Who's who in Federal Parliament
Let us join together in prayer for our leaders in Parliament.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secured a resounding majority in the recent election, a result that means he is unlikely to be challenged for the ‘top job’ during this term of parliament. He has Catholic roots, which he says have profoundly influenced his approach to government. However, he maintains a strong belief in the separation of church and state, citing this as the reason he chose to be sworn in with an affirmation rather than a religious oath.
He has ruled out reintroducing religious discrimination legislation unless there is broad community support. In May, he stated: “I’m up for legislation that has broad support, but we do not need further issues created. I’ve been about turning the temperature on those issues, which is what social cohesion requires.”
Currently, he appears to support the status quo on these matters, although the influence of interest groups has yet to be seen.
Attorney General Michelle Rowland
Michelle Rowland, the former Communications Minister, now serves as the Attorney General. In her previous role, she championed the controversial Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, which raised concerns about its implications for free speech, particularly within schools.
There is widespread speculation that this legislation will re-emerge under the strengthened Labor government—either directly through new laws or indirectly by enhancing the powers of the eSafety Commissioner to address ‘misinformation.’ Additionally, there is an ongoing review of the Online Safety Act, which contains provisions that resemble aspects of the original bill.
Rowland successfully passed legislation implementing a social media ban for individuals under 16 during the last term of parliament.
It is our hope that this new appointment is a renewed opportunity to address religious freedoms and highlight the significance these hold for our schools and the communities our students and families represent.
Minister for Education, Jason Clare
Jason Clare, a proud product of public education, has retained his role as Minister for Education. He is known for being difficult to secure meetings with. During his previous term, his primary focus was on establishing the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, which aimed to increase funding for public schools by raising the federal contribution from 20% to 25%. We are currently seeking a meeting with him to dispel the myths around our schools with particular concerns about funding cuts which could jeopardise our sustainability.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley
Sussan Ley won the leadership of the Opposition by a narrow margin, and her hold on the position is considered tenuous. The party is still recovering from a devastating electoral defeat in which their former leader, Peter Dutton, lost his seat.
Ley served as Deputy Leader in the previous government.
Little is currently known about her views on education or religion.
Shadow Attorney General Julian Leeser
Julian Leeser is the sole Jewish member of the federal Coalition and has been vocal in speaking out against antisemitism on university campuses.
He returns to the shadow cabinet after resigning during the previous term due to his support for the Voice campaign. We consider him sympathetic to Christian schools and religious freedoms, however he will have limited influence over this government who can turn to the Greens for support in the Senate, bypassing the need for Opposition votes in passing controversial legislation.
Shadow Minister for Education Jonathon Duniam
This week, Shadow Minister for Education Jonathon Duniam called for a review of the national curriculum, advocating for the removal of ideology from classrooms and a renewed focus on fundamental learning outcomes.
He is a Tasmanian senator whose priorities for his new portfolio include improving education standards and expanding regional access to quality education.
Duniam has criticized the current Labor Government for what he describes as a decline in national education outcomes, identifying this issue as a central focus in his new role.
