Fred Nile
Rev Hon Frederick John Nile MLC (born 15 September, 1934), Australian politician, clergyman and social activist. Rev Fred Nile has served as an elected member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales, Australia since 1981. In 2004, he stood for election to the Australian Senate at the 2004 federal election but was unsuccessful. Rev Nile is standing for re-election in NSW State Election on March 24th 2007.
Early life
Rev Nile was born within the slums of Kings Cross, New South Wales. The son of a taxi driver and waitress, he spent much of his childhood helping feed his family via employment as a bookie's runner.
He was educated at Mascot Public and Cleveland Street High School (1940-1949) before becoming a Christian at the age of 15 and volunteering for National Service in 1952 at the age of 17. Rev Nile went on to make the rank of Infantry Major. OC., D Coy, 4 RNSW Regt (Merrylands) before retirement.
Between 1958-1963, Rev Nile attended the NSW Congregational Theological College, Melbourne College of Divinity; NSW United Faculty of Theology, University of Sydney (Adult Matriculation) and the University of New England. By 1964 he was ordained as a Congregational Minister at Bexley, Sydney, NSW.
From 1964 to 1967, he was National Director of the Australian Christian Endeavour Movement (Protestant Youth Leadership Training Organisation). In 1967-68 he was Assistant Director of the Billy Graham Crusade, Sydney before being employed as Director of the NSW Congregational Board of Evangelism.
In 1970-71, he was involved in social work as Director of the Methodist Mission to the People of NSW, Director of Outreach and Evangelism, Sydney City Wesley Central Methodist Mission (1971-73).
In 1974, Rev Nile was elected National Co-ordinator and NSW Director of the Australian Federation of Festival of Light - Community Standards Organisation (FOL-CSO), an organisation which campaigned on moral and sexual issues from a conservative Christian point of view. This body was modelled on a similar organisation in Britain founded by Mary Whitehouse, Cliff Richard and Lord Longford.
Fred Nile is married to Elaine Nile (who is also a former member of the Legislative Council) and they have three sons and a daughter.
Political career
Rev Nile is National President of the Christian Democratic Party, a conservative national political party which endeavours to promote traditional family values, ethics and socially responsible governance.
He is best known in for his outspoken opposition to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Drug Abuse (including Cannabis, Tobacco and Alcohol), Violence against Women and Children and the mistreatment of the Aboriginal Community throughout the State of NSW. He often quoted / misquoted by media on issues relating to pornography, abortion and homosexuality.
Rev Nile has has been known to make controversial comments over the years. After the Moscow theatre hostage crisis in 2002, he inquired whether the then Minister of Police thought it necessary to ban full body coverings (like the chador that was worn by the Moscow terrorists), from Parliament and places of public gathering to prevent the carriage of weapons or explosive devises.
In 2005 he called for the repealing of New South Wales anti-vilification laws, partly in response to a ruling by the Equal Opportunity Division of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal that deemed comments by two radio hosts, John Laws and Steve Price, to be vilificatory against a gay couple. Rev Nile stated, "It is ridiculous. A handful of individuals are using the Act to gag free speech, even humour (albeit poor), in New South Wales. What’s the big deal? If people feel entitled to make a joke about Baptists, Catholics, the Pope, Irish people, Jesus and God... why can't they make a joke about homosexuals?".
Politically, Nile has set himself in opposition to The Greens and often challenges what he regards as socialist views. He has described them as the "a watermelon party - Green on the outside but red on the inside and with a bit of a pink tinge", implying that the Greens are communists at the core. This phrase has been subsequently repeated by other conservative Australian politicians, such as Family First.
As a member of the NSW Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Issues (1988-1995), Rev Nile investigated and reported upon:
- NSW Adoption Laws
- Drug Abuse amongst Youth
- Rape Rates and Pornography
- Domestic Violence
- Youth Violence
- Youth Rural Suicides
- Compensation for Medically Acquired AIDS/HIV Victims
- Juvenile Justice
- Births, Deaths and Marriage Records
Rev Nile also served as a member of NSW Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice (1995-1999) investigating issues such as Mandatory Life Sentences, Motor Accident Insurance, Occupational Health and Safety as well as being a Member of the NSW Joint Parliamentary Select Committee for Electoral Reform, Member NSW Parliamentary Select Committee into Firearms, Member of NSW Joint Parliamentary Select Committee into the Management of Parliament, etc
Rev Nile is currently serving in the Legislative Council of NSW as:
- Deputy Acting President
- Chairman of the General Purpose Standing Committee No. 1.
- Chairman of the Cross City Tunnel Inquiry
- Temporary Chair of Committees
- Member of the Joint Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption
- Member of the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Privilege and Ethics
- Member of the Procedure Committee
In 2003 Nile resigned from the Uniting Church in Australia when that church "officially decided to part with a literal interpretation of the Judeo-Christian Bible". He was recently elected President-Elect of the Fellowship of Congregational Churches, a group of Australian Congregationalists who declined to join the Uniting Church in 1977.
Nile is the National Co-ordinator and NSW Director of the Australian Federation of Festival of Light, and National Director of the ‘Australian Christian Nation Association’, both of which are conservative political lobby groups. He is also Vice President of the Australian Christian Endeavour Union, an evangelical mission group.
Bibliography
- 'Fred Nile: A Biography': Sydney: Strand: 2001: ISBN 187682579
- David Penberthy – Editor, Daily Telegraph Sydney. ‘He Had A Seat - And It Wasn't On A Fence’, Daily Telegraph, July 14 2004
- Bill Simpson ‘Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood’, Illawarra Mercury, February 26 2005
- Malcolm Brown and Sean Nicholls, 'And God said unto Fred: go to the Senate', Sydney Morning Herald, May 11 2004, accessed 27 August 2006.