Australia election features rare contest between Catholic candidates

Hobart, Australia, Apr 11, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

When Australians head to the polls on May 3 for the nation’s federal election, they will face a distinctive choice in the nation’s political history: two major party leaders who both identify as Catholic, though with notably different relationships to their faith.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of the Labor Party and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of the Liberal-National Coalition both come from Catholic backgrounds, setting up what journalist Michael Cook describes in The Catholic Weekly as “a unique contest between two Catholics” in Australian politics.

Albanese, seeking a second term as prime minister, has described himself as a “flawed Catholic” whose values were shaped by his Catholic upbringing with his single mother in public housing in Sydney.

“I regard myself as a flawed Catholic, but it’s a part of my values,” Albanese told journalist Troy Bramston in an interview before his first election victory in 2022. “I go to church occasionally just by myself.”

Dutton, meanwhile, grew up in a mixed-faith home with a Catholic father and a Protestant mother. He attended an Anglican school but has stated that he identifies with the Catholic Church even if he does not attend church regularly.

Reconciling the irreconcilable?

The phenomenon of political leaders who claim Catholic identity while maintaining distance from Church teaching and practice has become increasingly common in Western democracies.

Catholic author and writer at the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, Joseph Pearce, who will be touring Australia in May, reflected on this trend.

“It’s always best to listen to the words of Christ who reminds us that we cannot serve both God and mammon,” Pearce told CNA.

“A Catholic politician must be animated in all he does by the love of God and the love of neighbor. Any political pressure and tension which seeks to ‘reconcile’ God and mammon is seeking to reconcile the irreconcilable.”

The upcoming election heavily focuses on economic issues, with the cost of living, housing affordability, and immigration among the key campaign discussions. 

Religious identity, however, remains a factor in how candidates present themselves to voters in a country where approximately 20% of the population identifies as Catholic.

As The Catholic Leader reported when Albanese first took office in 2022, the prime minister has used his Catholic background strategically during campaigning, including visiting Catholic schools and meeting with Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher.

However he raised eyebrows when he chose to be sworn in without a Bible or reference to God. 

At the same time, Sight Magazine noted through interviews with political analysts that Albanese’s Catholic roots have influenced his approach to social justice issues, with author Roy Williams suggesting “the basic idea is that because all human beings are made in the image of God, all are equal in the sight of God.”

Pearce, whose own journey includes a conversion to Catholicism, suggested that identifying with a faith community while distancing oneself from its core teachings can create tensions that politicians must personally reconcile.

Australia’s political history includes a variety of notable Catholic figures, including former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the activist and intellectual Bob Santamaria, and Sen. Brian Harradine, who was known for his unwavering commitment to life issues.

Pearce’s perfectly timed Australian tour, which begins May 5, includes lectures on “Power, Corruption, and the Triumph of the Human Spirit” and “How Catholic Culture Rescued Me From Hatred” — themes that resonate in a political environment marked by varying degrees of religious commitment.

The Australian federal election will be held on Saturday, May 3, with all 150 seats in the House of Representatives and 40 of the 76 Senate seats being contested.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263235/faith-at-the-ballot-australia-s-election-sees-rare-contest-between-catholic-candidates