Queenslanders went to the polls last weekend and drove the Labor Party from government in an historic and brutal election. I believe a significant factor in the defeat of the Labor party was the disdain with which Ms Anna Bligh and Mr Andrew Fraser treated Queenslanders on the issue of Civil Partnership Legislation, which was rushed through as a matter of grave importance with eight sitting days of parliament available before the bill was seen as having to be passed.

The committee process, lauded as Queensland’s alternative to an upper house, was similarly abused without any possibility of adequate community consultation. The ALP believed this piece of legislation was a vote winner whilst the LNP voted against it as a block and also committed to repealing it. In the end, the ALP couldn’t have gotten it more wrong. There are only two conclusions – either Queenslanders want the legislation repealed, or they just don’t see it as important at all.

It was disappointing to see Labor’s Michael Choi and Margaret Keech lose their seats. Both showed great courage in standing for Christian values, twice crossing the floor to vote against surrogacy for same-sex couples and marriage-mimicking civil partnerships.

I want to thank everyone who attended one of our 25 Meet Your Candidate forums and also those of you who logged on and watched the live webcast we hosted with Campbell Newman.

It is great to see Christians more and more engaging with the political process as this is so necessary if we are to see our culture positively influenced in the future.

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ACL’s Queensland Director Wendy Francis will be hosting a series of ‘Meet Your Candidate Forums’ for Queensland local council elections.

Local government plays an important role in community governance. The Australian Christian Lobby recognises that to a large extent, our local council mayors affect the character and culture of our cities. Meet the mayoral candidates, hear from them and ask the important questions.

Check the details below to see if there’s a forum in your area.

Toowoomba Regional Council – Mayoral Forum – Thursday 12^th April – HumeRidge Church of Christ: 461 Hume Street, Toowoomba – 7:00pm

Sunshine Coast Regional Council – Mayoral Forum – Thursday 19^th April – Lifepointe Baptist Church: 186 Wises Road, Buderim – 5:45pm

Gold Coast City Council – Mayoral Forum – Monday 23^rd April – Kings Christian Centre: 68 Gemvale Road, Reedy Creek – 7:00pm

Cairns Regional Council – Mayoral Forum – Monday 23^rd April – Cairns Baptist Church: 138-142 Lake Street, Cairns – 7:00pm

Wendy Francis is the Queensland State Director of the Australian Christian Lobby. She spoke to the ACL's Katherine Spackman about last weekend's election results. Click here to read.

MEDIA RELEASE

Saturday, 24rd March, 2012.

The Australian Christian Lobby has congratulated the LNP on its resounding win in the Queensland election.

ACL's Qld Director Wendy Francis said she was pleased that LNP Leader Campbell Newman had engaged the Christian constituency through the ACL's live webcast last month.

For the first time in ACL's 12 year history, a Labor leader had refused to participate.

"While there are many factors in the Bligh Government's demise, Ms Bligh and the ALP leadership's decision to disregard such a large constituency would have only compounded the loss.

"It was well known in the Christian constituency that most Labor MPs had voted to deny children the chance to at least begin life with a mother and father through controversial surrogacy laws allowing singles, two men or two women to acquire babies.

“It was also obvious that Labor’s high-profile championing of marriage-mimicking civil unions did not win it any votes, particularly as it was clearly rushed through as a political stunt to support gay activists campaigning at the ALP National Conference in December last.”


The importance and swinging nature of the Christian vote, which would have almost completely abandoned Anna Bligh in this election is well documented,” said Mrs Francis.

“Former Labor Senator John Black's analysis of the 2007 election showed that the religious affiliation of swinging voters had played a more decisive role in determining the outcome in 2007 than any other single factor.”

"There is no doubt that Labor has the capacity to attract Christian voters but the Bligh Government's behaviour in recent years, and Ms Bligh's refusal to address Christian leaders and take their questions as Campbell Newman did, will have alienated a great part of the constituency in this election,” she said.

"The consequences of ignoring a major constituency in the community should be a lesson to politics as a whole," Mrs Francis said.

“But it is also hoped that we will not see parties adopt the mud-slinging so evident under Ms Bligh’s leadership in this election, an aspect of the campaign that most people will have rejected and do not respect in our public leadership.”

Mrs Francis conducted 24 Meet Your Candidate Forums attended by 1500 people throughout the State during the election campaign.

Hope: Preventing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide has just posted its survey results on each individual candidate's answer to whether they would vote for or against any bill to legalise euthanasia and/or assisted suicide.

Hope said that 110 candidates responded to the survey. The candidates had the option to respond: FOR, AGAINST or UNSURE and were given the opportunity to make a qualifying comment.

