Religion and Politics in Australia and New ZealandSee also Anglo Countries. 1. Brief Introduction 1. Brief Introduction to Religion and Politics in Australia and New Zealand Australia had a 2009 HDI ranking of #2 and a 2009 CPI ranking of 8.7. New Zealand had a 2009 HDI ranking of #20 and an extraordinarily high 2009 CPI ranking of 9.4. The 2006 Census lists Australia as 25.8% Catholic, 18.7% Anglican, 5.7% United Church, 3% Presbyterian and Reformed, 2.7% Eastern Orthodox, 7.9% other Christians, 2.1% Buddhist, 1.7% Muslim, 2.4% other, 11.3% unspecified, and 18.7% none. The 2001 Census lists New Zealand as 14.9% Anglican, 12.4% Catholic, 10.9% Presbyterian, 2.9% Methodist, 1.7% Pentecostal, 1.3% Baptist, 9.4% other Christian, 3.3% other, 17.2% unspecified, and 26% none. The percentages for the two countries are similar, but note the percentage of Catholics in Australia, due to more Southern European immigration, and the number of respondents answering “none’ for New Zealand. The population of Australia is over 21.5 million, with a growth rate of 1.17%, and the population of New Zealand is over 4.2 million, with a growth rate of .901% (July 2010 est.). Australia’s population is 92% Caucasian, 7% Asian, and 1% aborigine and other. In terms of ethnic relations, non-European immigration has become the major issue for Australia, while the treatment of native Maori remains the major social issue for New Zealand. According to the 2001 Census, New Zealand’s population is 69.8% European, 7.9% Maori, 5.7% Asian, 4.4% Pacific Islander, .5% other, 7.8% mixed, and 3.8% unspecified. Treatment of Australian aborigines also remains an issue in that country. Peter Lineham (below) describes New Zealand’s church-state relationship as “unequal co-dependency” with the state predominating in a country where “rigorous separation of church and state has never been a dogma.” The country has witnessed two religious political parties since 1989, the Christian Heritage Party and the Christian Democratic Party (1995). Although neither threatens the major Labour or National Parties, their existence, plus church attendance rates and the lack of a strict separation, places New Zealand between the U.S. and European political-religious cultures. Labour’s Helen Clark was prime minister from December 1999 to November 2008 when the National Party's John Key succeeded her. No party has won a majority of the parliamentary seats since 1951, and between one-fifth and one-third of the voters back other parties than the two leading Labour Party or National Party, so a majority government is not likely. In November 2008 the National Party picked up ten seats to attain 58 and Labour lost 7 seats to drop to 43. In 1998 the Anglican Church organized a nationwide protest march to focus attention on the needs of the Maori. See the CASI website below for continued emphasis. Asians make up more than five percent of Australia’s population, and have become fairly well integrated, following in the steps of the Orthodox Greeks, Catholic Italians, and other Southern Europeans following World War II. Arab and Muslim immigration, however, generates political tension, with the Conservatives employing the issue in electoral campaigns. Events like the Twin Towers and the October 2002 terrorist attack on Bali pubs frequented by Australians have increased that fear. In the November 2001 election, for example, Conservative John Howard, prime minister of Australia from March 1996 to November 2007, trailed in the polls until the last week of August when he denied entry to 433 refugees, mostly Afghan, who had been rescued by a Norwegian freighter. In the November 2007 election, the Labor Party took over 80 seats in the 150-seat lower house and Kevin Rudd, Mandarin-speaking ex-diplomat, became prime minister. While Howard was one of Bush's closest allies, Rudd distanced himself from the Iraq War. However, Rudd maintains the strong political and security links to Washington and economic ties to China, although Sino-Australian economic ties have become tense recently over control of Australian and Chinese resources. The first act of Rudd's government was to issue an apology to indigenous peoples. When Rudd's popularity declined, Julia Gilliard took the reins of the Labor Party on June 24, 2010. She then called a parliamentary election for August 21. Her main opposition will be Tony Abbott, the new Conservative leader. Neither side attained a majority, leading to protracted negotiations. Finally, in early September, Gilliard won the Green member and three of the four independents, giving her 76 of 150 seats, at least on budget and no-confidence votes. Hanson (2006), pp. 131-38, discusses “Anglo Societies: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and the New Immigrants.” 