Hats off to Bob Brown and the Greens for telling the the Australian Christian Lobby where to stick its sex-driven candidate questionnaire. Not because they are Christians, mind you, but because they reflect the narrow, conservative views of a sliver of Australia's broad Christian church.

In 2004, ACL campaigned solely to prevent civil unions between same sex couples. Following the poll, it publicly boasted of its success.

Outfits like ACL have had success in forcing their minority views on all Australians and it is here that the lesson lies for broader, more representative organisations.

The key to the success of ACL and like-minded groups is that they don't go to political parties with their agendas, they make the Liberals, Nationals, Labor and others come to them.

Broader groups, like trade unions for example, have a lot more to offer political parties than the ACLs and Exclusive Brethrens of this world ever will.