By SEAN FORD   The Advocate   4 May 2017

A Christian group is urging its members to pray Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest will lose Saturday’s election.

Australian Christian Lobby Tasmanian director Mark Brown has emailed the group’s supporters  asking them to “join me in praying for one particular electorate”.

He did not name the two independent Murchison candidates, but made clear he was targeting Ms Forrest.

He wrote  the “current member” was an advocate for same sex marriage and “liberal abortion”.

He said the “new candidate” (Circular Head Mayor Daryl Quilliam) supported the current legal definition of marriage and opposed “our liberal abortion laws”.

“This year, our parliament is again considering notable legislation on issues such as religious freedoms and euthanasia and your vote is more important than ever,” Mr Brown wrote.

He said the policy differences between the candidates were stark.

Ms Forrest said the group was entitled to express its views, but suggested she was being misrepresented.

She said it was being selective in what it chose to note.

”They should (express their views) in a way that’s honest and reflects the full context in which such a decision was made,” Ms Forrest said.

“By far and away, the electorate is much more concerned with health, education, employment and  … our roads.

"They are the issues that have been raised.”

She said everyone who knew her knew she supported marriage equality, but to claim she supported “liberal abortion” was completely false.

Mr Quilliam said: “I just think it’s part of what happens every election; there are groups that go out there and try to influence people’s votes.”

Photograph by:  Cordell Richardson