Australian Christians

Will your party commit to allowing religious schools and other religious institutions to recruit staff and implement policies which reflect their ethos? 

Party Response:

Australian Christians supports the protection of religious freedom for religious institutions and schools.  They should have the freedom to recruit staff and implement policies aligned with and reflecting their ethos.  They should not be obliged to recruit staff or implement policies contrary to their charter. 

ACL Score:

10/10

Will your party commit to protecting free speech in Australia by not introducing laws that will further erode religious freedom and freedom of speech? 

Party Response:

Australian Christians defends the protection of freedom of religion, expression, worship, assembly and thought.  AC is opposed to the introduction of legislation that erodes the responsible exercise of these freedoms.  

ACL Score:

8/10

Does your party intend to restore the definition of a woman in the Sex Discrimination Act to be based on biological sex?  

Party Response:

Australian Christians holds to the biblical and Judeo-Christian norms of biological binary sexes as male or female.  AC seeks to repeal legislation that undermines the biological reality of binary genders.  AC will seek to restore the definition of a woman in the SDA to being that of biological sex at birth. 

ACL Score:

10/10

Does your party support the continuance of the current chaplaincy program in schools?  

Party Response:

Australian Christians supports the extension and growth of the chaplaincy placements and program in schools, which helps bring support and holistic care needed by increasing numbers of students struggling with issues of mental, social and spiritual health and dysfunction. 

This should be maintained and not replaced by secular alternatives as provided for in the NSWP. Australian Christians also supports the expansion and growth of the NSCP to facilitate for some of the aims of the NSWP by providing supplementary support, in addition to the Chaplaincy role, for qualified allied health professionals to assist with mental health/learning challenges in schools. With the specialisation of these services and the diversity of these challenges between schools, we see these health professional roles being shared across schools, and provided on a needs-based assessment (based on student needs and parent means), and/or referral requests from the Chaplain/School Staff. 

ACL Score:

10/10

Will your party commit to reviewing the ‘Consent and Respectful Relationships Program’ to ensure gender ideology and all references to potentially harmful practices are removed?   

Party Response:

Australian Christians will repeal legislation that undermines the biological reality of binary genders.  AC commits to see that the ‘Consent and Respectful Relationships Program’ is reviewed to ensure all gender ideology and references to potentially harmful practices are removed. 

ACL Score:

10/10

What steps will your party take to ensure the national curriculum does not contain matters that are not factual or evidence-based? 

Party Response:

Australian Christians does not support the expansion and elevation of radical ideologies over foundational and core basics in education, or their application throughout the curriculum via cross-curriculum integration. Australian Christians would seek to remove the disproportionate focus on these radical ideologies from the National Curriculum and return to more balanced priorities covering the primary areas of learning and skilling to fulfil the functions of educating the next generation to be well rounded, good and capable participants in society, underpinned by Judeo-Christian principles and values. 

ACL Score:

10/10

Will your party commit to an audit of all Australian Government departments’ DEI policies, guides, and training to ensure they are implemented based on a genuine commitment to fairness, capability and respect for all, rather than identity-based diversity policies that favour particular groups and individuals over others?  

Party Response:

We commit to an audit of all Australian Government departments’ DEI policies, guides, and training to ensure they are implemented based on a genuine commitment to fairness, capability and respect for all, rather than identity-based diversity policies that favour particular groups and individuals over others.

ACL Score:

10/10

Does your party consider that children and adolescents under 18 years of age should be allowed to take puberty blockers and cross–sex hormones, and undergo surgery to remove breasts and other sex organs?  

Party Response:

We believe that children and adolescents under 18 years of age should not be allowed to take puberty blockers and cross–sex hormones, and undergo surgery to remove breasts and other sex organs.

ACL Score:

10/10

Which recommendations of the “Inquiry into online gambling” (the Murphy Inquiry) does your party propose to adopt?  

Party Response:

Australian Christians support recommendations 1, 2 (review timeframe), 3 (power to remove licensing, rather than responsible for licensing), 7–18, 22–24, 26, 27, 29. AC will also continue to lobby for gambling ads to be banned during sports programming and/or events.

(Other recommendations have been excluded on the basis that their application primarily promotes additional costs and bureaucracy via increase in funding for research/regulation/governance reviews over actions that will have tangible benefits/impacts.)

ACL Score:

6/10

Does your party support the introduction of age verification to restrict access to pornography by children under the age of 18? 

