24th March, 2015
The NSW Council of Churches has urged voters at this weekend’s election to be aware of "forgotten issues" and consider the moral implications of party policies before voting.
Council president Rev Dr Ross Clifford said religiously committed voters should "consider the moral teachings of their faith and apply an ethical test to party policies as they cast their votes on Saturday". "Voters should vote strategically and prayerfully…"
He noted that some of the "most significant and far-reaching issues have received very little media coverage".
"For example, many NSW voters do not support a radical change to the legal definition of marriage, and this will be an important issue in Saturday’s election," Rev Dr Clifford said. "The NSW Council of Churches strongly supports the Biblical principle of marriage exclusively between one man and one woman. Alternatives to this long-standing principle are not part of our culture and heritage."
The council also named gambling reform as a "forgotten issue" and has argued that more could be done to implement effective harm minimisation strategies including stronger regulation of gambling advertising and a $1 bet limit for all electronic gaming machines.
NSW voters will vote on Saturday, 28th March. Polls show Premier Mike Baird’s Coalition government is tipped to return to power over the Labor Party, led by Luke Foley.
– DAVID ADAMS
