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Marius Benson - politics

Is Kevin Rudd the most religious Prime Minister Australia has ever had?

I was kicking that question around over a couple of schooners with a friend after we had seen Gethsemane by the British playwright David Hare, at Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre.

David Hare is a political writer and his play Gethsemane is largely a political work.

One line that struck me was an observation that, as the first world generally grows less religiously observant, its political leaders seem to be growing more pious.

Not a universal rule - the US for a start is not seeing a decline in religion - but there have been some noticeably religious hands at the helm of several national governments.

Blair, Bush and now Obama and here Rudd and Turnbull are both more eye catchingly religious than our leaders have tended to be.

Kevin Rudd is the first Australian Prime Minister who I can remember routinely delivering Sunday morning pronouncements with a church as the backdrop.

John Howard maintained the Methodist faith of his childhood, but not in a way you would notice. He saw religion as a private matter and was seldom seen in a religious setting, apart from when visiting the church going George Bush in the United States.

Before him Paul Keating had the tribal-Catholic faith of a true Labor believer, but that was as much a cultural artefact as a religious conviction.

Bob Hawke abandonned the faith of his father, a Congregational minister, declaring himself an agnostic.

Go back to Malcolm Fraser and you find another Prime Minister who kept a comfortable distance between church and state. A Presbyterian of the old, undemonstrative school.

Gough Whitlam took a lofty view of religion, as he did most of human endeavour. His attitude is indicated by an anecdote from a caucus meeting he presided over when questions of religion and state aid for schools brought a spirited attack on the Catholic church from one Labor member.

Gough, to the surprise of some, came to the defence of that church saying that in fact if he were to join any church, it would be the Catholic church.

“Yeah,” came a derisive call from the depths of the caucus room, “……as Pope!”

Before Gough as Labor leader was Arthur Calwell. His political life ended with him bitter and whisky-soaked, prowling the corridors of non-power railing against the fates and the people who had prevented him rising beyond opposition leader.

“Come on Arthur,” one colleague, maybe Gough, reportedly urged on one occasion: “What about a little Christian charity.”

“I’m not a Christian,” Arthur snarled back, “I’m a Catholic.”

So the rivers of religious belief have run relatively shallow in Australian political history.

But now, even as religious observation declines, we have elected a devout Christian as Prime Minister. And after hearing his sermons on the church steps each Sunday for two years we have raised him to a level of opinion poll acclaim normally reserved for angels.

God moves in mysterious ways.

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Helen - Racing editor:

One thing’s for sure about the Caulfield Cup: whatever the state of the track, whichever barrier your favoured horse has drawn, he or she will need luck throughout the run of the big race to win.
It’s one of Australia’s oldest races and it’s also one of the toughest, due to the testing 2400 metres and the tight turning track along the way.
So best we stick with a strong horse, a horse with a true stayer’s heart - and that looks like VIEWED to me!

He’s already won the Melbourne Cup for the grand master Bart Cummings and ran a ripper trial for this a fortnight ago.
And with just a little luck, he should find his way home to the winner’s stall again tomorrow.

In fact, the way Bart’s stable is going, his other two runners - Allez Wonder and Roman Emperor - could fill the minor placings.

Stranger things have happened..

And as we all know, when it comes to Truly Amazing Things on the Turf, Bart Cummings is no stranger!

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Mark - Breakfast EP:

Believe me, Helen Thomas knows what she’s talking about.

This racing writer and enthusiast (and wannabe champion breeder) famously picked the Caulfield Cup trifecta 3 years ago.

Helen’s also one-third of “Weekend Halftime at the Races” and will be tearing the Cup apart and previewing more of the Spring Racing Carnival with veteran racing writer and commentator Max Presnell and Weekend Halftime’s very own Scott Wales at 10am Eastern Summer Time on Sunday morning.

For the record, Max has also firmly nailed his colours to the Bart Cummings camp.

He’s tipping “Viewed” as well.

Scott’s bunkered down going over the form for the big race …..over and over again.

But, if it makes the final field (it’s currently one of the Emergencies), Scott is leaning towards Baughurst each-way.

Me? What would I know?

Allez-Wonder.