who lost, your ballot is added to the count for the person to whom you gave your second preference. This process continues until only one candidate remains. If you voted following the advice of a Christian political party like the Australian Christians, you can be sure that every number on your ballot counts.
To understand the power of preferential voting, Christian filmmaker, Topher Field released a video for voting in the lower house. While Topher explains the process in the context of pro-freedom political parties, the principles hold true when it comes to Christian values more broadly. AC have been educating people about the voting system for years, and there is much value voting 1 in the Senate. We all need to number as many boxes possible above the line, this maximizes our voice and reduces preference exclusion.
The influence of Christian candidates in Christian political parties goes far beyond just preference flows. When such a candidate is fortunate enough to be elected to parliament, they have immense freedom to voice their Christian conscience without the constraints placed on members by the major secular parties.
The Liberal and Labor parties expect their members to vote with the party on most issues, allowing just a few exceptions. If a Christian MP in a major party goes against this rule, they can lose a portfolio or be ejected from the party’s caucus.
But when Christian MPs representing Christian parties vote for Christian values, there are no such consequences. They are free to vote in line with their God-given conscience. In doing so, they encourage the public and other members of parliament to vote in line with godly values too.
The truth is that standing up for life, faith, marriage, family and freedom won’t win you many accolades with the world. But the more Christians who do so in Australia’s parliaments, the more these values will be normalised and even supported in secular circles.
Speaking to believers, Jesus said:
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
If these powerful words of Jesus are true, surely they are relevant in every sphere — even politics. This is why Christian parties like the Australian Christians can make an outsized, positive impact in Australia.
If you haven’t yet, we invite you to become a member of the Australian Christians. We have and will continue to be a consistent and committed voice in the fight for faith, families and freedom – in and between election cycles! Join us in making a difference today and for future generations!
