In the wake of Australia’s federal election, the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) is urging Christians to respond with prayer and public engagement, while vowing to hold lawmakers accountable on key issues affecting religious freedom, family values and free speech.
In an update to its supporters, titled Where we go from here, Michelle Pearse, chief executive officer of the ACL, congratulated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after he secured re-election on Saturday, with his center-left Labor Party winning a parliamentary majority.
Pearse added that the ACL looked forward to working constructively with the government “on issues that matter deeply to the Christian community.”
“This election result reflects a broader mood in the country,” Pearse wrote. “In uncertain times, many voters opt for stability over change. Others were influenced by global political trends—similar to what we’ve seen in Canada—where a perceived ‘Trump effect’ pushes voters away from conservative parties.
"But it also highlighted what was missing. Clear, values-based leadership builds culture. Instead, it may be argued that fear of losing votes led to cautious messaging and blurred convictions by many candidates and leaders across the parties.”
Even so, the CEO saw “signs of encouragement” and cited the results of Family First, a Christian political party polling more than four percent of the primary vote in 13 electorates. She deemed this a “strong result for a small party, and a reminder that many Australians still care deeply about traditional values.”
“For many Christians, the election outcome brings mixed feelings—especially in light of the policy trends we've seen over the past three years,” added Pearse. “But this is not a time for discouragement. It's a time for prayer and faithful engagement."
The CEO of ACL expressed relief that the election result had not returned a hung parliament. She expressed a view that it meant the Greens party would not be in a power-sharing role in the lower house, alleging this a “significant relief given their track record of pushing policies that are hostile to Christian values.”
Looking ahead, the ACL is focused on key areas of concern to Christians and which Pearse anticipates will need levels of advocacy in parliament.
Firstly, religious freedom. Labor had pledged to not change anti-discrimination law affecting Christian schools and institutions, according to Pearse, “unless there is bipartisan support. That makes the Coalition’s stance critical in the months ahead.”
“We’ll be working to ensure schools and institutions retain the freedom to employ staff who share and model Christian beliefs—something that’s essential to their identity and mission,” she added.
Secondly, the ACL welcomed the government’s confirmation not to return a Misinformation and Disinformation Bill to parliament, affecting freedom of speech rights and this has been deemed this a “positive step” by Pearse. At the same time, she called for still-needed protections for freedom of speech and religion in law.
“These are basic human rights recognised under international law—but not yet enshrined in ours despite the Australian government agreeing to create these two pieces of legislation,” said Pearse. “We will continue to push for proper protections in this area.”
The ACL has also called upon the government to push for positive reforms, such as reforming gambling with a national regulator and banning adverts. Social issues such as poverty, domestic violence and crime are linked to problem gambling with a study reportedly linking 20 percent of suicides per year to the addiction. Pearse added that 600,000 Australian children are gambling $18 million AUS ($11,677,320 USD) each year.
“The need for change is immediate and undeniable,” Pearse commented.
Another issue for the renewed government is youth justice with Pearse highlighting the problem of children as young as 10 years old being held in juvenile prisons in Australia.
“Many of these children are indigenous, and a high percentage have learning disorders,” she lamented. “A national, therapeutic approach—focused on rehabilitation and long-term change—is urgently needed.”
Lastly, Pearse pledged that the ACL would be observing closely political factions within the upper Senate, where the Green party is influential, to watch for any attempts to pass “extreme legislation” considered opposed to Christian ethics.
The anticipated activities of some "teal" independents will also be scrutinized by the ACL, , according to Pearse, such as as attempts to support “removing hiring protections from Christian schools and expanding access to euthanasia.”
Pearse noted a lack of clarity in the future of the Liberal Party after former leader Peter Dutton failed to persuade the electorate, even losing his own Brisbane seat after 24 years of representing that constituency.
“Some blame his cultural stands for the result. Others say he didn’t go far enough. Either way, the next leader will help determine how effectively the party defends its core values.”
In conclusion, Pearse asked Christians to pray for the future of Australia and those involved in policy making and implementation.
“Throughout Scripture, we see God's people called to pray for those in authority—whether it was Joseph serving Pharaoh, Esther boldly advocating for her people’s right to the King, Daniel serving under Babylonian rule, or Paul urging believers to lift up 'kings and all those in authority' (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
“Prayer has always been the faithful response. As Christians, we have the privilege and responsibility to bring our leaders before God—trusting that He can guide, convict, and work through them for His purposes.
“So, let’s continue to stand firm in truth, remain steady in hope, and lift our nation and its leaders before the Lord in prayer.”