Party Response:

Yes. Australian Christians supports restricting access to pornography, and strengthening legislation for the prevention of access and harm to minors, including penalties for pornography providers/advertisers who fail in their responsibility to prevent access by minors.  Furthermore, the Australian Christians believes that filming, producing and distributing pornography should be banned in Australia.

ACL Score:

10/10

What initiatives are your party planning to implement to increase the Australian birth rate and to support parents wishing to stay at home and care for their children? 

Party Response:

Australian Christians supports the Family unit, and proposes that grandparents or other family members, subject to WWC registration, be supported to provide alternative or partially supplemented care to children between the ages of 3 months and the start of pre-primary schooling, in lieu of or in addition to traditional childcare providers, through tax rebates or a subsidy payment system equivalent to the existing childcare subsidy, to provide flexibility and options for working parents. AC also supports the introduction of Income Splitting and the extension of daycare subsidies to allow families to keep more money in their pocket and to have the option to stay home longer to care for their children. This can be funded by reducing excess spending on bureaucracy and unscrupulous NDIS operators.

ACL Score:

7/10

What steps does your party propose to take to reduce homelessness in Australia? 

Party Response:  

Australian Christians supports increased funding for mental health support services and crisis care initiatives, and a review with States/Territories to develop priorities and strategic solutions to increase preventative measures, to minimise the reliance on reactive supports in the future. In addition to mental health support services, AC also supports the expansion of affordable housing and increasing stock for those vulnerable people.

ACL Score:

7/10

Will your party push for an inquiry into the connection between a legalised or decriminalised sex industry and human sex trafficking?  

Party Response:

Australian Christians is a long-term strong supporter of the Nordic Model to reduce trafficking and will ensure sufficient funding for the implementation of its services and a full Inquiry. While AC is willing to support such an inquiry, we consider that its cost may be better directed toward funding frontline organisations and law enforcement already working to prevent human sex trafficking, and toward reviewing legislation to strengthen protections and penalties for perpetrators and facilitators of these crimes.

ACL Score:

10/10

Will your party support an inquiry into annual spending on “Closing the Gap”, including an audit of privately controlled entities and an evaluation of all funded programs, to ensure they are effective in helping vulnerable Indigenous Australians? 

Party Response:

We support an inquiry into annual spending on “Closing the Gap”, including an audit of privately controlled entities and an evaluation of all funded programs, to ensure they are effective in helping vulnerable Indigenous Australians. AC is committed to working with local organisations in regional and remote areas to ascertain the best local solutions and adopt collaborative approaches, rather than top down.

ACL Score:

7/10

What is your party’s position on whether federal laws should be changed to permit VAD consultations via Telehealth? 

Party Response:

Australian Christians does not support broadening access to VAD via Telehealth.  Furthermore, we believe VAD is morally impermissible and should not be legal in any circumstance. Additionally, we support the expansion of sufficient palliative care centres and education around understanding palliative care.

ACL Score:

10/10

What plans does your party have for the legalisation of cannabis or other illicit drugs? 

Party Response:

Australian Christians supports a return to a ‘prevention’ approach, rather than ‘harm minimisation’, with exceptions for prescribed medicinal use in specific circumstances. In addition to prevention measures and addressing root causes of addiction, AC opposes the legalisation of all recreational drugs.

ACL Score:

7/10

Given that currently, parents cannot access their 14–17-year-old children’s My Health Record unless the child consents, does your party propose to restore parental rights to access their children’s records, except in exceptional circumstances?  

Party Response:

Australian Christians propose to restore parental rights to access their 14 to 17 year–old children’s My Health Records, except in exceptional circumstances.

ACL Score:

10/10

Given the current levels of poverty and humanitarian need around the world, and the concern regarding aid budget being used ideologically, does your party plan to increase foreign aid as a percentage of the Federal Budget to meet desperate international needs, targeting it where it’s practically required, ensuring it’s not influenced by ideology?    

Party Response:

Australian Christians would consider supporting increases in Foreign Aid if there is surplus funding beyond critical issues being faced by Australians, and subject to a review of the criteria for programs to be funded by foreign aid and of the current programs being funded, to ensure that foreign aid is not being used to promote radical ideological agendas that are not aligned with Judeo-Christian values and principles. AC has consistently advocated for the plight of persecuted Christians, including Yazidis in Syria who are often unable to access refugee centres, and will continue working with independent international organisations to ensure support and funding reaches those most in need. AC also hosts and facilitates opportunities for people to engage with organisations working directly on the ground, such as Voice of the Martyrs and others committed to practical, faith-aligned humanitarian aid.

ACL Score:

6/10