The revelation of his speech in 2005 has prompted Labor to call on the Government to cease contact with Pastor Nalliah.
The row came as the Coalition yesterday sought to promote its Christian credentials at the expense of Labor. Health Minister Tony Abbott said Labor MPs did not have the same Christian commitment as those from the Coalition.
Mr Nalliah made headlines after he was charged in a test case of Victoria’s religious vilification laws for comments he made about Muslims in 2002.
The case ran for five years, during which Mr Costello supported the pastor. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal initially found he had vilified Islam, but the verdict was quashed on appeal. It was eventually resolved at mediation.
Last week Mr Nalliah led a prayer meeting in Parliament House, to which Mr Howard sent a message. Afterwards, he backed Mr Howard and expressed doubts about Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd’s religious beliefs, pointing out he had failed to confirm that Jesus was the son of God when asked on SBS last month.
He has told followers that he had held one-on-one meetings with Mr Costello on August 9 and Mr Howard on August 10. That was the same week in which Mr Howard met members of the Exclusive Brethren sect.
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese last night urged the Prime Minister to cut himself from Mr Nalliah.
“John Howard needs to distance himself from organisations that think it’s acceptable to associate with the League of Rights,” he said.
Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein last night expressed dismay about Mr Nalliah giving credibility to the league. “No one claiming credibility should dignify the podium of a body like the League of Rights with its track record – to give them any sort of Respectability or legitimacy,” he said.
But Mr Nalliah last night did not rule out further meetings with the League of Rights, denying that speaking to the group gave it credibility.
“I thought maybe it is a good opportunity to go and speak and I can change some of their thinking,” he said of his October 2005 speech.
“Let me be honest and truthful – if I am invited again, I will go again. I am not going to talk about anti-Jewish and anti-Islam; my message is about Christ and salvation.”
Mr Nalliah said he was warned before he went that the League of Rights was anti-Jewish. “One guy in the crowd put his hand up and said ‘Do you believe in the Holocaust?’,” he recalled. “I said ‘To deny the Holocaust would be like saying there will be no daybreak tomorrow morning’.”
Mr Howard’s office declined to comment. Mr Howard has previously said that “association with the League of Rights is unacceptable”.
A spokeswoman for Mr Costello declined to say if he would distance himself from Mr Nalliah. “The Treasurer has been a vocal, public and lifelong critic of the League of Rights.”
Mr Nalliah praised Mr Costello again yesterday, saying he appreciated both he and the Prime Minister taking “a stand against multiculturalism”. “One thing I love about Peter and John Howard is saying people who come here should not try to change this place to their own nation.”
While Mr Rudd has tried to overturn the antagonism between the churches and his predecessor Mark Latham, he has questioned the closeness of the Government to fringe groups such as Catch The Fire and the Exclusive Brethren.
But Mr Abbott said the fact the ALP was willing to do a preference deal with the Greens – who he said were hostile to many things Christians thought important – should sound a “very cautionary note” to Christians who were considering voting Labor.
“Labor’s enthusiasm to do a deal with the Greens I think calls into question (its) depth and sincerity in these areas,” Mr Abbott said.
Mr Abbott – the Coalition’s most prominent Christian – was speaking to The Age in response to the establishment of a website by The Australian Christian Lobby, which is targeting churchgoers in marginal seats.
He said the criteria the ACL used to assess the parties was up to it, but he pointed out that half the lower house Labor MPs “declined to take an oath on the Bible” after the last election.
“That’s not necessarily the be all and end all, but nevertheless it does suggest to me . . . as a collective Labor politicians don’t have the degree of Christian commitment (that Coalition politicians do),” he said.
