Prime Minister Scott Morrison is one of several religious conservatives who have won high political office in Australia over the past decade. Another, of course, was Tony Abbott.
But have they been able to convert the electorate to their worldview? The political culture has become significantly more liberal on their watch, with changes on abortion, euthanasia, and same-sex marriage.
In some major new research, Associate Professor David Smith from the United States Studies Centre has been exploring this paradox. His recent paper is No longer a ‘Christian nation’: why Australia’s Christian Right loses policy battles even when it wins elections.
Smith spoke to Andrew West on the ABC program Religion and Ethics Report with Andrew West.