The Wire

As a general rule in an egalitarian democracy, religion and politics should not mix. Yet over the past decade relgion has increasinlgy entered Australia’s political dialogue. The rise of the new conservative churches such as Hillsong and numerous pentecostal varients has seen an emphasis on family values with a playing down of social justice issues. Many church groups continue to campaign for social issues such as refugees, asylum seekers and the War in Iraq, however the Government tends to ignore these and focus on the conservative values that support their political and economic ideologies. A public forum is being held tonight at the University of Technology to discuss what role religion should play in Australian politics. Kirsten Veness interviewed some speakers involved in the debate tonight, beginning with Senator Lyn Allison of the Democrats who is to chair the forum this evening.