alleged that quoting the Bible as a reference point for legislation can be viewed as unconstitutional, since Latvia is a secular state, where religion is separate from the state (article 99 of the Constitution of Latvia). Supporters of the First Party denied that the "separation of church argument" can properly be used to keep people of faith silent when it comes to issues of morality or the passing or failing of laws that have strong moral dimensions. The ideas under the separation of church and state doctrine have to do with (a) the state not being allowed to control the church, or (b) the church not being allowed to control the state. All legislators have the right to vote their conscience. Economically, First Party supported the existing status quo in Latvian economics. Compared to other parties, it was less concerned with budget deficits and believed that the government should do everything possible to stimulate economic growth, even at the cost of possibly running deficits. In its first parliamentary election in 2002, First Party also ran on an anti-corruption agenda. In the next election, it emphasized its competence and experience (in particular, the achievements of its leader, Šlesers, as the Minister of Transportation). On ethnic relations, First Party was viewed as more Russian-friendly than most of the Latvian political parties. Most of the party's supporters were ethnically Latvian, but it does not attempt to appeal to Latvian nationalism and has a number of ethnic minorities among its voters. Recently, it created a "Russian centre" for its ethnically Russian members. The leadership of the party included several prominent businessmen, most notably, its leader Ainars Šlesers. His critics attacked the First Party, saying that it was little more than a business project to further Slesers' interests in real estate business. His supporters pointed to many examples of improvement in Latvia's transportation infrastructure, including the airport and the national railroad. Largely because of the influence of the First Party, a new cabinet-level ministry was developed, The Ministry of Children and Family Affairs. The position of Minister of Children and Family Affairs was held by Baptist pastor Ainars Bastiks from 2002 to 2009. This ministry has emphasized reducing the number of children in Latvia's orphan care system. One strategy has been the development and implementation of a new national foster care recruiting and training program, which has grown considerably every year since 2004. Another emphasis