Sydney (Fides Service) -John Howard, won a fourth term of office in elections on Saturday and increased his majority. With a victory beyond all expectations Howard’s coalition (Liberals and Nationals) won seats in the lower house (majority system) and is preparing to control also the senate (proportional vote traditionally controlled by the Opposition) thanks also to support by a new religious Party Family First (Pentecostal groups), with which he made an agreement with regard to priorities.
While six seats are still to be assigned, the Conservatories have moved from 82 to 87 seats of the 150 available in the lower house and have already 38 of the 76 seats in the senate. Howard will be the first premier to control the senate after Conservatory Malcolm Fraser in 1975.
This victory will enable the government to achieve its ambitious plan for reform, in the field of communication and privatisation. The Premier has said national security and the economy will be priorities for his fourth term in office. On the international level Howard has said that Australia’s 900 troops in the Gulf on non-combat missions will remain, whereas his Labour opponent Mark Latham had promised to withdraw the troops by Christmas if he won the election.
In May the Catholic Bishops of Australia issued a pre-election statement on problems regarding social justice. Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome who is Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, Bishop Christopher Saunders, has underlined the need for Australians to remember the needs of the poor and disadvantaged groups and to insist on transparency in key areas for healthy development of society such as education, health care family environment
Recently the Council issued a Social Justice Sunday Statement for 2004, Peace Be With You: Cultivating a Culture of Peace stressing the need to promote a culture of peace. The Statement counsels continuing development of a peaceful culture in Australia through reconciliation with Indigenous Australians, development of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and prayer, and the spread of true democratic and multicultural values.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 12/10/2004 righe 29 parole 322)