Family First Party

The Family First Party is a political party in Australia. Although officially a secular party, it does have close links to the Pentecostal movement, and its social policies generally mirror conservative Christian values (which are not to be confused with politically conservative values). The party was founded in South Australia in time to contest the 2002 state elections, when Andrew Evans became its first MP, winning a seat in the South Australian Legislative Council. In the October 2004 federal election it contested seats all over Australia, and its preferences assisted the re-election of a number of Liberal candidates. The party's leader is Steve Fielding, a Victorian elected to the Australian Senate in 2004.

Similar parties

The Christian Democratic Party has existed under various names since 1974, and was Australia's only declared Christian party for most of that time. Many of its policies are similar to those of Family First, and in the 2004 election the two parties directed preferences to each other.

Related Topics:
Christian Democratic Party - 1974 - 2004

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However, while Family First has publicly stated positions on most major issues in Australian politics (see above), the CDP has a narrower political focus. For instance, unlike Family First, the CDP has not publicly taken a position on the "stolen generations", immigration and detention policies, or the war in Iraq (although CDP leader Fred Nile is personally supportive of the Coalition's policies on this issue).

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The CDP has never had anywhere near the level of support Family First has managed to attract within a few years of its emergence. One possible reason for this is an Australian reluctance to mingle religion and politics; where Family First has striven to present itself as a secular party, the CDP emphasises its Christian beliefs, and its public leader Fred Nile is an ordained minister. Another possible reason is Fred Nile's notoriously outspoken rhetoric, which might have reflected badly upon the CDP. Besides broadening Family First's direct appeal to voters, its less religious image may also have made it easier to secure valuable preference deals with other parties. The Family First party also showed a surprising degree of national organisation for a newly-formed political party; this may be associated with the experienced former Liberal Party figures who have become members of the party. Finally, Family First has mixed ethical positions usually associated with the conservative right with other positions associated with the left, allowing those people who are opposed to (for example) both abortion and the war in Iraq to be able to vote for a single party.

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Another party with very similar policies is the Democratic Labor Party, based in Melbourne. The DLP was once Australia's fourth largest party, but now has minimal support. Much like Family First, it had strong religious influences (in the DLP's case, Catholic) and was often seen as a 'Christian party', but did not describe itself as such. While it still contests Victorian Senate elections, it is no longer a significant influence on national politics.

Related Topics:
Democratic Labor Party - Catholic

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