Politics and religion do mix

Australian leaders' speeches analysed, with prime minister Rudd leading trend with words such as church doubling in use.

Bruce Baird, a former federal MP, rejects the view that Australia's Muslims are marginalised.

SYDNEY // A new study has revealed that religion has become more prominent in Australian politics as its leaders increasingly espouse their Christian beliefs to justify their policies. Leading the charge has been the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, a devout churchgoer, who has frequently expressed his religious leanings in public. It marks a clear break from the past, when decision-makers were careful to maintain a separation between the affairs of church and state in a country dominated by Catholic and Anglican traditions.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne analysed more than 2,400 speeches made by the heads of Australia's two major parties as well as members of the government and their opposites in the shadow ministry. "Quite interestingly I found that politicians' use of Christian terms, things like church, Christ and faith, had doubled between 2000 and 2006," said Anna Crabb, a political scientist at the University of Melbourne and lead researcher on the study.

The catalyst appears to have been the September 11 terrorist attacks. "My theory was that the framing of the war on terror and the September 11 attacks as a religious conflict made politicians begin speaking about religion. "Then in response to that they attempted to create a religious-based national identity. "So, you have politicians talking about Australia's Judeo-Christian heritage and how this has shaped our way of life and our policies," Ms Crabb added.

Australia's religious landscape has experienced fundamental change since colonisers arrived more than 200 years ago. At the time of European settlement, Aborigines had their own religions that were based on ancient spiritual beliefs. Early settlers brought their particular strands of Christianity, including the Church of England (which is now the Anglican Church) along with Methodism, Catholicism and Presbyterianism.

In more recent times, new-comers from the Middle East and South East Asia have increased the number of Muslims and Buddhists, as well as boosting the ethnic diversity of established Christian denominations. Despite the advent of multiculturalism, Australia has retained its deep Christian roots, which its public figures have been keen to exploit. "Politicians try and speak about religion as a safe reference point in a crazy world," Ms Crabb said.

"Religion is a constant and to identify with spiritual Christian ideas will give some certainty in an out-of-control world." If turning to God was meant to project elected officials as being trustworthy in uncertain times, Ms Crabb believes that Muslims have often felt alienated as parliamentarians invoke Christianity. "Particularly after September 11 and the characterisation of that event as Muslim versus Christian, there were politicians making statements which were quite negative towards the Muslim population and quite unnecessarily so. I think that was quite worrying," she said.

However, former federal MP Bruce Baird, who represented the right-of-centre Liberal Party, has rejected the assertion that politicians' views on Christianity have marginalised Australia's Muslims. "We both believe in God and we may have a different way of getting there but it is a question of respecting one another's faith," he said, adding that it was only a matter of time before the national parliament had its first Muslim member.

"I think that is quite likely. We have within the Liberals a number of fine, young Muslims, who feel at home there and they represent part of Australia which is legitimate and important. "As Christians we are called on to show tolerance and respect. So, seeing a Muslim member of parliament would be something which we should all be pleased about," said Mr Baird, a committed Christian who retired from office in 2007, when Australia's Labor Party ended more than a decade of conservative government.

Mr Baird agrees that religion now plays a greater role in domestic politics, a shift brought on in part by the current prime minister's response to defeat in an earlier election in 2004. "Kevin Rudd brought together members of the Labor Party and talked to them about the importance of the Christian vote. "He indicated with graphs where they had missed out and said it was time to make contact with their local Christian churches and to engage them," Mr Baird said.