Prime Minister Julia Gillard, yesterday, on ABC radio's Jon Faine talkback program (which I listen to most mornings):.
Faine: "Do you believe in God?"
Gillard: "No, I don't Jon, I'm not a religious person."
As The Age reports:
"Amazingly, the radio station was not struck by lightning. Gillard hastened to add she was brought up a Baptist, attending the Mitcham Baptist Church. Why, she even won catechism prizes for remembering verses from the Bible. "But during my adult life I've, you know, found a different path," she declared. "I'm, of course, a great respecter of religious beliefs - but they're not my beliefs."
I'd say there's a quarter of a million votes in that alone. The mood of anyone I speak to and hear on the radio appears to concur.
Lest we forget that John Howard, the Prime Minister till 2007 and Bush's buddy, had secret talks with the insidious cult The Exclusive Brethren, who peddled influence via his party, something I'll never forgive him for.
I'd vote for her. I try to make it a rule to not vote for anyone who claims to be religious in order to get votes. Those people that use religion as a means to victory deserve hell long before Prime Minister Gillard.
ReplyDeleteHer direct opponent in the opposition is famously religious, so it will be interesting how that plays out.
ReplyDeleteThe general public prefer secularism - overwhelmingly. Underneath that though are various church organisations who tend to vote in bloc, and some of them do have influence.
I'll be watching for their shenanigans.