One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has claimed that Australia is a 'Christian nation' and that many First Nations people would agree with him, during an anti-abortion gala in Sydney where he accepted a 'political courage' award.
Joyce's remarks at the gala
At the event organised by controversial anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe, Joyce was asked by Benjamin van der Linden from Make Australia Christian Again whether Australia was a Christian nation. Joyce responded, 'Yes, it was premised on Christian principles.' He added, 'A lot of Indigenous people would tell you straight up and proper Australia's a Christian nation.'
Joyce was the headline act at Howe's Sydney rally in June advocating for reduced access to abortion in New South Wales. At the same gala, One Nation's Hunter candidate Stuart Bonds also accepted the award alongside Joyce.
Declining Christian adherence
According to the 2021 census, 43.9% of Australians identified as Christian, down from 54% in 2016. Meanwhile, 38.9% reported 'no religion'. Despite this decline, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and others maintain that Australia is 'predominantly a Judeo-Christian society'.
Comments from Howe and her husband
Joanna Howe has praised Hanson's call for a 'monoculture', stating it would include 'immigrants like me and my family who assimilate and contribute to Australia'. Howe is of Indian and Portuguese descent and moved to Australia from England.
At the event, van der Linden also interviewed Howe's husband, James Howe, who said anything 'good' in Australia was due to its Christian roots. When asked about Islam, James Howe called it 'a shit religion' and 'a primitive, barbaric religion' with 'no place in this country'. In a recent podcast interview, the Howes expressed disdain for hyphenated identities, with James Howe saying he would ground his children if they called themselves 'Indian Australians'.
First Nations perspectives
Professor Anne Pattel-Gray, a Bidjara and Nguri woman and academic director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies at the University of Queensland, criticised Joyce's comments. She stated that Christianity was delivered to Australia through 'colonial objectives, denial and theft', describing it as 'colonial Christianity that justified all manner of injustices and violence towards Aboriginal people'. Many churches have apologised for their role in the Stolen Generations, but Pattel-Gray said apologies without reparations were 'pretty hollow'. Historically, many First Nations people were forced into religious missions in the 1800s, aimed at conversion and preparation for menial jobs. In 2016, 54% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population reported a Christian affiliation.
Political implications
Professor Chris Wallace from the University of Canberra noted crossovers among rightwing groups but warned that 'feral extremism' turns off mainstream voters. She said One Nation's success relies on fringe positions and protest votes, but doubling down on issues like abortion is a mistake, as 'Australian elections are won from the middle ground'. Dr Prudence Flowers from Flinders University added that anti-abortion rhetoric ties into anti-immigration and anti-feminism, creating a 'noxious brew'.
