The CAS19 Speakers

Miranda Devine is a high profile columnist & writer for the Daily Telegraph & previously The Sydney Morning Herald & Sun Herald. Miranda is also a weekly guest commentator on Channel Nine’s Today Show and host of her own podcast on which the first guest was then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. 

Sen Amanda Stoker is a first term Queensland Senator in the Federal Parliament who has a distinguished legal career as a barrister both in prosecuting for the Commonwealth as well as private practice in commercial law, administrative law and corporate crime. Senator Stoker is a voice with common sense & conviction who wants to see Australia return to being a free land of opportunity based on Christian values.

Ps Mark Powell is the pastor at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Strathfield (NSW), a multi-site church with five successful locations. Mark is passionate about God’s Word and communicating its life changing riches in a clear and challenging way. He is frequently published in the secular political magazine, the Spectator Australia, where his articles often appear in the most popular list. Ps Mark has a comfortable ability to articulate Truth about contentious issues to a wider audience.

Dr Stephen Chavura holds a Ph.D. in the history of early-modern English political thought. He is a co-author of “Reason, Religion and the Australian Polity: A Secular State?” Widely published in prestigious journals, his research interests include the history of political thought, church and state in history, modern political philosophy, recognition theory, and freedom of speech. Dr Chavura also regularly contributes to public debate in various online and print fora as well as radio.

Martyn Iles is the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), and also pioneered the Human Rights Law Alliance. HRLA is an organisation dedicated to supporting Christians who’ve been discriminated and litigated against because of their Christian convictions. Martyn is widely respected for his expertise on religious freedom and has served with great distinction before many parliamentary committees.

Dr David van Gend is a Queensland GP and university lecturer in palliative medicine. For 25 years he has been a leading voice in national debates on the life issues of cloning, surrogacy, abortion and euthanasia, appearing on programmes such as ABC Lateline, 7.30 Report, SBS Insight and the Kerri-Anne Show. As president of the Australian Marriage Forum he wrote the best-selling book, Stealing From a Child: the Injustice of ‘Marriage Equality’. Dr van Gend is a masterful communicator whose presentations captivate everyone in his audience.

Marijke Rancie is better known as “Political Posting Mumma“, an ordinary mum whose personal experience and concerned research led her to raising the alarm about the hidden, inappropriate sexual content of the so-called “Safe Schools” resources. A high profile target of online hate from extreme LGBTIQAX+ activists, she is resolute in her determination to protect her own and Australia’s children and families from the normalisation of sexual & gender confusion & promiscuity.

Prof. Augusto Zimmermann LLB LLM PhD (Monash University) is author of many articles and books, most recently the trilogy, “Christian Foundations of the Common Law” in England, America and Australia. He is the former Law Reform Commissioner, Law Reform Commission of WA (2012-2017), a Fellow at the International Academy for the Study of the Jurisprudence of the Family (IASJF), recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research, Murdoch University (2012), and Editor-in-Chief of The Western Australian Jurist – the yearly academic publication of the Western Australian Legal Theory Association (WALTA).

George Christenson MP is a third term Member of Parliament for the Qld electorate of Dawson (Mackay to southern Townsville). He has a degree in journalism and experience in a community paper as well as his own publishing business. Two years ago he quit a prestigious role as Chief Whip of the federal National Party to be unconstrained in his ability to speak his mind on the issues that he considered most important.

Dr Christian Rowan MP is a specialist physician in addiction rehab’ and a former President of the AMAQld & the Rural Doctors Assoc’ Qld. As a Member of the Qld Parliament he has shadow ministry portfolios for Communities, Disability Services & Seniors, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and the Arts. He’s also a former Ambassador and current General Member of the Anglican Overseas Aid. Christian is a prominent figure inspiring many at pro life rallies & marches opposing the bad abortion liberalisation laws.

Rev Dr Mark Robinson MP is the case study on properly understanding the separation of Church and State being an ordained minister and a Member of the Qld Parliament. A former atheist with a science degree, his scientific understanding of issues helped him break free from a dogmatically anti-God worldview and become a champion of the Christian values this nation was founded on. His voice of conviction in Parliament has made him a target of far left activists, and yet he has prevailed in elections 3 times so far.

Teeshan Johnson is the executive director of Cherish Life Qld. Most recently she led the lobby group’s statewide fight against the Termination of Pregnancy Bill. She feels compelled to speak for those who can not speak for themselves, and for many years has advocated for the right to life for the unborn. Holding a bachelor of Economics (USyd) & a diverse 20 year work history including working for a NSW Premier, Teeshan takes particular interest in public policy pertaining to the unborn and pregnant women.

Lyle Shelton has spent the past 10 years fighting the decline of society as the former Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby culminating in the battle for marriage. His career is rich with experience in helping Christians engage with our social leaders. His prior background is as a twice elected Toowoomba City councillor and as a rural journalist.

James Fox Higgins is a professional musician and former atheist whose testimony is one of engagement in online debates about society being the path by which he came to personal faith in Jesus Christ. He is the editor in chief of The Rational Rise podcast, host of The James Fox Higgins Show and a frequent speaker at political conferences. Describing himself as a Christian Libertarian, his reasoned approach to various issues gives a Biblical worldview an audience often disdainful of “religion”.