It has published the results in a pdf. See below for a copy of Hope's blog post about the survey results.

Queensland voters go to the polls this coming Saturday the 24th of March.

HOPE has taken this opportunity to survey all of the plus 400 candidates for their views on euthanasia & assisted suicide.

A little more than 25% responded. Some candidates from the major parties chose to respond giving the party line. In the case of both the LNP and the ALP we were told that neither party planned to introduce euthanasia and/or assisted suicide legislation.

While this is welcome, it does not tell us how a candidate (if elected) would vote if another party or individual were to introduce such a bill.

It's been a while since this issue has come up in Queensland, but this does not mean that it won't come up sometime soon. In fact, one candidate declared to the survey that he would introduce a bill if elected and we know that the Queensland pro-euthanasia lobby is ready to back such a bill should it arise.

If you're from Queensland, make sure you take the time to call your candidates if they haven't responded to the survey.

Please pass this poll around to every Queenslander you know.

 

MEDIA RELEASE

March 14, 2012

Unproven mudslinging to besmirch character without proof of wrongdoing is clearly unacceptable in political debate, the Australian Christian Lobby said today.

ACL’s Queensland Director Wendy Francis said that while both sides of politics were guilty of this from time to time, the extraordinary unsubstantiated attacks on LNP Leader Campbell Newman and his wife Lisa’s family, as revealed in the Channel Nine news report, had taken this to new lows.

“When leaders are being presented as alternatives at elections, it is particularly important that any allegations of wrong-doing are properly substantiated,” she said.

“People need to be able to trust the information out there at election time and not feel that they are being the target of smear campaigns between parties or individuals.

“It is also important that the work of independent corruption watchdogs are not co-opted during election campaigns for political purposes.

“While it is increasingly difficult to know where the truth lies in all this, the seemingly deliberate tactic to throw mud until something might stick is totally unacceptable for a Premier seeking our confidence.

“At a time when public trust is in desperate need of being restored in politics, smears only serve to further undermine this,” Ms Francis said

ends

 

Tuesday night's meet your candidate forum in Cairns for the electorates of Cairns and Mulgrave had more than 100 North Queenslanders attend. This was despite Labor candidates refusing to attend the forums. The LNP candidate for Mulgrave Robyn Quick outlined her long involvement in the plans to solve the road system. Katter's Australian Party candidate Darren Hunt (Cairns) along with LNP candidates Gavin King (Cairns)  and Robyn Quick (Mulgrave) spoke in strong support of teh plan for removing red tape for adoption legislation in Queensland.

MEDIA RELEASE

Monday, March 12, 2012

The Australian Christian Lobby says the LNP's credentials on same-sex marriage are solid and Campbell Newman has always said he'll support the democratic decision of the party's grassroots.

"It is the party's position that it will repeal those elements of civil unions which mimic marriage without affecting substantive rights for same-sex couples,” said ACL’s Queensland Director Wendy Francis.

“Of as much concern is that the gay lobby have used this incident to again close down debate with invective against anybody who stands for marriage and therefore necessarily is against same-sex marriage.

"Debate on an issue looking to effect substantial change to such a fundamental institution of society can't simply be closed down,” said Ms Francis.

“But the reality is that these activists are keen to do it because they know support for same-sex marriage is illusionary.”

"Even GetUp's constituency didn't rate same-sex marriage in the top ten issues of concern, so just how important is it to the rest of Australia?" said Ms Francis.

“And how natural is it when the imagery of two men being affectionate is immediately jumped on as objectionable by even the gay lobby, who clearly see it as eroding their support for marriage?”

ends

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Australian Christian Lobby has called on the LNP to disendorse Mark Boothman as its candidate for the seat of Albert should this morning’s allegations about his association with pornographic websites be proven.

ACL’s Queensland Director Wendy Francis said no political party should accept candidates with views towards women as expressed in the websites.

“Should this morning’s reports be proven, the LNP must disendorse Mr Boothman.

“In the wake of the skype sex scandal report released yesterday and continued allegations of a culture of objectifying women in our defence force, Parliament is the last place we want people with these ideas,” Ms Francis said.

ENDS

In the lead up to the Queensland election, Associated Christian Schools has released an election statement. The first part of the statement can be found below or the full statement can be viewed here.

Education is a key driver in securing Australia’s Future in the global market and in shaping the future nation of Australia. Independent Faith-based schools are a partner in the education of Australians, based on their long-espoused ethics and values. Australian Christian schools, founded in the 1960s, have distinguishing features that are influenced by their spiritual traditions as well as the policies and processes used to employ staff and enrol students.

