Two colleagues debating marriage equality over a couple of beers is not unusual. Throw in a Bible, TV camera and a parliamentary lawn, and things start getting a little, well, strange.
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Federal Liberal MPs Tim Wilson and Andrew Hastie are the unlikely stars of a debate sponsored by the Bible Society of Australia and Coopers Brewery.
The moderated debate was shot in the grounds of Canberra's Parliament House, and shows Mr Wilson, an openly gay agnostic, and Mr Hastie, a Christian conservative, debating marriage equality while drinking Coopers Premium Light beer.
Titled "Keeping it Light", the video is part of a joint campaign between the Adelaide brewer and Bible Society Australia "to reach even more Australians with God's word".
"Australia's national conversation has become fraught with shallowness and contempt for those who have a differing opinion," states the campaign's website.
"To speak into this, Bible Society Australia has teamed up with Coopers Premium Light to ask Australians to try 'Keeping it Light' - a creative campaign to reach even more Australians with God's word - and this time we're doing so in a rather unexpected way."
Touted as the first in a series, Mr Hastie and Mr Wilson discuss the merits of marriage equality in a debate interlaced with shots of Coopers beers on the table in front of them.
At one point, Mr Hastie says Australians need to "tread lightly" on the issue, and the camera cuts to a lingering close up of his beer.
At the end of the debate, the men 'cheers' each other and smile uncomfortably as host Matt Andrews thanks Coopers.
While the video is meant to be light-hearted, with Mr Hastie and Mr Wilson joking about the Bible's message of loving thy neighbour, it is unusual to see MPs promote a cause with such a heavy commercial influence.
But neither of the men appeared to be concerned when contacted by Fairfax Media.
"I don't relive history, I move on," Mr Wilson, MP for the Melbourne seat of Goldstein said, adding he hadn't watched the video filmed a month ago.
When asked if he knew beer would appear so heavily in the video, Mr Wilson said: "I don't know or care."
"My preferred beer is a Mornington Peninsula [Brewery] Pale Ale so I would rather that."
Mr Hastie, who represents the WA seat of Canning, was equally unconcerned, saying he had "no issue" with the video and highlighted the tradition of brewing in the evangelical movement.
"The only issue I have is that it was light beer and not a Thorny Devil from Canning," the former SAS soldier said.
"Let's not forget that Arthur Guinness, the famous brewer who started the Guiness Corporation, was an evangelical Christian who was converted to preaching by [Methodism founder] John Wesley."
"Ultimately the video was about disagreeing in a civil and respectful way. I thought this showed it could be done."
The campaign website claims the men were able to enjoy their debate "because there was both a Bible and good beer on the table".
The partnership between the brewer and Christian non-profit organisation coincides with Bible Society Australia's 200th birthday.
Coopers has produced 10,000 cases of beer printed with Bible verses as part of the deal.
Tim Cooper, a fifth-generation Cooper and managing director of the company, said both brewing and the Bible boasted long histories.
"Part and parcel of doing a good job is reflecting on the gifts that we have and using them to God's best purpose," he said.
