While we do not believe we should show favour to any political party,
respecting our listeners rights to hold their own political views,
we do believe that we should all be informed when we cast our vote.
This page contains articles and links that we hope will help you to vote wisely.
The views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the management
or membership of Rhema Central Coast.
They are posted simply in the interest of helping you make an nformed choice
when you go to the ballot box.
New items will be posted as we become aware of them.
The most recent articles are at the top of the page.
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The following is a link to a site which has a Pro-Life Voting guide, showing how all candidates
(Lower & Upper Houses) have voted on all major pro-life issues. Very eye-opening.
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The following link is to an interesting article on "Conservative Christians" posted on the
Australian Christian Lobby website on 11/08/2010
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The following link is to another article on Julia Gillards attempts to win back the Christian vote,
published on an ABC blog on 6/08/2010
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The following link is to an interesting article on Julia Gillards attempts to win back the Christian vote,
published in The Age on 6/08/2010
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The following is a media release from "Make Poverty History" about local Central Coast
electoral forums (06/08/2010)
We would like to invite you to attend our
forums, which are an effective way to engage the public, federal MPs
and candidates in a constructive way on how to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals and halve global poverty.
Make Poverty History is a coalition of more than 60 aid and
development organisations, community and faith-based groups committed
to ending global poverty in Australia.
Dobell and Robertson electoral forums
Voters in the seats of Dobell and Robertson will have the chance to
hear if their candidates for Federal Parliament want to help Make
Poverty History at two electoral forums being held next week.
The Make Poverty History forums give candidates the chance to share
their views with voters on important issues including Australia?s
overseas aid spending and efforts to tackle climate change.
The Make Poverty History campaign is calling on all sides of politics
to commit to:
* Lifting Australia's aid spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI);
* Doing our fair share to halve global poverty by 2015 by achieving
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
* Increasing Australia's assistance to poorer countries to help them
adapt to climate change and develop along a low-carbon path.
DOBELL FORUM
Where: Woodbury Park Community Centre, Woolmers Avenue, Mardi.
When: Wednesday 11 August 2010 at 6.00 pm.
Speakers: Craig Thomson (ALP), Scott Rickard (Greens).
Moderator: Dr Michael Howard
For more information contact: Debbie Hunt 0421 172 667
ROBERTSON FORUM
Where: Our Lady Star of the Sea School, 165 Serpentine Road, Terrigal.
When: Saturday 14 August 2010 at 2.00 pm.
Speakers: Deborah O'Neil (ALP), Peter Freewater (Greens), and inviting
Darren Jameson (Lib)
For more information contact: Kelly Thitchener 0403 693 839
Sincerely,
Ariani Soejoeti
Communication Coordinator
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY
71 Argyle Street
Fitzroy VIC 3065
office: +61 3 9279 1854
mobile: +61 44 868 4033
email: ariani@makepovertyhistory.com.au
www.makepovertyhistory.com.au
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The following link is to the website AustraliaVotes.org, where all the major parties policies on
major issues are shown – a great resource for all Christians to consider (06/08/2010)
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The following link is to an article on just what is the "Christian Vote", appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald on 02/08/2010
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The following link is to Christian Values Checklist, produced by the Australian Christian Values Institute.
Check this out to see where the major parties stand on a range of important issues (29/07/2010)
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The following item is reproduced from an email newsletter from Australian
author and historian,Col Stringer – 29/07/2010
How will you vote on Election Day? God has a plan for Australia – blessing! But the devil also
has a plan for our nation – the curse! The foundation of our nation is Christianity
– simply put, it means to believe God and His Word. We have a choice; God always gives us
a choice. “I set before you life and death, the blessing or the curse – but choose life that you and
your seed shall live.” (Deut:30). The choice we have when we vote is (1) Socialism – a system of
government that leaves God out altogether and is based entirely on man’s efforts and wisdom.
Or (2) we can choose God’s method of government (based on reliance on God). It’s sad to say
but many Christians vote from their own selfish interest, based on their ‘hip-pocket’ -the way it
affects them financially – or because it’s the way they (or their family) have always voted.
“But what does the Scripture say?” (Romans 4; 3). Jeremiah 17: 5 says “These are the words of
the Lord: A curse on the man who trusts in man and leans for support on human kind, while his
heart is far from the Lord. (Moffat puts it this way). “Who leans upon mere human aid.”
Verse 6 continues. “He is like the dry scrub in the wastelands. If good comes, he has no eyes for it.”
The Living Bible says. “..With no hope for the future.”
Verse 7. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and rests his confidence upon Him.”
Verse 8 continues. “He is like a tree planted along the riverbank, with its roots reaching deep into
the water – a tree not bothered by the heat, nor long months of drought. Its leaves stay green.”
The Jerusalem Bible puts it this way. “It never ceases to bear fruit." I like that, a tree that doesn’t
even have to rely on the rain – a tree that flourishes and produces fruit even in the driest and hardest
of times!
The Rev Fred Nile MLC, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, said "we face the most critical
Federal Election in Australia's history on Saturday 21 August 2010. "Every Australian voter faces a
clear choice for the Federal Election of the House of Representatives – an atheistic ALP Prime Minister
Julia Gillard, who is a founding member of the pro-abortion Emily's List and is a socialist left-wing
supporter of the Fabian Society.
