The ABC’s head of religion, Noel Debien, has been watching the proceedings at ICAC and is here with an update.

In New South Wales, the Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating claims that the head office of Catholic schools – but not the schools themselves -- employed some staff to work primarily on factional activities for the Liberal Party. There’ve also been allegations that the organisation paid a consultant who then funnelled his money to a faction known as the Reformers. 

How have socially conservative Catholics found a home for themselves in the Liberal Party, especially considering its early history as a bastion of Australia’s protestant establishment? It’s due in large part to the end of long romance between the Catholic Church and the Labor Party. 

GUESTS:

• Noel Debien is a religion expert and broadcaster, and heads the Religion and Ethics unit at ABC Radio National
• Dr Jeff Kildea is the author of the new book Iron Law No More: The Rise and Demise of the Catholic-Labor Alliance in Australia.

• Anne Benjamin is a respected educator, who was Director of Schools for the Parramatta diocese. 

  This program is recorded on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation

How have socially conservative Catholics found a home for themselves in the Liberal Party, especially considering its early history as a bastion of Australia’s protestant establishment? 

It’s due in large part to the end of long romance between the Catholic Church and the Labor Party. 

GUEST:

• Dr Jeff Kildea is the author of the new book Iron Law No More: The Rise and Demise of the Catholic-Labor Alliance in Australia.

One of the most controversial questions in next week’s census is about religious affinity. 

Over the past two decades, increasing numbers of Australians say they have no religion. 

In 2021, it reached 39 per cent. 

But does the way the census poses the question accurately reflect religious identity? 

GUEST:

• Dr Dorian von Freyhold from the analytics firm Compass Polling ran an experiment involving 5,000 people.

"Women religious" have led major education, health and charitable institutions. 

But they’ve also been victims of their own church. 

For six years, a Church of England priest has been trying to uncover the fate of more than 60 Iraqis taken prisoner by Coalition forces during the 2003 Iraq invasion. 

What makes this search for the truth so compelling is that before becoming a priest, Nicholas Mercer was a Lieutenant Colonel and one of the most senior lawyers in the British military. 

As part of his search, he wrote repeatedly to the Inspector General of the Australian Defence Forced because Australian troops were involved in detaining the Iraqis. 

Nicholas Mercer has finally received a response from the Inspector-General.

The following statement can be attributed to a spokesperson for the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force:

The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force’s role includes the examination of matters affecting military justice in the ADF.  

The IGADF inquiry into Dr Mercer’s concerns did not find any evidence that substantiates wrongdoing on the part of the ADF.

 GUEST:

• A former British Army Lieutenant-Colonel, the Rev Nicholas Mercer has been campaigning for the truth about war crimes in Iraq - he is also an Anglican priest

For six years, a Church of England priest has been trying to uncover the fate of more than 60 Iraqis taken prisoner by Coalition forces during the 2003 Iraq invasion. 

Young voters have a voice in India right now.

India’s Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Melbourne to receive a rock star welcome at a mass rally at docklands stadium. But not all Australian Hindus are fans - some see him as a divisive figure with potential impact on social harmony. What do they make of the current pulses of anti-immigration rhetoric emerging from figures like Hanson and her party?

Meanwhile in India, the Cockroach Janta party or CJP might have started out as an online joke, bit its grown into a mass protests movement, driven by the discontent of millions of younger voters. What of it's future?

With an October 27 poll looming for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — security officials warn the Occupied West Bank is a tinderbox, with Palestinian Christian communities among those under sustained attack from armed settlers. We speak with a Christian Palestinian from Bethlehem with family in Gaza.

GUESTS:

• ABC journalist and former ABC South Asia correspondent Meghna Bali - Her new ABC Compass documentary is here.
• Professor Assa Doron, from the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific.
• Dr Yousef Al-Khoury is the Academic Dean of Bethlehem Bible College in the West Bank. He’s currently on a speaking tour Bearing Witness in Australia organised by the group Palestinian Christians in Australia.

India’s Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Melbourne to receive a rock star welcome at a mass rally at docklands stadium. 

But not all Australian Hindus are fans - some see him as a divisive figure with potential impact on social harmony. 

What do they make of the current pulses of anti-immigration rhetoric emerging from figures like Hanson and her party?

GUEST:

• ABC journalist and former ABC South Asia correspondent Meghna Bali - Her new ABC Compass documentary is here.

With an October 27 poll looming for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, security officials warn the Occupied West Bank is a tinderbox, with Palestinian Christian communities among those under sustained attack from armed settlers. 

We speak with a Christian Palestinian from Bethlehem with family in Gaza.

GUEST:

• Dr Yousef Al-Khoury is the Academic Dean of Bethlehem Bible College in the West Bank. He’s currently on a speaking tour Bearing Witness in Australia organised by the group Palestinian Christians in Australia.

Young voters have a voice in India right now.

The Cockroach Janta Party or CJP might have started out as an online joke, but it's grown into a mass protests movement, driven by the discontent of millions of younger voters. 

What of it's political future? 

And who are the key figures in the movement?

GUEST:

• Professor Assa Doron, from the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific.