The Lyons Forum was a ginger group

Ginger group

A ginger group is a formal or informal group within, for example, a political party seeking to inspire the rest with its own enthusiasm and activity....

 or informal political faction

Political faction

A political faction is a grouping of individuals, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. A faction or political party may include fragmented sub-factions, “parties within a party," which may be referred to as power blocs, or voting blocs. The individuals...

 comprising some federal members of conservative

Conservatism

Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...

 Australian parliamentary parties. It was formed in the early 1990s and was active both in Liberal Party of Australia

Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

 parliamentary leadership conflict and on family policy issues. The faction was sometimes disparagingly called "The God Squad". By 2004 it was described as "defunct" by Michelle Grattan

Michelle Grattan

Michelle Grattan AO , Australian journalist, was the first woman to become editor of an Australian metropolitan daily newspaper. Specialising in political journalism, Grattan has written and edited for many significant Australian newspapers....

.

Formation

The Lyons Forum was formed in 1992 by a group of Coalition

Coalition (Australia)

The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...

 members of parliament, including Senator John Herron

John Herron (Australian politician)

Dr. John Joseph Herron , Australian politician, ambassador and surgeon, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from 1 July 1990 to 5 September 2002, representing Queensland. From 2002 to 2006 he was the Australian Ambassador to Ireland and the Holy See.Dr...

, Senator John Tierney

John Tierney (Australian politician)

Dr John Tierney , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate 1991 - 2005, representing the state of New South Wales....

, Alan Cadman

Alan Cadman

Alan Glyndwr Cadman, AM , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from 18 May 1974 to 17 October 2007, representing the Division of Mitchell, New South Wales....

, John Bradford

John Bradford (Australian politician)

John Walter Bradford is a former Australian politician.Born in Sydney, he was educated at the University of Sydney and then Sydney College of Advanced Education, becoming a teacher. He served in the military 1968-1970, returning to become a retail industry executive...

, Chris Miles

Chris Miles (Australian politician)

Christopher Gordon "Chris" Miles was an Australian politician. Born in Ulverstone, Tasmania, he was educated at the University of Tasmania and then the University of South Africa, becoming a teacher, traveller and sawmiller. In 1984, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the...

, Kevin Andrews

Kevin Andrews (Australian politician)

Kevin James Andrews is an Australian politician and member of the Liberal Party of Australia. He is a member of the House of Representatives and was Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the Howard Government, having previously been Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 7...

 and John Forrest

John Alexander Forrest

John Alexander Forrest , Australian politician, has been a National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993, representing the Division of Mallee in Victoria. He was born in Mildura, Victoria, and was educated at Melbourne University and the University of Aberdeen in...

. The group's name was a reference to slogan used by former member of parliament Dame Enid Lyons

Enid Lyons

Dame Enid Muriel Lyons, AD, GBE was an Australian politician and the first woman to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives as well as the first woman appointed to the federal Cabinet...

: "The foundation of a nation's greatness is in the homes of its people". The organisation had many active Christian members, and had been described as the "Coalition's fundamentalist Christian faction". However, while its observers have noted close relationships between its members and conservative Christian groups and theology, no formal relationship existed.

Role

The Lyons Forum was reported to have played a role in supporting the rise of John Howard

John Howard

John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....

to the Liberal leadership in the mid-1990s. It was also prominent in debates about tax policy in relation to families, as well as other policy issues in relation to families, marriage, and sexuality.