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The rise of expert culture: a public sphere dominated by expert opinion is increasingly incapable of morally or historically grounded reflection.

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For the last few years, elements of the mainstream church have proved something of an irritant to the Federal Government. Whether it is the fate of refugees, the Iraq war, or the treatment of Aborigines, church leaders have had a prominent voice in the public sphere, often forming a moral opposition in the vacuum left by the Labor party. Thus, when the newly elected Anglican Primate Phillip Aspinall announced that he would not desist from commenting on changes to industrial relations policy, it was not surprising to hear his views discounted by the Howard Government. What was significant, however, was the way Aspinall's remarks were handled by the Liberal frontbench. On ABC radio, Peter Costello remarked that Aspinall's comments carried little weight because his specific training was in theology, rather than IR. Furthermore, Costello bemoaned the fact that the ABC only sourced opinion from left-wing churches, such as the Anglican, or 'even better' the Uniting Church. The Federal Treasurer asked why it was that the ABC never asked groups such as Hillsong (whose services he had recently attended) for their comment on social issues.

Such comments have for some time formed part of the Howard Government's political strategy--a strategy that neutralises the source of critique rather than debates it. We have seen it in relation to opponents of the Iraq war (appeasers), advocates of environmental issues (unrealistic), and so on. Yet...

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