"After the meeting, I made it clear to my congregation that I would not be directed in what I preach at the pulpit," Reverend Mabey told Seven West Media. Mr Hastie said Reverend Mabey had been "briefing falsehoods for the Labor Party" and "pushing his own politics from the pulpit". "Truth should be his first calling – not partisan politics," Mr Hastie said. This prompted WA minister and Labor MP David Templeman, whose state electorate is within Mr Hastie's federal boundaries, to accuse his federal counterpart of bullying and abusing the parish priest. "I understand that Andrew called a meeting and was articulating a view that local parish priests, pastors, and church leaders should be directing their congregations to vote against the Labor Party," Mr Templeman told the Mandurah Mail.

"This is unprecedented. There is a clear separation between church and state." Mr Templeman said the accusation Reverend Mabey was pushing a Labor line was "absolute rubbish". Mandurah Anglican parish priest Ian Mabey has accused Canning MP Andrew Hastie of political interference, a charge the high-profile MP rejects. Credit:Caitlyn Rintoul/Mandurah Mail "I just found that behaviour quite disturbing and just inappropriate," he said. "I don't think Father Mabey deserved to be abused the way he was and to be belittled."

Mr Hastie said the accusation he told local religious leaders what they should preach was false. "Father Ian Mabey is free to teach in accordance with his convictions," he said. "My disagreement with him is over his accusation that I would dare to tell religious leaders what they should teach. "I’m disappointed Mr Templeman would buy into this nonsense. He knows how much I’ve fought for religious freedom during the 45th Parliament. "I'm simply defending my name against a character smear."

Four church leaders from Mr Hastie's electorate issued statements refuting the allegation Mr Hastie told those at the meeting to encourage their parishioners to vote Liberal. Redeemer Church pastor Lyle Wetherston said he was saddened to hear of the allegations against Mr Hastie and Senator Stoker. "The purpose of the meeting was to explain to us the current status of religious freedom laws in Australia," he said. "In no way did Andrew or Amanda encourage us to tell our churches to vote any particular way." Peel Presbyterian Church minister Joel Otten said at no point did the politicians "state or imply as to what religious organisations should preach or teach".

Baldivis Free Reformed Church pastor Reverend Stephen 't Hart said church leaders were briefed at the meeting about Mr Hastie and Senator Stoker's "work for the defence of religious freedoms", which he said was a matter of "high importance for all Bible believing Christians". "In no way did Andrew Hastie use the event to encourage pastors to instruct their members to vote against any political party," he said. "Mr Hastie tends to talk straight and states his views, but he's not one to manipulate churches or others for personal gain." In a statement released by the Association for Reformed Political Action, research officer Laurence Van der Plas said contrary to statements made by Mr Templeman and Reverend Mabey, those present at the meeting were encouraged to "engage positively with the ALP and cross-bench senators". He denied there was any "personal interference with the clergy" and sought to correct what he said was a complete misunderstanding of the concept of separation between church and state.

"The state very much plays a role in creating the conditions under which churches and their ministries, including schools, operate and it is completely appropriate for politicians to interact with faith leaders about these issues in forums such as the one held by Mr Hastie," Mr Van der Plas said. Loading Mr Hastie's outer-metropolitan seat of Canning in Perth's south has experienced an explosion in the number of new Christian churches in recent years. Canning, along with Moore MP Ian Goodenough's northern suburbs seat, has the highest concentration of voters identifying as Christian in WA, according to 2016 census data. Reverend Mabey declined to comment.