CHRISTIAN groups say the Greens’ attempt to remove the daily recitation of prayers in Federal Parliament, a practice that has taken place for more than 100 years, will fail.
Acting Greens leader Richard Di Natale announced on January 14 that he would request the removal of the reading of prayers when Parliament returns next month, labeling the practice an “anachronism”.
Senator Di Natale says he was prompted to make the move in response to national curriculum reviewer Kevin Donnelly’s argument that the recitation of the Our Father in parliament demonstrated that Australia was a Christian nation.
Prayers have been recited in Federal Parliament since 1901, and are also said in every State and Territory parliament except the ACT.
Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to remove the prayers from Parliament in the past two decades, the most recent being in 2008.
It was then that former House of Representatives speaker Harry Jenkins called for debate over whether the daily prayers should be replaced or re-written.
Managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) Lyle Shelton said both Labor and the Coalition have indicated they support the recitation of prayers in Parliament.
In response to ACL’s election questionnaires over the past three years, both major parties have said they would not remove the prayers.
“It is disappointing the acting Greens leader… wants to take away something of Australia’s cultural heritage,” Mr Shelton said.
“We daily recognise Indigenous heritage in Parliament and prayer in Parliament recognises Western cultural heritage.
“The Christian ethos underpinning Western civilisation has fostered free and prosperous societies, including our liberal democracy.”
Mr Shelton said he believed the Greens’ plan would not succeed, given the widespread support for retaining the prayers within Parliament.
Liberal MP Andrew Nikolic said he couldn’t understand how the brief prayers could offend Senator Di Natale.
“What is wrong with this reminder that Australia is a country with a rich Christian heritage?” he asked.
“Senator Di Natale does not have to recite it, indeed he doesn’t even have to be in the Senate when it is said.
“By this statement, the Australian Greens are proposing discrimination of the very worst kind – discrimination against the majority.”
In the 2011 Australian census, 61.1 per cent of the population reported affiliation with a Christian denomination.