With the Federal election only a week away, Australians are no doubt doing some soul-searching about who would be the most appropriate men and women to lead our nation. Are we to stay with the big party to whom we have always been loyal? Are we to vote for Catholics? Are we to vote only for pro-life candidates? Should we even bother making an informed choice as the system is so broken?
Regardless of how corrupt or broken the system may be, it remains our obligation to vote and to vote wisely. The Catechism of the Catholic Church[1] remind us of our obligation under the fourth commandment to contribute to the common good, including by taking part in elections.
Pope Pius XII clarified this fundamental duty:
“It is a right and a duty to draw the attention of the faithful to the extraordinary importance of elections and the moral responsibility which rests on everyone who has the right to vote. Without any doubt, the Church intends to remain outside and above political parties, but how can she remain indifferent to the composition of a Parliament, when the Constitution gives it power to pass laws which so directly affect the highest religious interests and even the condition of life of the Church herself? Then there are also other arduous questions, above all the problems and economic struggles which closely touch the well-being of the people.”[2]
Although in these times of rigged elections and possible stolen presidencies, it is easy to give up hope that our vote will count, the words of the Magisterium are still binding. We must take our obligation seriously, despite the possibility our vote will be tampered with. Yes, electoral fraud does happen in Australia.[3] [4]
In the past, when there was a relatively clear moral and fiscal demarcation line between the major parties, or at least among their candidates, FLI advised voters to vote pro-life. But the events of the past few years have brought with them new fundamental threats to our way of life and have exposed agendas that many believed were confined to fiction.
New questions have likewise arisen: what does it mean to be “pro-life” when many who identify as such have no scruples about using and even mandating the use of abortion-tainted medical treatments?
FLI’s recommendation in this election is to be “as peaceful as doves and as wise as serpents”, which in essence means to place the major parties last and to vote for freedom-loving independents and smaller parties first. While it is true that many of those won’t have the numbers to win a seat on their own, with the right preferencing options one of them may. Every vote for an independent or small party increases the chances of one of the majors having to rely on agreements with minor parties or independents to form government from a minority position. Which means that it will be more difficult for the governing party to conduct business as usual.
This strategy appears to be gaining momentum, possibly taking the major parties by surprise. Both Barnaby Joyce and Scott Morrison have appeared in mainstream media reports, pleading with Australians not to vote in such a way as to cause a hung parliament.
The term, ‘hung parliament’ refers to the House of Representatives, where our government is formed, having no party with a majority of seats [NOTE: your Senate vote will not affect this outcome.] Although the Australian Constitution does not provide a process for dealing with hung parliaments, usually it would entail forming loose coalitions with one or more minor parties or independents. This will mean it will be difficult to reach consensus on various decisions the government may otherwise make.
When there is a clear majority, that party’s leader is appointed by the Governor-General as Prime Minister, who will then appoint members to the ministry. This is desirable under normal circumstances, when we want to see the government running smoothly, with the fewest possible hindrances to the legislative process.
However, these are not normal circumstances and so our strategy needs to be adapted. If our votes go to Liberals/National or to Labor/Green, we are making it easier for many dangerous laws currently on the table to be passed; legislation that is not good for our country. For example, there are environmental laws which could see the end of cheap electricity and petrol driven cars; there is the digital identity legislation which will invade our privacy and feed into a global social credit system; there will be more money-printing exercises that feed inflation and cause interest rate hikes and both parties are touting gimmicky housing incentives which sound very helpful but will actually give the government a stake in family homes. Australia has already been committed by the Prime Minister to the WHO’s “Pandemic Treaty”[5] – a devastating piece of legislation which will completely cede our sovereignty to the United Nations. This treaty, which will be voted on in Geneva on May 22 and if passed, will be enacted later this year, provides the precise mechanism for the implementation of a New World Order, spearheading the World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset.”
A vote for any of the major parties is a vote for Australia’s entry into the New World Order and the end of our independence. A vote for independents or minor parties, potentially leading to a hung parliament, provides the possibility of stopping Australia’s sovereignty being ceded to globalists. Thus it is imperative that we look for candidates who oppose our entry into this Pandemic Treaty as well as to other anti-democratic agendas such as a Digital ID system.
In case any scruples remain for those who feel compelled to avoid voting for libertarians or those who may not be 100% pro-life and to vote instead for a Catholic or pro-life identifying candidate from a major party, Pius XII has some more advice:
“Thus we may say that it is permitted to vote for unworthy candidates (that is, give material cooperation) if these are the only type of men on the ballot lists; in order to exclude the more unworthy; in order to secure the election of one who is somewhat unworthy instead of voting for a good man whose defeat is certain…”[6]
It is not possible for FLI to instruct individuals precisely how to vote, but rather to provide resources that help Australians to vote wisely. To that end, a list of resources gathered from various sources around the country is given below:
AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN VALUES INSTITUTE: The ACVI has released a checklist for the Federal election, which is based on the entire political term of various parties, rather than on individual candidates. This is a good place to start when deciding who deserves your vote.
REIGNITE DEMOCRACY AUSTRALIA: both Monica Smit and Morgan Jonas are running for Victorian Senate seats in the federal election. RDA has put together a short video explaining the voting process and it includes information about how to find various candidates who are part of the broader “Freedom movement”. HOW TO VOTE in 5 mins
This video mentions the Climate Change 200 members: these individuals are appearing as Independents but are funded by Simon Holmes a Court and are in fact Labor/Greens ideologues. Christians should avoid voting for these candidates.
TOPHER FIELD: has produced a simple video explaining Australia’s preferential voting system. NEW and improved How To Vote using Marbles!
PUT THE MAJORS LAST: As the name implies, the Majors Last website gives lots of information about voting for independents and minor parties in the Federal election, with online tools that candidates for each electorate. https://majorslast.com/
AUSDECIDES: a part of Rebel News, this page has lots of interviews and debates from freedom-loving candidates from around Australia. https://www.rebelnews.com/tags/au_decides