Whatever the affiliation, parents choose a Christian school to give their children a clear moral and ethical educational framework for life as responsible citizens. Associated Christian Schools acknowledges and appreciates the support provided by the Queensland Government of its 29 member schools. In the lead up the State Election on the 24 March 2012, we are seeking continued support from the major political parties, that faith based schools continue to be autonomous and independent with the ability to teach within their own educational and faith based interpretation, while remaining compliant with accountability requirements to the state government.

Associated Christian Schools have recognized five key priority areas for the next period of Government in Queensland:
1. Public and political support for Independent Faith-based schools.
2. Recurrent funding to be increased in line with real costs and State department funding.
3. Capital funding Assistance for Year 7 Transition to Secondary and New Schools, including to those who may make an earlier
transition than 2015.
4. Increased support for Disadvantaged Students.
5. Ongoing discussion around the primary purpose of education.

 

 

Wendy Francis is the Queensland State Director of the Australian Christian Lobby. She gave the ACL's Katherine Spackman an update on the political hustings in the state leading up to the March 24th election.

Media Release

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

The Queensland Premier’s extraordinary accusations that the Australian Christian Lobby is not ‘open or honest’ and that it is a ‘far right-wing group’ are disappointing, the ACL’s Qld Director Wendy Francis said today.

“Ms Bligh needs to explain what she means by her slur on our integrity,” Ms Francis said.

“The public have had enough of politicians tearing each other apart in the past week. It is even more unbecoming for a Premier to be mounting baseless attacks against a community group like ours.

“It is no secret that ACL has been critical of those Labor members who voted to deprive a child of a mum and a dad through same-sex surrogacy.

“Equally, ACL has praised the ALP members who voted with their consciences in favour of kids’ rights.

“But standing up for kids’ rights over those of adults doesn’t make someone part of a sinister far right-wing group.

“There are many Queenslanders of faith and no faith who are rightly concerned about the ethics of creating family constructs that deliberately set out to deny children their biological birth-right.

“ACL has always supported rights for same sex couples and the removal of discrimination in succession and estate laws but does not support anything that diminishes marriage or discriminates against children.”

Ms Francis said ACL welcomed the LNP’s commitment to “looking at” repealing civil unions but believed this could be done in a way that did not leave same-sex couples discriminated against, as is certainly the case in other States which do not have civil unions.

“Because of the importance of marriage for society and children, we obviously draw a line there.

“The ACL’s opposition to some Bligh Government policy is based on our understanding of what is right and wrong and does not reflect in any way a preference for the right or left of politics.

“The Bligh Government’s decisions to implement policy that denies children their biological birth-right is in reality pandering to ideology and aggressive minorities, both of which would betray its responsibility to observe the best interests of the child in public policy,” Ms Francis said.

 

ends

This morning the ABC  played a snippet of LNP Campbell Newman’s comments at yesterday’s Meet Your Candidate Forum in Ashgrove about repealing the civil unions act that was passed at the end of the year. The ABC’s Spencer Howsen spoke to the Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland’s Debra Awyzio afterwards about whether it was possible for Campbell Newman to change the law.

When Ms Awyzio was asked if repealing the Civil Unions Bill was a recipe for legal chaos she said “I think there definitely will be an upheaval because at the moment if someone is registered as a civil partner they have certain rights under succession laws. No it’s just their rights as partners – it’s their abilities to make claims, for further provision from the states. There’s amendments to Anti-discrimination Act. So it’s almost like taking a backward step. Where Queensland was looked at being quite forward-thinking in making this legislation now it has the effect that we’re looked at as taking a backward step. It’s not a good position to be in.”

The ACL would disagree with Ms Awyzio’s comments that repealing the laws would be a backward step for Queensland. The rights of partners, that Ms Awyzio refers to, could be ensured by introducing relationship registers for the purpose of recognition by government of the relationship. New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have introduced relationships registers. The registers effectively remove unreasonable discrimination for same-sex couples, such as in terms of an individual’s ability to allocate their own finance and property, without mimicking marriage in the way civil unions or partnerships would.

MEDIA RELEASE

Monday, 27th February, 2012

The Australian Christian Lobby has launched the website www.qldvotes.org.au to help voters make an informed decision at this year’s state election on March 24th.

ACL’s Queensland Director Wendy Francis said the website will allow people to compare parties responses on 21 questions of concern to the Christian constituency.

“The ACL will be promoting this website to thousands of Christians throughout the state, particularly in electorates where members voted against the right of a child to a mother and a father when altruistic surrogacy legislation was passed in 2010,” Ms Francis said.

“The website will also have details of each individual MPs response to crucial conscience votes affecting the rights of kids,” she said.

