Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House that the practice of opening each sitting day of the Legislative Assembly is a right and proper acknowledgement of Australia’s legal and cultural heritage which has been decisively shaped by a Christian ethos that continues to foster our free and prosperous democracy. Our constitution opens with the words, “Humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God”. The practice of saying prayers is a longstanding and non-partisan tradition which re-affirms parliamentarians’ commitment to the common good of Australia. Our Indigenous heritage is also rightly recognised. Australia was founded with the principle of separation of church and state but it was never intended to keep religious ideas, people or prayers out of public life. It has been proven that there is no constitutional impediment to the existing practice of parliamentary prayers in Australia. In particular, Section 116 of the constitution has been shown not to support any claim of unconstitutionality.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to continue the tradition of opening parliament with the saying of a Christian prayer, and not order this to cease.