"Or the alternative Prime Minister, Tony Abbott who is strongly committed to the Christian faith,
Judeo-Christian moral values and our Commonwealth Constitution as are our CDP House of Representative
Candidates. "Or the radical anti-Christian, pagan, Green Party Senate Candidates led by Lee Rhiannon
a former member of the Stalinist Socialist Party, who actively campaigned in the Upper House for
same-sex "marriage", marijuana, x-rated videos, abortion, euthanasia, etc.
So my challenge to Aussie Christians is this, do we vote from a selfish, longstanding point of view,
relying entirely on the wisdom and efforts of man (based on works of the flesh) and perhaps see
dry hard times come (living under the curse). Or, do we take God at His Word and seek His Wisdom
and heed His voice and see this ‘South Land of the Holy Spirit’ continue to flourish under the blessings
of the Lord? Which way will you vote – for blessing or cursing, for God’s way or man’s way?
Col Stringer
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The following link is to an article in the Daily Telegraph on 28/07/2010
about the Greens preference deal with the ALP.
Interesting if you thought the Greens were harmless!
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The following article is reproduced from a newsletter,
published by Saltshakers Ministry on 21/07/2010
Federal Election Update
Julia Gillard announced on Saturday that Australia will go to the polls on Saturday 21st August, 2010.
It is now the duty of every voter to asses Party policies, and not 'judge the book by its cover'
– by simply looking at the Party leader. As we saw at the last federal election, the look can be deceptive.
We need to know the values that underpin each party, the strong influences within the Party, and the voting
record of party members and candidates – to this end we will again be helping to compile a Christian Values
Check List of party voting records and party policy on a range of Christian, pro-life and family issues.
This election has been called early because of opinion polls, not because it is in the best interests of the Nation
but because it is in the best interests of the Labor Party. Those same polls were the reason for the
unceremonious dumping by the Labor Party of its 'Christian' face, Kevin Rudd, and choosing his replacement
– his deputy, left wing socialist, Julia Gillard.
We should not forget that Parties are always driven by a desire to win an election – the same reason
Tony Abbott replaced Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year.
Party Leaders come and go – the party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives elects the
Prime Minister, not the people of Australia. Although each leader has a certain influence over the Party the
ultimate authority in Australia lies with the majority vote of that parliament.
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The following link is to an article on the preference deal between the ALP and
The Greens, published by Bill Muehlenberg on 20/07/2010
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The following profile is reproduced from the Australian Prayer Network Newsletter – 03/07/2010
JULIA GILLARD – A PROFILE
Editors note: The election of Julia Gillard as leader of the Labor Party and therefore Prime Minister of Australia
has thrust her into the public limelight. People are asking exactly who is Julia Gillard.
from Culture Watch, seeks to explore the background of our new Prime Minister. The views expressed are his
own and are not written on behalf of the Australian Prayer Network. As always the Australian Prayer Network
seeks simply to present articles which are both balanced and factual leaving our readers to make their own
judgement on the subject matter.
Julia Gillard’s win in the Labor spill means we have our first female Prime Minister. It also means we have our
first atheist female Prime Minister. The one-time secretary of the Socialist Forum is now up against
Tony Abbott for a possible October federal election.
The win for Julia shows at least several things: the Labor Party is deeply divided; factionalism is alive
and well in the Labor Party; and the powerful union movement still has a huge influence in the Party.
It also shows that the person you vote for in an election may not be the person to remain in the job
just a few years on.
Ms Gillard was born in Wales, is unmarried (but has a ‘partner’), is childless, and has no religious faith.
She is also more radical than Rudd on a number of social issues, including her strong pro-abortion stance.
Of course to win the election she will have to temporarily at least appear to be even more conservative
than Rudd. Thus she will likely do a compromise deal on the miners’ tax, and not dare to resurrect the
ETS in the near future.
The 48-year-old will also not rock the boat on other contentious issues. But if elected in October
(or whenever the election is held – they have until late February of next year), then we can expect to
see her roll out her more radical agendas.
Rudd’s undoing was due to several factors, but the main reason for his dumping was Labor saw him as
unable to beat Abbott at the next election. So pragmatism ruled the day, and a spill had to take place.
Rudd did himself no favours when he did major back flips on things like the ETS (“the greatest moral
issue of our time”), and his pledge on political advertising.
His utter disaster with his insulation scheme, and his inability to keep boatloads full of illegals from pouring
into the country did not help matters much either. His aloof, out-of-touch and autocratic style, his image
as a ruthless bureaucrat, and his penchant for being a control freak, alienated many people, even many
Labor heavyweights.
He was increasingly out of touch both with traditional Labor voters as well as many Australians. He will be
remembered for a few notable things at least. He had the highest approval rating just over two years ago
when newly elected. But he is the first incumbent Prime Minister to be thrown out before seeing his first
term in office completed.
