The Hon. Zed Seselja Reflects on Politics and Faith at Formal Hall

Campion College was honoured to host the Honourable Zed Seselja at its recent Formal Hall. Mr Seselja joined the Campion College Board as a Director and Trustee in 2023. The former Senator for the Australian Capital Territory and Minister for International Development and the Pacific engaged students with a deeply personal and insightful talk about his journey into politics.

Mr Seselja began by sharing the experience of his uncle Simon in the late 1950s, who was a seminarian in Yugoslavia and a supporter of Blessed Cardinal Stepinac. Simon was imprisoned for his religious and political beliefs, and chose not to regain his 'freedom' by renouncing his faith, a decision that deeply impacted Mr Seselja and his family.

"Politics and government became personal," Mr Seselja said, "because when you've come from that type of place where your basic freedoms are denied you - the freedom to speak your mind, the freedom to worship, freedom of enterprise, freedom of association - then you inherently have an understanding of the importance of good government, the importance of democracy."

Acknowledging a commonly held view that Christians should stay away from the corruption of politics, Mr Seselja encouraged the students to instead think about the necessity of integrity and faith in public service and the role they might play in their future professional lives.

Mr Seselja graciously stayed on campus after the conclusion of Formal Hall to engage with students and answer their questions.