I just thought I would relate something that occurred during my time of working during the Victorian State election period. Although I am associated with a different political party myself, I thought it very important to give a little constructive criticism here. The other party was Family First, and although we a not on the same political side we both support our own party because of our personal belief and convictions. Or at least that is what I thought it was.
I was helping out at the pre-polling booth handing out how to vote cards with several other people from other parties as well. We all got on really well and during quiet periods talked about everything and anything (including cricket) to pass the time. During a later quiet period I made a comment to a lady handing out how to vote cards for Family First regarding her party being Christian. It wasn't critical or anything like that. In fact I mentioned how my family themselves are very Christian and that it is good to have Christian values.
However I was almost floored when this woman emphatically denied Family First having any association not only with any Church but also with Christianity itself. She later said that several of the candidates attended Church (it turned out that all of them did), but up until that point denied this. In fact she seemed very humiliated to even have any association with anything Christian. This might be understandable it it was just a one off, and she was just a non-Christian helping out. When this happens several times with a few people on different occasions I start to raise my eyebrows a bit.
Why the denial? It doesn't make sense to have a Christian political party, promote yourself as having christian values, then to go out of your way to distance yourself from Christianity altogether. Christianity is not something to be ashamed of. And why even support a party politically if you are going to refuse to make a stand for what they are actually about in the first place. I never have denied my political allegiance to anyone, and sometimes it results in not too favourable comments and at other times they are favourable. It is something that goes with the territory. In a democracy of course there are going to be people that wont have the same opinion as youself politically. Accept that!
As well, on polling day members of Family First at the booths I worked at (I worked at two in three shifts) tried to prevent people from being able to access how to vote cards from other political parties. They had several people wearing Family First tee-shirts with very large print walk up to the booths with very well groomed dogs and start a conversation with everyone. They positioned themselves so they were able to stop the other parties effectively handing out how to vote cards to people trying get into the booth to vote. Their own man though had full access! I myself was able to effectively hand out cards as I was further up. Anyone trying to enter the booth from the other end had difficulty entering the booth itself and accessing how to vote information beforehand. This might have seemed like it was just a one off with people only wlking their dog if it occurred just the once, but when it happens several times during the day and at many other booths(as reported by other workers) it becomes an underhanded political tactic.
How dare these people try and prevent anyone from accessing the polling booth! To do so is fully illegal. They do not have the right to prevent anyone being able to have how to vote cards from other parties, nor do they have the right to prevent them accessing the booth. Even though I wasn't effected, other workers were and despite them maybe being on the other side of the political divide I will still support their right to freely promote their party to voters. Why? Because in Australia we live in a democratic society and the people have to be able to freely choose for themselves.
These people who tried this tactic might have assumed that it would get them more votes. They were very wrong! In fact at the booth I worked at as scrutineer later they didn't poll very well at all. Their tactic actually backfired. This was also the case at every booth where they attempted this strategy.
Maybe just a little advice is needed here! First do not ever deny who you are or what you stand for. That is paramount to supporting your political party. Second do not ever prevent any person from accessing information or from entering the polling booth. To do both of these things is very dishonest and is not something Christian.
What were these people thinking!
Did any of them stop to think about how other people might view them doing this? Is it any wonder people aren't Christians when they see things like this happening? People aren't stupid, they know dishonest tactics when they see them. And when they do they are more likely to criticize the party concerned because of it and turn away from what they stand for.