Category: Politics

Tobacco tax hits the poor hardest

Peter Hallett1 Comment

The increased cost of cigarettes is not just a tax or health issue, it is also one of justice and compassion.

The people hit hardest by the Rudd government’s 25 per cent increase on cigarettes, are the ones least able to afford it and the least able to choose the alternative – giving up.

There is little sympathy for smokers when tobacco is slugged with new taxes, the common cry being, ‘let them give up’.

But if you have grown up with smoking from before birth, had every significant person in your life as a smoker and if you have beaten off various other addictions with only nicotine to beat, that cry is offensive and simplistic. Add to this list social isolation, unemployment, mental illness, poverty and violence, and you might understand better why telling people to ‘just give up’ is not good enough.

I know many people who have, over a long period of time, beaten serious addictions, usually well after these addictions have destroyed their life. In almost every case, smoking is the one thing they cannot overcome.

When you live on a disability pension or minimum wage, are locked into nicotine addiction and with no sensible access to support for quitting, a new tobacco tax may as well be an arbitrary fine levied on you – just for being alive.

That’s why I’m urging support for independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon’s call to other Senators to block the Government’s recent tax hike on cigarettes unless more money raised from the tax is put towards helping smokers quit.

While the tax has already been introduced, it must be ratified by the Senate within 12 months. Senator Xenophon would like to see subsidies for nicotine patches, money for counselling services and more spending on health awareness campaigns.

‘My plea to the Government, to the Opposition, to my colleagues on the cross benches, is that just a little more money – in the vicinity of $100 million over the next four years, two per cent of this increase – could go a long way in assisting people to quit smoking for the Government to achieve its targets,’ he said.

So come on Mr Rudd, Mr Abbott, Mr Brown and Mr Fielding – do something for the least in our society to take another step towards a decent life.

If you put these resources in my hands, I’ll make sure those that really need them get the chance to give up and be free of this destructive habit. PH

Political leaders to address Christians across the nation

Peter HallettLeave a comment

If your ear is aching, it probably has more to do with a fast approaching federal election than the onset of winter.

But don’t give up now – it’s time to cut through the wordfest and consider seriously how Christians should act as the nation decides its immediate future. If you are passionate about issues ranging from R-rated games to refugees, millenium goals to marriage support – you need to keep your ears and eyes open!

An excellent opportunity to do this has been organised by Australian Christian Lobby who have confirmed June 21 as the date for the Make It Count election webcast. 

Make it Count 2010 will see Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott address Christians and answer questions from Christian leaders in a live webcast to churches throughout Australia from Canberra’s Old Parliament House.

A similar event held before the 2007 federal election saw John Howard and Kevin Rudd address 100,000 Christians meeting at 846 churches across Australia.

ALC hopes to triple those numbers in 2010 – to register your church visit  www.australiavotes.org . PH

Are new ethics classes ethical?

Peter HallettLeave a comment

‘Sounds like a serious ethical issue has arisen even before the first class is taught,’ Australian Christian Lobby managing director, Jim Wallace, says of the introduction of ethic classes in NSW schools.

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Wallace continues ‘…with the pilot trial due to start next term in 10 public primary schools, it has emerged they are being pitched with the obvious aim to draw students away from Scripture classes, despite the Government’s assurances they would not.’

I posted the following comment on the SMH site in support of the article:

Jim raises important questions that the NSW Government needs to answer. If the ethics course is so important, why not make it available to all students to complement Scripture? If this course is being funded and taught by professional teachers, then should Scripture be given similar assistance? How can you teach ethics and leave Christianity out? It is the ethical base of our laws and institutions and, more importantly, of a huge number of Australian families (not just church goers). Scripture teaches ethics that are beneficial and applicable regardless of religious belief. Ethics classes should be just as balanced.

Last time I looked there were about 150 comments with a good representation of views. Maybe you would like to join the discussion? PH

Christian Obama urges commitment to Micah’s challenge

Peter HallettLeave a comment

Unprecedented coverage of the religious views of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and more recently Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has shifted today to focus on possibly the world’s greatest religious enigma, US President Barak Obama.

President Obama hosted an Easter Prayer Breakfast yesterday (April 6) with 90 guests including leaders from most major denominations, the National Council of Churches, leaders of small and large churches and well-known Christian identities such as Bill Hybels and Joel and Victoria Osteen.

In America, where the appearance of Christian faith is almost obligatory for politicians, President Obama has been somewhat reticent to be seen as too firmly placed in that ‘corner’ and has not joined a church since moving to Washington.

As he welcomed people to the breakfast, he noted that the White House had also held a Seder to mark the Jewish Passover and an Iftar with Muslim Americans during Ramadan.

However, in his eight minute speech at the breakfast, President Obama clearly identified himself as a Christian, ‘Today, I’m particularly blessed to welcome you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for this Easter breakfast.’

Later, reflecting on what Easter meant to him, Obama said, ‘…as Christians, we believe the redemption can be delivered – by faith in Jesus Christ… And the possibility that redemption can make straight the crookedness of a character, make whole the incompleteness of a soul. Redemption makes life, however fleeting here on Earth, resound with eternal hope.’

