Speculation is mounting in NSW that the Liberal MP for Wakehurst since 1991, Brad Hazzard, has strayed into the sights of David Clark and the rampaging religious Right.

Nick Campbell, the Liberal state VP many regard as Clark’s svengali, is said to have his eye on the seat. But while the new faction happily lectures the NSW party on how they can tap all sorts of Christian cults for money or members, how do they wash with the punters?

One person who knows has said: “We have seen the failure of Christian parties in the past. They cut off a whole heap of people who might like some of their values but who are not Christian.” That person is Andrew Evans, who became the first Family First MP at the South Australian state election in 2002.

Australians hate having religion rammed down their throats. They don’t take kindly to being lectured on moral and mores.

Clark and Co don’t seem to realise this – but are Evans’s NSW colleagues looking forward to the stacks of support they’ll win from voters turned off by hard line Libs when the 2007 poll runs around? The religious Right should completely run the show by then.