Ms Francis said major issues covered in the questionnaire included alcohol abuse, homelessness and housing affordability, poker machines, abortion, euthanasia, palliative care, adoption, outdoor advertising and Christian religious education.

The questionnaire will also be available to download in an eBook which can be read on smartphones and tablets.

“The ACL welcomed Family First’s response on problem gambling by committing to implement $1 bets on pokie machines. However, both major parties answers on this issue were disappointing,” she said.

“On collecting abortion statistics, the LNP agreed to consider findings of a 2008 senate inquiry for all states to collect abortion data.

“The ACL also welcomes the commitment from Labor, LNP and Family First to maintain a prohibition on harmful X-rated DVDs from being sold in Queensland,” she said.

Ms Francis said the site also has a video of Campbell Newman’s address to Christian voters which the Premier and Deputy Premier declined to attend.

The site also contains details of 19 Meet Your Candidate Forums in key marginal seats, where candidates are invited to address Christians and their concerns.

On Monday, February 20th, the ACL's Queensland Director held a Meet Your Candidate Forum in Kingaroy. The South Burnett Business News went along to the forum and wrote the following story below on its website.

Kingaroy Has A Very Polite Night With The Candidates



Photo courtesy of South Burnett Business News ABOVE: Australian Christian Lobby Queensland State Director Wendy Francis, John Dalton (Independent), Deb Frecklington (LNP), Carl Rackemann (KAP) and David Thomson (Independent / Queensland Party)

February 21, 2012 - On polling night, election pundits are expected to keep a close eye on the State seat of Nanango to see how Katter's Australian Party will perform.

The interest, though, doesn't seem to be shared by local residents.

At a forum staged in Kingaroy last night - organised by the Australian Christian Lobby - just 38 people showed up, and it was clear from the T-shirts that at least a few came along with the candidates.

Four would-be MPs were there: Deb Frecklington (LNP), John Dalton (Independent), Carl Rackemann (Katter's Australian Party) and David Thomson (Independent / Queensland Party).

Retiring Nanango MP Dorothy Pratt was also there, greeting all the candidates very warmly (including Rackemann, whom she greeted with a quick kiss despite her alleged blow-up with Bob Katter late last year).

Apologies were received from The Greens candidate Grant Newson (who was at the Jondaryan protest, see below) and the ALP's Virginia Clarke, who was ill and had suffered a recent family tragedy.

The forum was moderated by the ACL's Queensland Director Wendy Francis. All candidates were given five minutes to introduce themselves and discuss their background and philosophies. Wendy then asked for questions, which were submitted in writing from the floor.

Predictably for a conservative rural seat, all candidates supported religious instruction in schools and the school chaplaincy program. All were opposed to gay marriage and were pro-life.

All believed in a balance between farming and mining and all thought suicide was a serious problem in rural areas. Equally, none are going to recommend preferences.

The only differences emerged when the candidates were asked "If the Parliament was equally split, which side would you support?" (this was put to the minor parties / Independents only).

Rackemann refused to rule out that KAP could support the ALP. He said the party would return to each electorate to gauge voters' views and then act accordingly to guarantee stable government. Thomson said his position was essentially the same.

Dalton said he would consider what was best for the electorate and would approach each party with "a bucket list" of demands which would have to be met before he would enter into negotiations.

That was about as controversial as it got.

After a few obvious "Dorothy Dixers" from the audience, the Forum wound up as sociably as it began, with a cup of tea.

KAP candidate Carl Rackemann said today it was "bull" that a vote for him was a vote for the LNP or ALP.

"Let me be clear, a vote for Carl Rackemann is a vote for Katter’s Australian Party, not the LNP or the Labor Party," he said.

"Bob Katter will be here in the Nanango electorate on March 15. If people are concerned that a vote for Katter’s Australian Party is a vote for the Labor Party or the LNP, come ask him yourself."

MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

The Australian Christian Lobby has expressed concern that Labor’s Kate Jones is unavailable to attend a forum for Ashgrove candidates this Sunday.

ACL Queensland Director Wendy Francis said it was disappointing that Ms Jones declined the offer after several date options were presented to her.

LNP Leader and candidate for Ashgrove Campbell Newman will join other candidates at the forum.

Ms Francis said ACL was running more than 20 Meet Your Candidate forums, mostly in marginal electorates.

“The Christian constituency is very concerned for the good governance of Queensland and wants to see a more compassionate, just and moral society,” she said.

“Meet Your Candidate Forums are an opportunity for candidates to make their pitch for the Christian vote and to respond to written questions from the audience.

“It is disappointing that Ms Jones could not make time for this important part of her constituency.

