Candidates Forum – 7pm Tuesday 21st February

This Tuesday night, the 21st February, our church at Jamberoo Anglican will be hosting a special, two-hour ‘Candidates Forum’ that will enable us to hear from the four people who want us to elect them as our representatives in the NSW Lower House.

It will be a packed, two-hour program from 7pm, where each candidate will be given a chance to deliver a short speech about the impact of faith on their policies and leadership.

As they prepare for the evening, I sent them four questions about issues we consider to be important.

Firstly, I asked them whether they support legislation that protects the freedom of religious bodies to operate in accordance with their values and to preference staff who align with them.

Secondly, I asked them to indicate their party’s response to the Crime Commission’s recommendation on poker machines, and what their party plans to do to address the epidemic of gambling harm in NSW.

Thirdly, I asked them whether they were willing to confirm their support for SRE and commit to seeing the reintroduction of the religious identity question to the school enrolment form.

Finally, I asked them that if there was a bill banning conversion therapy practices, whether they would commit to protecting consensual pastoral care such as prayer and other spiritual support for a person who wishes to live in accordance with their faith.

Our church prays for politicians every week because we know that our Lord God has placed people in positions of authority as his servants, and that they are sent for our good (Romans 13:1,4.)

That is why it’s great for us to hear from them on matters of faith, and provide a place where they, too, can hear from us about what we consider to be of greatest importance.

JODIE McNEILL