The Rationalist Society of Australia has called on Labor Senator Fatima Payman to work with her parliamentary colleagues to replace daily Christian worship with more inclusive practices in the federal parliament.

Appearing on the ABC’s Q+A program last week, Senator Payman (pictured) said that, while she used the Christian prayer recitals at the opening of the Senate each day to reflect on her duties, it was “for the Christian community out there to decide whether that’s no longer required.”

Senator Payman, from Western Australia, is the federal parliament’s first hijab-wearing Muslim woman and one of its youngest members.

In a letter to Senator Payman following the program, RSA president Dr Meredith Doig argued that, instead of leaving it for the Christian community to decide, Senator Payman could work with her colleagues to effect change.

“We note that a number of your Labor colleagues oppose the recital of prayers in parliament, including the President of the Senate and your West Australian colleague Sue Lines, and Clare O’Neill and Tim Watts in the House of Representatives,” Dr Doig wrote.

“As a member of a Labor-led government and of the Senate, you now have the opportunity to push for reform to make parliament more inclusive and more reflective of our nation’s religious and non-religious diversity.” 

Despite a 2018 Senate committee inquiry into the issue finding there was no “momentum for change”, Dr Doig informed Senator Payman of the significant developments in recent years. These included numerous councils replacing prayer rituals and the Victorian parliament committing to do so soon.

Dr Doig also noted that last week’s Q+A audience survey on prayer resulted in an overwhelming majority – 85 per cent of more than 2,500 respondents – voting against the parliament starting each day with Christian worship.

In her first speech to parliament last year, Senator Payman said it was Labor who “respect and celebrate the diversity of our growing multicultural society, so families like mine don’t feel ostracised”.

In her letter, Dr Doig said parliament should now reflect the religious and increasingly non-religious diversity of Australian society.

“Your presence in parliament – and that of other Labor members from non-Christian and non-religious backgrounds – is a testament to the diversity of our multicultural country and should be celebrated,” she said.

“Yet, by starting each day with the recital of Christian-only prayers, the Senate and the parliament sends a poor signal to non-Christians that they are not welcome in the parliament and that their worldviews are not as valued.

“The federal Labor Party likes to talk about Australia’s diversity and multiculturalism. Yet it is now federal Labor that continues to mandate Christian worship at the opening of parliament each day – ostracising non-religious and non-Christian people.”

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Image: Senator Fatima Payman (Facebook)

Letter to Senator Payman, 13 April 2023

Dear Senator Payman,

I’m writing to you on behalf of the Rationalist Society of Australia – Australia’s oldest freethought organisation – in regards to comments you made on Monday night’s Q+A program about the topic of Christian worship as part of parliamentary proceedings.

Asked by host Stan Grant for your thoughts on the topic, you said that you use the daily prayer ritual in the Senate to reflect on your duties but added that: “…it’s for the Christian community out there to decide whether that’s no longer required.”

We have long campaigned and lobbied members of parliament for Christian prayer ritual to be replaced with more inclusive, secular practices.

Rather than being a matter for just the Christian community to decide on whether prayer should remain, we would like to urge you and your Labor colleagues to work with fellow members of parliament to bring about change to this practice.

We note that a number of your Labor colleagues oppose the recital of prayers in parliament, including the President of the Senate and your West Australian colleague Sue Lines, and Clare O’Neill and Tim Watts in the House of Representatives. We also understand a number of senators and members stand outside the chamber while prayers are recited.

Australia’s parliament should reflect the rich diversity – religious and increasingly non-religious – of our society. Almost 40% of Australians positively identify as not religious, according to the 2021 ABS Census. Those who identify as Christians have shrunk dramatically and are now less than half the population.

At the next Census in 2026, on current trends, non-religious Australians will overtake Christians as the largest section of society. Your presence in parliament – and that of other Labor members from non-Christian and non-religious backgrounds – is a testament to the diversity of our multicultural country and should be celebrated.

Yet, by starting each day with the recital of Christian-only prayers, the Senate and the parliament sends a poor signal to non-Christians that they are not welcome in the parliament and that their worldviews are not as valued. Instead of privileging and imposing one religious worldview, we believe the chambers of the parliament should open each day with more inclusive, secular practices – such as a moment of silent reflection or prayer, as the ACT’s Legislative Assembly does.

In 2018, a Senate committee inquiry into the issue found there was no “momentum for change” but now that is clearly not the case. Across the country, momentum for change is growing. 

The Victorian Labor government has pledged to replace prayer rituals. Numerous local councils have in recent years removed prayers from their meetings – including Shoalhaven and Wagga Wagga councils in New South Wales, Clarence and Glenorchy councils in Tasmania, and South Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula councils in Victoria. In a joint letter in January, 21 councillors from across Victoria wrote to the state government opposing the practice of local governments opening meetings with prayers and calling for their right to ‘freedom from religion’ to be respected.

In the audience survey taken by Q+A for Monday night’s episode, the overwhelming majority of people – 85% of more than 2,500 respondents – voted against the parliament starting each day with Christian prayers.

The federal Labor Party likes to talk about Australia’s diversity and multiculturalism. In your maiden speech to the Senate, you said it was Labor who “respect and celebrate the diversity of our growing multicultural society, so families like mine don’t feel ostracised.” Yet it is now federal Labor that continues to mandate Christian worship at the opening of parliament each day – ostracising non-religious and non-Christian people.

As a member of a Labor-led government and of the Senate, you now have the opportunity to push for reform to make parliament more inclusive and more reflective of our nation’s religious and non-religious diversity. 

Will you work with your Senate colleagues to replace the prayer with a more inclusive opening practice?

Regards,

Dr Meredith Doig

President, Rationalist Society of Australia