It was highly inappropriate for recently appointed Governor-General, David Hurley, ex Australian Army General, to be speaking – if not spruiking – at the National Prayer Breakfast, Parliament House in Canberra on 14 October. Not only is our country secular but many faiths are represented among its peoples, increasingly so. Thus, it was out of line for Hurley to speak about his Christian faith and its place in his life and leadership. The linked article has a good take on the whole event. Parliamentary host and sponsor, conservative Senator Amanda Stoker from Queensland of the Parliamentary Christian Forum is also the co-sponsor of the Inquiry into Nationhood, National Identity and Democracy (see News Updates of 29 July and 30 September). [“The Politics of the National Prayer Breakfast” by John Warhurst, The Canberra Times, 17 October 2019]
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
