God is in the House
God is in the House
10 October 2022
David Smith MP, Co-convener of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, lives and works in Canberra. He, along with other members of the PCF from various parties, host ecumenical church services and the National Prayer Breakfast. Pictured here, David meets with Canberra City Corps Officer Lieutenant Sally Stevens in 2021. Photo courtesy of David Smith MP.
Christian values certainly aren’t the first thing we think of when we see politicians sparring on television. However, the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship (PCF) invites senators, MPs, staff and ambassadors with an interest in the Christian faith to partake in prayer, services and receive guidance. And when it comes to party lines, everyone is invited.
David Smith MP (far left), and other members of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, along with various MPs and senators, attended the ecumenical church service at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at the beginning of the Parliamentary sitting year. Photo courtesy Steve Georganas MP Facebook page.
“The Fellowship is not something out of Tolkien,” laughs David Smith MP, co-convener of the PCF. As a member of the Labor party, he is a federal representative for the people of Bean in the south of the ACT and Norfolk Island. He is Government Whip in the Lower House and is also a practising Catholic.
“The great thing about the Fellowship is that it’s a way to bring together those of us in Christian [denominations] across parliament to work in the interest of the parliament, to ensure there is a place for faith ... across our work.”
The PCF is responsible for the yearly National Prayer Breakfast, the church service held at the start of each parliamentary sitting year, and the inclusion of the Lord’s Prayer when Parliament begins each day. Their last service coincided with the installation of the newly-elected government, where more than 150 people attended, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton and newly appointed US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy.
The role of the PCF
Senator Matt O’Sullivan is driven by his Christian faith and values, representing Western Australia and the Liberal Party in Parliament. He and his wife Montanique are raising two children in Perth and attend a local Australian Christian church.
However, there is more to the faith of members in the PCF than these rituals. By choice, they seek to live out their faith in Jesus every day.
“Regardless of faith, everyone who comes into Parliament is putting themselves forward because they want to make a difference,” says Senator Matt O’Sullivan, co-convener of the
PCF. A member of the Liberal Party, he was elected to the Senate for Western Australia in 2019. He is currently the Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate and the Temporary Chair of Committees.
“There’s a lot of commonalities in Parliament whether you’ve got faith or not,” he says. “For me, my faith does drive me to live a selfless life, to try to think of others ahead of myself. You don’t have to have faith or be a Christian to exemplify that, but for me, it’s very grounding every time we read scripture and pray.
“It’s really unfortunate that the public doesn’t get to see the collegiality as much. The reality is there is a lot of work we do together, and legislation that gets through that’s not controversial. I really value the fact that we can have quite fearsome debates, but when it’s morning tea time, we are there talking about our families.”
Liaising with The Salvation Army
When it comes to policy and legislation, The Salvation Army has what Matt terms a “unique and interesting” perspective in Canberra. Major Paul Hateley represents The Salvation Army in the Halls of Parliament as Head of Government Relations and spends his days connecting with people from all walks of life. Advocacy, pastoral care and friendship are all on the table, and for many MPs and senators, this gives them a window into the needs of the community.
“We caught up recently about the Voice to Parliament, and Paul was able to facilitate a good discussion where I was able to explore some ideas and concerns with him,” says Matt.
Major Paul Hateley represents The Salvation Army in Parliament House as Head of Government Relations. His work leads to conversations with some of our nation’s most prominent leaders. Pictured here in 2021, he and Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson help launch the Kmart Wishing Tree with former Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“I find it really useful when organisations take the time to engage with the backbench because, ultimately, we are in the rooms when the decisions are being made.”
For David, the presence of the Salvos in Canberra is doubly useful. As a local member, he is also able to talk to Major Wendy Hateley, the Army’s Public Relations Officer for ACT, to find out about the needs of the electorate.
“Often people think about Canberra as a really prosperous community that is quite homogenous,” says David. “The fact is, we have big challenges around housing, substance abuse and domestic violence. Having access to the work that the Salvos are doing on the ground and combining that with national advocacy is really critical.”
Working on reform
Life as a politician involves long days, high pressure and, for some, isolation. And in the wake of the findings of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkin’s Set the Standard Report, which found 51 per cent of Members of Parliament experienced some form of bullying and sexual harassment, the PCF is more aware than ever that it has a responsibility to live with integrity. As whips, David and Matt take this a step further. In addition, David is on the committee to enact some of these reforms.
David Smith MP, pictured here with his family, is passionate about representing his local area of Bean in the ACT. He is a practising Catholic. From left: Marc, wife Liesl, David, Stella and Eamonn.
“We have to lead by example. Many of the changes that have been suggested are quite sensible ones and for a number of reasons parts of this workplace have acted like they’ve been in a different decade where many other workplaces in private and public sector have changed more radically,” David says.
“A lot of this is about individual responsibility. But as whips, we have a responsibility, if there’s some concerning behaviour that is occurring ... we have to make sure that’s acted upon and dealt with in an efficient and effective way.”
Politics is complicated, but for members of the PCF, loving people like Jesus is a priority. Despite differences of opinion around legislation, the reminder that they have the same end goal is what helps politicians with a Christian faith to better embody Christ as they do their work.
David Smith MP and Senator Matt O’Sullivan are on different sides of politics, but they find common ground through the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship.
“In most cases, we are actually driven by the same common good and want to achieve a lot of similar outcomes for our community. The difference will be how we get there,” reflects David. “If you understand that it’s worth talking to your colleagues, [they may] actually come up with better ways of getting there.”
The National Prayer Breakfast is held at Parliament House on Monday 28 November 2022, with keynote speaker Peter ‘Chicka’ Gibbs. Salvationists are invited to register now at https://nationalprayerbreakfast.org/.
Please note: Efforts were made to reflect the voices of all parties and independents involved in the PCF in this article. The Salvation Army Australia is politically impartial and does not align with any party.
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