Marriage as the gold standard

By Rod Benson Like other politicians, Senator Cory Bernardi writes letters of congratulations to Australians who reach 100 years of age.  He does the same when a couple celebrates their golden wedding anniversary.  Recently he wrote to a couple celebrating their 73rd anniversary! “The very idea of spending 73 years married to the same person …

The benefits of marriage

By Rod Benson The fact that the Prime Minister is in a de facto relationship has not gone unnoticed.  And it seems as though every second person has an opinion on what was until last week a private matter. One of the most outspoken has been Bettina Arndt, the cultural conservative’s Germaine Greer, who noted …

The faith of the Prime Minister

By Rod Benson There has been a lot of chatter in the past few days about the faith of our new Prime Minister Julia Gillard.  Or, more specifically, her apparent agnosticism or atheism. Ms Gillard acknowledges that she was “raised in the Baptist tradition,” even memorising Bible verses for prizes, but as an adult she …

Faith and federal politics

By Rod Benson Last Monday I headed to Canberra for the Australian Christian Lobby’s “Make It Count” event, where the then Prime Minister Kevin  Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott spoke to 200 church leaders, and via webcast to  Christians around the nation, on issues ranging from indigenous welfare, asylum seekers and climate change to …

Our first woman Prime Minister

By Rod Benson If you live in the city of Sydney, you have a woman Head of State, a woman Governor-General, a woman Governor, a woman Premier and a woman Mayor.  And we all now have our first woman Prime Minister in Julia Gillard, elected unopposed by her Labor colleagues on Thursday. In her first …