ACL was also disappointed that Premier Anna Bligh and her deputy Andrew Fraser declined an invitation to participate in a leaders Make it Count webcast which went ahead earlier this month with Mr Newman.

“I am concerned about the message Queensland Labor is sending to the Christian constituency,” she said.

“Labor’s Margaret Keech and Michael Choi, by exercising their consciences in crucial votes on the rights of children, have proven that the party can appeal to Christian voters.”

On Wednesday the 8th of February the Australian Christian Lobby held a leaders' forum in Queensland in the lead up to the state election on March 24th. The LNP's Campbell Newman address the Christian constituency and his address is in this video below. The ACL invited the Premier and Deputy Premier to attend the event but both declined ( Newman to address Christian voters via webcast but Premier declines invitation) . The ACL's response to Campbell Newman's comments can be read here. For more Queensland election coverage got to www.qldvotes.org.au and see if there's a Meet Your Candidate Forum in your electorate.



ACL's Make It Count! Queensland Votes Webcast 2012 - Full Version from Australian Christian Lobby on Vimeo.

Wendy Francis is the Queensland State Director of the Australian Christian Lobby. She spoke to the ACL's Katherine Spackman about last week's Make It Count forum in Queensland with the LNP's Campbell Newman. The ACL invited the Premier and Deputy Premier to the event to address Christians, but both declined. Click here to listen.

The ABC went along to the Make it Count Forum in Brisbane last night and took some excerpts of the LNP's Campbell Newman's address to Christian Leaders.

Click here to listen to the excerpts they took.

MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday, February 8, 2012



The Australian Christian Lobby has welcomed Campbell Newman's willingness to address ChristianLeaders and his forthrightness with them in the lead up to the state election, at tonight’s Make it Count event in Brisbane.

The ACL’s Queensland Director Wendy Francis said Mr Newman’s comments regarding chaplaincy, anti-discrimination legislation, outdoor advertising, adoption and civil unions legislation received a welcome response.

"While ACL would want more proactive action on problem gambling, alcohol restrictions and prostitution, it seems neither major party is willing to take the steps most Christians would expect in these areas," she said.

“Mr Newman’s address praised the work of chaplaincy and noted the positive feedback he’d received in the electorate about this program.

“On the issue of free speech, Mr Newman agreed the anti-discrimination act has been used in the past to suppress free speech.

“It’s also good news to get Mr Newman’s commitment, that if elected, he would fight to see outdoor advertising G-Rated because advertisements today are too sexualised for children to see in public places.

“The LNP leader also said that the LNP had not changed its party position on Civil Unions and would consider what to do with these dependent on where the ALP left them.

“Mr Newman’s comment about removing red tape from adoption processes and promoting adoption to women during unwanted pregnancies is positive for the unborn and will see the state’s abortion rate drop from its present level of 15,000 each year.

"Christians would have wanted more positive action on problem gambling," she said, "Introducing pre-commitment technology is part of the Productivity Commission’s recommendations and is the only real way to solve the issue,” she said.

Ms Francis said it is expected thousands of Christians will watch the web address in the lead up to the March 24th election and that the leaders present had very much appreciated Mr Newman's willingness to take their questions in the absence of the Premier.

The address will be uploaded to http://www.qldvotes.org.au/ in the coming days.

 

Media Release

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Media reports citing Deputy Premier Andrew Fraser as claiming that Health Minister Geoff Wilson attended an Australian Christian Lobby Leaders forum at the 2009 election are incorrect.

ACL’s Queensland Director Wendy Francis said Mr Wilson did not attend such an event in 2009 because no leaders’ Make it Count event was held, as Mr Fraser is reported to have claimed.

“At the 2009 election the Premier declined to participate in our Make it Count event as she has done again this time. Because the Premier’s office and the Qld Labor campaign office delayed and delayed until it was too late, no forum was held at the 2009 election,” she said.

“It is simply a misrepresentation that Geoff Wilson attended our leaders’ forum in 2009 because it was not held because Qld Labor did not cooperate,” she said.

She said the constituency appreciated Mr Wilson’s exercise of his conscience in voting against Mr Fraser’s same-sex civil unions legislation but ACL’s leaders’ forums were for the leaders.

“At state elections in Tasmania, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria we have had the Premier or Deputy Premier and Opposition Leader at our Make it Count leaders’ forums.

“Our Federal Make it Count events at the past two elections have featured Prime Ministers and Opposition Leaders,” Ms Francis said.

“Queensland is the only state where Labor refuses to engage the Christian constituency at ACL Make it Count events.

“We are disappointed by this because we believe the Christian constituency is a significant one that is interested in the good governance of the state.”

MEDIA RELEASE