How Julia fares remains to be seen. She can hold her own as a Parliamentary performer, and probably is
more capable than Rudd in taking on Abbott. Of course some will ask about her ambitions. Only a few
weeks agoshe was telling us it was more likely that she would be a full forward for the Western Bulldogs
than seeing achange to the role of the Prime Minister.
She is further to the left than Rudd was, but will have to work with the Labor factions of the right that helped
to get her into power. And if the election is held in just four month’s time, she will have to work hard to reunite
her party, and present a united front to the electorate.
The question is, how much of her radical past will come back to haunt her? In her student activist days she
worked for the Socialist forum, which advocated a number of radical objectives, including the introduction of
a super-tax on the rich, the pairing of Melbourne with Leningrad, and the scrapping of the ANZUS treaty.
She of course is a long-standing member of Emily’s List, the radical pro-abortion and feminist group in Australia.
But her days as a secretary to the Socialist Forum should make clear her radical leftwing views. She wrote two
decades ago about how the radical left’s agenda could be worked though the Labor Party. As she wrote at
the time:
“For the Left to make any real advance, all these perspectives on the relationship to Labor in government
need to be rejected in favour of a concept of strategic support for Labor governments. We need to recognise
theonly possibility for major social change is under a long period of Labor administration. Within that
administrationthe Left needs to be willing to participate to shape political outcomes, recognising the need to
except (sic) oftenunpalatable compromises in the short term to bolster the prospect of future advance.
The task of pushing backthe current political constraints by changing public opinion would need to be tackled
by the Left through government, social movements and trade unions.”
She has tried to disown her involvement with the group (made up of a number of former Communist Party
members),but it is clear that she was a leading light in the radical organisation. She of course has to play down
her radical past in order to get elected.
The question is, if and when elected, which will be the real Julia to stand up? Will it be the former young
socialist radical, or some sort of middle of the road centrist? Time will tell.
End Of Article
The following has been compiled by the Australian Prayer Network from media sources.
In a media interview with the ABC after her elevation to the position of Prime Minister, Ms Gillard gave the
following informationon her past and current beliefs.
Julia Gillard conceded that she is not a "religious person" and declared she would not "pretend" to be for the
sake of votes. The Prime Minister was asked how she would court the Christian vote and whether she
believed in God.
"I'm not a religious person," Ms Gillard told ABC radio. "I was brought up in the Baptist Church but during my
adult life I've found a different path. I'm of course a great respecter of religious beliefs, but they're not my
beliefs. I am notgoing to pretend a faith I don't feel. And for people of faith the greatest compliment I could
pay to them is to respect their genuinely held beliefs and not to engage in some pretence about mine.
I think it's not the right thing."
Ms Gillard said she "never thought it was the right thing for me to go through religious rituals for the sake of
appearance. I am what I am. And people will judge that". (Gillard refused to swear on the Bible when being
sworn in as Prime Minister)."For people of faith what I would say to them is I grew up in a Christian Church,
a Christian background, a Baptist Church, I won prizes for catechism for being able to remember Bible verses.
I am steeped in that tradition but I've made decisionsin my adult life about my own views."
Ms Gillard declined to say if she was worried about the Christian vote, indicating she was more concerned with
the"national interest and about doing the right thing by Australians". "What I can say to Australians broadly of
course is that I believe you can be a person of strong principle and values from a variety of perspectives. And
I've outlined mine to you."
Ms Gillard also defended the right of her partner Tim Mathieson to work for a property group owned by a
pro-Israel lobbyist.Mr Mathieson is employed as a real estate salesman at a company owned by Melbourne
developer Albert Dadon, a prominent pro-Israel lobbyist.
Ms Gillard also took personal responsibility for the move against Mr Rudd, saying the decision was hers.
"I made my own decision to call for a ballot," she said.
In a seperate interview with the Austereo Radio Network Ms Gillard gave these further insights.
Labor policy on gay marriage will remain the same under her prime ministership, Ms Gillard told Austereo radio.
"We believe the marriage act is appropriate in its current form, that is recognising that marriage is between a
man and a woman, but we have as a government taken steps to equalise treatment for gay couples,"
Ms Gillard said.
Editors note and prayer point: The Australian Prayer Network welcomes Julia Gillards stated personal opposition to
the legalisation of same-sex marriage and her re-affirmation of current ALP policy on the matter. We have however
been advised that members within the "Rainbow" (homosexual) faction within the party are moving to have that
policy overturned should the Government be returned at the forthcoming elections. A similar move at the last ALP
National Conference narrowly failed, primarily due to the parties respect for Kevin Rudd at the time who took a
strong stand opposing the push for change.
The plan, if the Government is returned at the forthcoming election, is to test Julia Gillard's leadership authority by
placing her under the same pressure in the hope they can change her position on the issue or have the Party
override her opposition.
There is a need for much prayer on this issue. Pray that Julia Gillard will remain strong in her opposition to
same-sex marriage, and be able to hold the Party to its current policy if re-elected.
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The following link is to an article on the appointment of Julia Gillard as Prime Minister,
published by Saltshakers Ministry on 24/06/2010
http://www.saltshakers.org.au/news/media-releases/650-rudd-and-gillard-julia-gillard-the-new-pm
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