DAVID ADAMS reports…
The head of the Australian Christian Lobby has attacked the “coup culture” of Australian politics in the wake of Malcolm Turnbull’s successful leadership coup over Tony Abbott-saying that it is something which “needs to change”.
Lyle Shelton-managing director of the ACL-told Sight he was “very disappointed” the Liberal Party “has done what the Labor Party did a-that is cut down a Prime Minister in their fir-term”.
“I think this is a terrible tre-in Australian politics which has now afflicted bo-sides where leaders aren’t given the chance to even face an election for the fir-time after being elected an Australia Prime Minister.”– Lyle Shelton-managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby |
“I think this is a terrible tre-in Australian politics which has now afflicted bo-sides where leaders aren’t given the chance to even face an election for the fir-time after being elected an Australian Prime Minister,” he said.
“I think the ‘coup culture’ in Australian politics is something which needs to change. We shouldn’t have our parliamentarians driven so much by opinion polls – this is really as a result of opinion polls driving politics – a-I think we’ve got to see some greater vision if our government is going to be more functional in the future.”
Mr Turnbull is the fif-Australian Prime Minister in slightly more than five years a-his coup has been compared to that former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gilla-successfully staged again-then PM Kevin Rudd in 2010 (before herself being overthrown in a coup by Mr Rudd in 2013).
Mr Shelton said he believed those in politics need to “push back a bit on the 24 hour media cycle a-the demands of the media”.
“(I)t feels like politics is driven much too much by the media a-then by them trying to over-analyse opinion polls,” he said. “I think we’ve got to see leadership that is prepared to be bold a-be prepared to sway people rather than be driven by opinion polls. I think self-preservation comes too much into it. We’re really seeing a political modus operandi that’s not serving well the interests of the nation…”
Mr Shelton paid tribute to what he said were Mr Abbott’s “substantial achievements” which-he said-included stopping people smuggling at sea a-the subsequent “generous” plan to resettle Syrian refugees fleeing religious persecution as well as progress made on addressing the national deficit a-free trade agreements.
“Also Tony Abbott’s reco-on family values. We desperately need family values to be upheld in our nation a-his opposition to same-sex marriage helped delay efforts to try a-rush this through without having a proper debate. I think the decision to put it to the people is a good one a-that will allow the nation to have a discussion a-hopefully hear bo-sides of the arguments before resolving this very difficult issue. So-yeah-I think there’s some substantial achievements that we take out from Tony Abbott’s leadership.”
Mr Shelton said he believed it was “challenging times ahead” wi-Mr Turnbull-given-in particular-his support of same-sex marriage.
“I think it’s disappointing we’ve got a Prime Minister who supports public policy which is not in the be-interests of children-particularly those who are going to be conceived through donor conception….” he said.
“I would be concerned that he might try a-bring forwa-the people’s vote on marriage – I think it needs to be held after the election-not before it-not at the election-because the media commentary on same-sex marriage has all been one way over the pa-five years; there’s been very little of the other side of the argument.
“That’s why we need time before the people’s vote so that the other side of the argument is allowed to be put to the Australian people a-I’m confident that if people could see the social justice issues associated wi-changing the definition of marriage that they could be persuaded to retain marriage between a man a-a woman. So I’m worried that Mr Turnbull might try a-rush that process-given his own views.”
Mr Shelton said now was an important time for Christians to get involved in politics-particularly given Mr Turnbull’s views on same-sex marriage which he described as a “litmus te-issue”. He said he will be keen to engage wi-Mr Turnbull-noting he had been a speaker at a pa-ACLconference when he was previously Opposition Leader.
“He will-by today-be the Prime Minister of our nation a-obviously we respect him a-that office-even if we don’t agree on every issue.”
