Christian democracy of the type found in Europe never gained a strong presence in Australia. Whilesectarianism was an important factor in Australian politics in the early 20th century it was only a single element in political divisions at the time, with Roman Catholics along with the Irish tending to be drawn towards the left-wingAustralian Labor Party, while Protestants were grouped alongside the British in the various anti-Labor conservative parties of the time.[1]
Even as Australians' levels of church attendance declined, religious influence, particularly the influence of socially conservative Christians, within political parties has remained strong. In 2017 theParliamentary Christian Fellowship meet fortnightly, with about 60 members from all sides of politics in attendance. This is more than a quarter of total parliamentary members.[2] The Australian National Prayer Breakfast started in 1985 and is based on theNational Prayer Breakfast.[3] Conservative religious community groups such as theAustralian Family Association have been vocal in their opposition to developments such asgay rights andsame sex marriage.
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