Senator Paul Green?

From Gordon Moyes: An interesting analysis of current christian politics, ahead of the Federal Election:

It is essential that as many people as we can get, vote for Paul Green, the CDP Candidate for the Senate. It is getting close to the CDP having in Paul our first member of the Australian Senate.

For months now we have been speaking to groups all over the State with wonderful support for Paul Green. Paul and Michelle also have been tireless in touring the country allowing voters to get to known them and allowing people to question them. The overall response has been very positive.

Now we have been amazingly successful in gaining preferences from other parties and so long as we have sufficient No 1 votes we will gain their votes to get Paul elected. Not only that but our colleagues in Western Australia have also got a good chance of a Senate seat.

Those who appeared to be our major blockers, Family First, (also supported by many Christians) have fallen in a hole by some terrible choices of candidates who have turned out to be far from moral or Christian so that the population have not been fooled.

The other parties have now agreed to support the CDP Senate candidate ahead of other parties. The Liberal and National Parties will give all of their surplus votes to the CDP. This is an important factor in a possible Paul Green win. The key will be to see a Liberal National vote below the number essential so that they get two seats and Paul Green picks up the third nominal Coalition seat. This is what we hoped for in 2004 when Rev Fred Nile was our candidate, but the Liberal National vote then was so high they got enough for three full quotas and Fred got next to nothing. This will not happen this time as the Liberal popular vote will be down!

The Democratic Labor Party will pass their preferences straight to the CDP as will the Shooters Party & New Fishing Party preferences. Other small groups such as the Citizens Electoral Councils, One Nation, and Non-Custodial Parents’ Party will flow their preferences down to the CDP.

Incredibly the Family First Party put all other small parties ahead of the Christian Democratic Party. Family First has ditched whatever Christian values they had by striking a preference deal with a political party supporting gay marriage and legalisation of soft drugs. Churches and Christians which may have thought of supporting Family First will no longer be impressed.

Most of the other minor Parties hand their preferences down a torturous path but some end with us. As the Carers group also gain many preferences, it is essential that Paul Green get as many first votes as possible, so he gains all the preferences. The Greens and the ALP have placed the CDP last or next to last.

Meanwhile in W.A., in a totally unprecedented move, the National Party in Western Australia has preferred Gerard Goiran, lead Senate candidate for the Christian Democratic Party ahead of the third candidate on the Liberal Senate ticket. The move could have significant adverse consequences for the Liberal Party for although the National Party preferences are directed first to the two top-of-ticket Liberal Senators, David Johnston and Alan Eggleston, these parliamentarians will be elected on their primary vote and consequently will not collect any preferences from their coalition partner. Effectively, the National preferences will then flow direct to the Christian Democratic Party.

In exchange, the Christian Democratic Party has agreed to prefer the Nationals candidate, Philip Gardiner, ahead of Liberal sitting member, Wilson Tuckey in O’Connor who voted for the human embryo cloning bill last year in spite of a letter sent to the party’s headquarters before the last election, stating that he would not do such a thing. The National Party received 0.86% of the Senate primary vote at the last Federal election compared with 1.88% for the Christian Democratic Party. The Christian Democratic Party’s vote has been increasing ever since: 2.28% at the State election in 2005, 3.49% at the Victoria Park by-election in March 2006 and 4.07% at February 2007 Peel by-election. The result was the CDP candidates only narrowly missed election.

What is essential in all States is that CDP supporters make sure our candidates get their NUMBER ONE VOTE. We have candidates this time that carry no negative baggage and we have organized preferential support. So let’s encourage one another to give our candidates No 1. place on the ballot.

REV THE HON DR GORDON MOYES, A.C., M.L.C.