Recalling the words of the prophet Micah – championed by Micah Challenge,the social justice arm of evangelical Christians – Obama encouraged those present to commit their spirit ‘to the pursuit of a life that is true, to act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord.’

Read More »

Family First should win SA seat

Peter Hallett1 Comment

Family First is a party representing Christian values (although somewhat reticent to say it that plainly of late) which began in South Australia some years ago.

It had two members in the SA upper house and one of these spots was up for re-election on Saturday.

As of today, Family First has 33029 votes which is 4.4 per cent of the vote and .53 of a seat. This compares with The Greens, with 49013 votes, 6.6 of the vote and .79 of a seat.

Both these minor parties are in with a good chance of winning a seat with Labor and Liberal winning perhaps seven between them, with two smaller parties possibly grabbing the final two.

Interestingly, there are 1,093316 voters enrolled, 797,880 upper house ballot papers lodged and 49727 informal votes. PH

One man stand comes to a game end

Peter HallettLeave a comment

Jim Wallace of the Australian Christian Lobby told me recently there was disappointment in the Christian community with church leaders who are perceived as failing to take public stands on tough social issues.

He said this reluctance often stemmed from the ‘hard hits’ they received in the media and opponents whenever they spoke out from a Christian perspective.

Perhaps church leaders have been watching the treatment dished out to former South Australian Attorney General, Michael Atkinson, who has single-handedly held back the introduction of R18+ video games in Australia.Read More »

Sleeping political giant rising

Peter HallettLeave a comment

I’ve just written an article for Alive magazine on the state of Christian politics in Australia, in the lead-up to the next election. You can view it online in the April/May issue of Alive out in early April.

One of the people I interviewed was Jim Wallace, managing director of Australian Christian Lobby. Among other things, he had this to say:

“I think that having had decades of swallowing the lies that we musn’t get involved, there must be a separation of church and state, don’t legislate your morality on me – if the devil was going to control the country, what lies would he use to keep the church out of it?  After decades of having succumbed to those, we suddenly realised that we have a heck of a mess, particularly in the state of marriage, family and children. We need to do something about it to get Biblical principles re-established in these very important areas as well as in how we treat the underprivileged, how we address poverty, internationally and nationally.”

Wallace emphasises that Christian politics should not only embrace righteousness (moral issues) but justice (poverty, Millennium Goals etc). He also is very careful not to tie the Christian vote to any particular party, avoiding the mess many of the American Christian lobby groups have got themselves into. Wallace commented to me:

“I was in America in March last year, I was talking to some organisations similar to ours, but without the non-partisan approach and their chins were on the ground; they are at a loss because they said to me, we have no access into the Obama administration and therefore no influence. But what we are most disappointed about is that we didn’t get everything we wanted out of the Republicans.”  

To be honest, as an old journo and then a pastor for 18 years, I have been a bit jaded with all this stuff because too often it seems so removed from people’s lives and so often Christian political voices were either irrelevant, irrational or both. While we have a long way to go, and realising that no human voice, political or otherwise, will measure up to the Still Small Voice, I think there are some positive signs for Christians broaching the political sphere and ACL can take a fair bit of credit.

On another issue, an article I wrote on the Islamisation of Europe appears in the current issue of Alive. You can view online here. It starts page 52. Please note my disclaimer that ‘views expressed are not necessarily my own’. Read and make up your own mind. PH

‘No wonder Abbott believes in God’

Peter HallettLeave a comment

Miracles made their way into the Editorial of today’s Daily Telegraph, courtesy of Tony Abbott’s close call with a semi-trailer:

“NO wonder Opposition leader Tony Abbott is so convinced in the existence of God. His survival yesterday – in fact, the survival of an entire carload of people – was miraculous.

“Instead of a terrifying accident, Abbott was later able to use the event to highlight his road-safety campaign. Beyond today’s politics, the footage of this episode may assist young drivers in understanding just how dangerous our roads can be.”

Good to see one of Australia’s major dailies indicate a healthy regard for the providence of God. Someone must be praying for our leaders…

How will Christians vote in the next election?

Peter Hallett2 Comments

With the Federal Government ‘stockpiling’ double dissolution “triggers’ and a normal election possible from August 7 2010, political parties are well and truly in election mode.

The Christian vote has become more visible in recent years with the strengthening and growth of political parties claiming to represent Christians, not to mention candidates in other political parties highlighting their Christian faith.

Add to this the growing, if begrudging, respect being given to the Australian Christian Lobby, and we have a fascinating story emerging for voters who seek to vote in a way that reflects their faith.

Two states – South Australia and Tasmania – are going to the polls in March and it will be interesting to see the performance of  parties such as the Christian Democrats and Family First, relative to the Greens, Democrats and other minor parties.

I am writing an article for Alive magazine which will give an overview of the state of Christian politics in Australia, so keep an eye out for it in the April/May issue.

Micah Challenge has its Voices of Justice conference at Parliament House, Canberra on June 19-22 when young people will meet with dozens of elected representatives, lobbying for justice for the poor. In the shadow of an election, this timing could prove strategic. PH