2. A Short Introductory Course to Religion and Politics in Australia and New Zealand These two books constitute collections of essays by some of the countries’ most prominent authors on the relationships of religion and politics in their respective traditions. Australian Jesuit law professor Frank Brennan discusses the relationship of law, morality, religion, and politics in Australia. He has been twice decorated for human rights and refugee work. Ahdar, Rex, and Stenhouse, John, eds. God and Government: The New Zealand Experience (Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago Press, 2000). Howe, Brian, and Hughes, Philip, eds. Spirit of Australia II: Religion in Citizenship and National Life (Adelaide: ATF Press, 2003). Brennan, Frank. Acting on Conscience: How can we responsibly mix law, religion, and politics? (St. Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 2007). 3. Other Key Resource Materials for Religion and Politics in Australia and New Zealand Lineham, Peter, “Government Support of the Churches in the Modern Era,” in Ahdar and Stenhouse, The New Zealand Experience. The official site of the National Council of Churches in Australia. The official site of the Churches’ Agency on Social Issues, the official agency of the New Zealand Methodist, Presbyterian, Churches of Christ, and Quakers. This organization, which ceased operation at the end of 2007, had a long tradition of dealing with social, economic, ecological, and political matters in New Zealand. The ecumenical Christian Research Association of Australia can be found at www.cra.org.au. For the symposium on “Religion and Globalization” (2001)’ www.cra.org.au/pages/00000061.cgi. 4. Recent News Articles on Religion and Politics in Australia and New Zealand “Deep Fears Behind Australia’s Immigration Policy,” New York Times, May 8, 2002. Summary of history of policy, public opinion, and politics between Conservative Prime Minister John Howard and Labor Party. “Australia’s Dangerous Fantasy,” oped by Adelaide writer Eva Sallis. New York Times, December 17, 2005. Discussion white attack on Lebanese-Australians at Cronulla Beach, and its relation to current state of ethnic relations. “Rice and Australian Counterpart Differ About China,” New York Times, March 17, 2006. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer differ on significance of Chinese in regional affairs. “Australia to Sell Uranium to China for Energy,” New York Times, April 3, 2006. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visits. Australia, already a major source of natural gas and iron ore for China, agrees to let Beijing purchase and invest in uranium for peaceful purposes. Carnegie nuclear specialist George Perkovich, who has criticized recent United States-India agreement, said that IAEA safeguards made it unlikely that uranium would be used in Chinese weapons. "Ally of Bush Is Defeated in Australia," New York Times, November 25, 2007. Labor's Rudd triumphs over Liberal's Howard. "Australia to Apologize to Aborigines for Past Mistreatment," New York Times, January 31, 2008. Government of new PM Kevin Rudd will apologize as first item of business when parliament meets on February 13, but no compensation fund. Aborigines could not vote in national elections until 1962, and in the hundred years up to the end of the policy in 1969, 10 to 33 percent of Aboriginal children were taken from their homes and placed with white families or institutions (1997 government report). Life expectancy is 17 years lower than for other Australians, thirteen times more likely to be incarcerated, and three times more likely to be unemployed. The apology took place as "Government business, motion No. 1." See the February 13 New York Times for coverage. "Australia Sends Troops to East Timor to Bolster Security," New York Times, February 13, 2008. Responding to the assassination attempts on President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanan Gusmao, Australia sends additional troops to back up the United Nations force dispateched in 2006 to quell unrest. "Australia Puts Its Refugee Problem on a Remote Island, Behind Razor Wire," New York Times, November 5, 2009. Ruud government, fearing political damage from Conservatives, locates boat refugees on Christmas Island near Indonesia. "Australian prime minister says her atheism won't affect government funding to church schools," The Canadian Press, July 29, 2010. (See also Brisbane Times for same date). In an interview with The West Australia newspaper, Perth Catholic Archbishop Barry Hickey said some Christians were concerned about the long-term effect of an atheist prime minister. Prime Minister Julia Gilliard pointed out that she had been a staunch advocate of Catholic schools as minister of education, and new Conservative leader Tony Abbott, a former Catholic seminarian and practicing Catholic, said voters should judge "on the basis of competence and policies, not personal beliefs or religious convictions." Archbishop Hickey said that "he might not have expressed it as I would have liked, but that he was not attacking Julia." Kevin Rudd, the ex-prime minister, is a devout Anglican. "Australians Apparently Fail to Deliver a Clear Winner in National Elections," New York Times, August 22, 2010. The lower-house vote results in 73 seats to the Liberal-National Coalition, 72 seats to Labor, 1 seat to the Greens, and 4 independents. The Green member will vote with Labor, and Gilliard eventually won three of the four independents. September 8, 2010. |
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