Twice as pious

Tony Abbott isn't the only Catholic in Cabinet. But in some ways Abbott manages to be even more regressive.

Those with a Catholic background account for nearly half of Mr Abbott's cabinet, roughly double the 25 per cent of Australians who described themselves as Catholics at the last census.

Author Roy Williams, who has written about religion in Australian politics, says this marks an extraordinary departure, especially for the Liberal Party, which has traditionally "been a party of mainstream Protestantism". The Age