Catholics urged not to vote for the Greens

Source: Stateline Victoria Published: Friday, October 29, 2010 12:00 AEDT Expires: Thursday, January 27, 2011 12:00 AEDT

Melbourne Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart has encouraged Catholics to question contentious Greens policies.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA, PRESENTER: Victoria's one and a half million Catholics will this Sunday be given instruction from the State's Archbishop on how to decide their vote this coming State election.

It's the first time in recent memory the Catholic Church in Victoria has taken such action.

A pamphlet to be issued through Catholic schools and churches lists 25 questions voters should ask their MPs before deciding how to vote.

I spoke with Melbourne Archbishop, Denis Hart, earlier today (29/10/10).

Archbishop Dennis Heart, welcome to 'Stateline'.

Can I ask why the Catholic Church has intervened in the way it has with this pamphlet into the State election?

DENIS HART, ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE: We're issuing the statement because we believe that the right to vote is a very important responsibility. We want people to think about what they're doing and we believe it's important for them to engage with their potential representatives so that the people who are elected reflect the community values and community expectations.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: There are some hot button issues that are in this pamphlet. Two of them are euthanasia and abortion. What are you saying to your congregation, that if MPs have supported either of those two in the past or have a view in support of them, they shouldn't vote for them?

DENIS HART: We're saying to our people simply that they should consider these issues as very, very important. After all, life is the greatest gift we have and we believe that from natural birth to natural death it is absolutely an incomparable gift.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: What decision would you make of your local MP if he supported either abortion?

DENIS HART: I would certainly want to insist that I could not support anyone who did not have a clear vision about the value of life from beginning till death.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: Now, the Greens Party this year introduced a Private Member's Bill in the upper House on euthanasia. Does that mean you don't think your congregation should support the Greens?

DENIS HART: I would certainly say that euthanasia for me is an absolutely essential issue. One of the problems about euthanasia, of course, is if any assisted suicide is allowed, this creates a tremendous insecurity in the community among a whole range of elderly people, and that's often not faced.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: So the bottom line about the Greens' view on this issue, you don't support it?

DENIS HART: We disagree totally with the Greens' view on this issue. We believe that the value of life is so important that we can't step aside from it.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: And therefore you can't support the Greens?

DENIS HART: We can't support the Greens on this issue.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: On this issue, but obviously it influences a vote. If they're in support of euthanasia, you're saying really to your congregation, to your supporters, 'Don't vote for them.'

DENIS HART: We are saying that this is a very important issue. We respect the right of each individual voter. For me, of course, I could never vote for someone who took that position.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: Archbishop, what's your understanding of the concept of the separation of church and state?

DENIS HART: I believe that in a pluralistic society, the Church and the State all have their role to perform. Recently in Westminster Hall Pope Benedict suggested there is always a dialogue between Church and State and the role of the church is often to clarify, to challenge, to serve, to enter into the dialogue.

So I don't subscribe to the view that we should stay in church and mind our own business. We are members of society. We are voters, more than 25 per cent of our society. Our values for family, for community, our wanting a better Victoria is something that we really have a right to present for consideration by the society.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: You don't think this crosses the line?

DENIS HART: Not in any way.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: There are welfare issues, education issues, looking after the aged and children, et cetera. How would you rate the current Government's performance on the issues that you talk about in the pamphlet?

DENIS HART: We would be urging the current Government, for example, in education funding to provide us with a transparent 25 per cent of the cost of educating

children in a Government school. We're certainly looking at the whole problem of homelessness. After all, with people sleeping on the streets, unless you provide permanent housing, you can't address that problem in a way that's definitive.

I believe that the present Government has done sincerely what it has set out to do. I certainly believe there's room for improvement. We and the government of the day are committed to working together for a better Victoria.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: What did you take into account when you decided how to vote?

DENIS HART: I believe that every society has to take into account how it cares for its weakest and most vulnerable, for children, the sick, the aged, those who are burdened, welfare services, education, the whole question of law and order in society. All of these problems, I think they would be things that I would have thought about before I consider how I will vote.

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA: Archbishop Hart, thank you for your time.

DENIS HART: Thank you, Josephine.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/10/29/3052458.htm