Australia

Population: 21 262 641

Life expectancy: 81.63 years
Fertility rate: 1.78 children/woman
School life expectancy: 20 years
Religion: Catholic (25.8%), Anglican (18.7%), None (18.7%),
Protestant (16.6%), Other, (13.7%), Buddhist (2.1%), Muslim (1.7%)

Persistent problems in Australia include whaling, logging, destruction

of natural features, homelessness, a division between Indigenous and
non-Indigenous Australians, online gambling, domestic violence.

Concerns

Environment
Australia has a broad range of territories, from Antarctic
terrain to industrialized urban areas. 11.5% percent of
the country is protected territory. There is some concern
over global warming and its possible effects on the Great
Barrier Reef and agriculture.

Whaling, the logging of the forests, and coal mining are

other chief concerns to Australia’s environment.

Homelessness
105 000 Australians are homeless on any given night.
This mainly occurs in the urban centres of Sydney,
Brisbane, and Melbourne. Many of the homeless suffer
from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or other mental Head of State: Queen
illnesses. Elizabeth II
PM Rudd’s White Paper addresses homelessness and he
intends to reduce it by 50% before 2020 by breaking the Head of Government: Prime Queen Elizabeth Mary is in the
cycle and intervening before homelessness becomes an Minister Kevin Rudd 58th year of her reign. This is
option. unusually long for a British
Kevin Rudd grew up on a dairy monarch. She is also the queen
Indigenous Australians farm and majored in Asian of the United Kingdom,
This people group often are subject to poorer standards studies in college. His study on Australia, New Zealand, and
of living than the rest of the population. It wasn’t until Chinese democratic advocacy several other nations.
1967 that they were considered in the population count has shaped his view of
for electoral seats. government. Queen Elizabeth has enjoyed
Unemployment and disease rates (due to poor health great health throughout her
facilities) are significantly higher amongst the Indigenes One of Rudd’s grandest reign, and does not plan on
than the rest of the population. concerns is the environment. abdicating the throne before
He has promoted several she dies.
initiatives to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by 60% by 2050. The Queen has often been
He has considered the characterized as a distant
implementation of an figure due to her political
Suggested prayer topics emissions trading scheme to absence. Nevertheless, she has
achieve these ends. extremely strong support from
• Pray for the homeless to break the cycle and her subjects.
succeed in this life Rudd has publicly apologized
• Pray for the Indigenous Australians and an and sought reconciliation with The Queen serves as the
improvement to their access to resources the aboriginal community of Supreme Governor of the
• Pray for the environment, that God would Australia. He has pledged to Church of England and
preserve the beauty of the land improve health, education, and supports interfaith efforts, as
• Pray for unity of Indigenous and non- living conditions for this she meets regularly with
Indigenous Australians community. leaders of other religious
• Pray for victims of domestic abuse and an backgrounds.
end to this injustice Rudd is viewed as a social
• Pray for those caught in online gambling conservative, as he opposes
addiction same-sex marriage but offers
• Pray for God to move in the cities: Sydney, workplace benefits to same-sex
Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth couples. He is a member of the
• Pray for Australia’s political leaders, that Anglican church, and he
they may continue to seek the best for its believes that religious leaders
citizens should also have a voice in the
• Pray for the advancement of justice and political realm.
selfless love in Australia