Fred Nile

Frederick John Nile (born September 15 1934), is an Australian politician, clergyman, nationalist and social activist. Nile has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 1981, except for a period in 2004 when he resigned to contest (unsuccessfully) the Australian Senate at the 2004 federal election. Nile was re-elected for another term at the March 2007 state election. As the longest serving member of the New South Wales parliament, he enjoyed the title of Father of the House but according to the timeline published by the (Christian Democratic Party) (CDF) "2004 – Resigned from the Legislative Council in August to contest a Federal Senate seat. Received 2.61% of the vote: 103,763 primary (first preference) votes. Re-elected in October at a joint sitting of NSW Upper & Lower Houses to his still vacant Legislative Council seat, losing his former title of 'Father of the House'".

Early life
Nile was born in Kings Cross and was educated at Mascot Public and Cleveland Street High School (1940–1949). In 1952, during the Korean war, he (then only 17) volunteered to join the Australian Army where he served until 1953. He then transferred to the CMF / reserves and reached the rank of Major. OC., D Coy, 4 RNSW Regt, Merrylands before retiring in 1972. Nile attended the Congregational Theological College; the Melbourne College of Divinity; the United Faculty of Theology; the University of Sydney (Adult Matriculation) and the University of New England. He also attended lectures (MA Politics) at Macquarie University but did not complete his degree except for the Theological Tertiary Course (L.Th).

Pre-political career
In 1964 he was ordained as a Congregational minister.

From 1964 to 1967, Nile was National Director of the Australian Christian Endeavour Movement, a Protestant youth leadership training organisation. In 1967-68 he was Assistant Director of the Billy Graham Crusade in Sydney before being employed as Director of the Congregational Board of Evangelism in New South Wales. In 1970-71, he was involved in social work as Director of the Methodist Mission to the People of New South Wales and, from 1971 to 1973, was Director of Outreach and Evangelism, Sydney City Wesley Central Methodist Mission.

In 1974, Nile was elected national co-ordinator and the New South Wales director of the Australian Federation of Festival of Light - Community Standards Organisation (FOL-CSO), an organisation which campaigned "for purity, love and family life".

Personal life
Nile has been married to Elaine Nile since 1958, Elaine was a member of the Legislative Council for 14 years. They have three sons and a daughter.

Career
Nile is National President of the Christian Democratic Party, a conservative party which focuses primarily on what it regards as important moral and social issues. Nile is noted for his controversial comments. He is known for his vocal opposition to drug use, violence against women and children and the "mistreatment of the Aboriginal community" by state and federal governments. He is most often quoted by the media on issues relating to pornography, abortion and homosexuality.

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 to become the president of the Fellowship of Congregational Churches, a group of Australian Congregationalists who declined to join the Uniting Church in 1977.

In 2007 Nile retired as the New South Wales director of the Australian Federation of Festival of Light.

At the 2007 New South Wales general election, Nile was returned for a further eight year term. He has announced that he will not recontest when his seat is next up for election.

Nile is patron of the Australian Christian Nation Association and Vice President of the Australian Christian Endeavour Union, an evangelical youth movement.

Views on homosexuality
Nile is most often quoted on his opposition to homosexuality. Whilst Nile has stated that he did not have a problem with homosexual people only their practices, he contends that homosexuality was a “lifestyle choice” that was “immoral, unnatural and abnormal” to the natural order of life. Nile has also stated that he was “totally opposed to the bashing of homosexuals...totally opposed to any violence or attacks directed against homosexual men or lesbians ... opposed to strong (malicious) verbal attacks.”

Nile is also known for his opposition to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which he describes as a "public parade of immorality and blasphemy". Nile objected to the "indecency and obscenity in various parts of the Mardi Gras" and stated that it reinforced "the worst stereotypes".

In 2005, Nile called for the repealing of New South Wales anti-vilification law, claiming that the law is discriminatory and should either cover all citizens or be abolished. Nile claimed that the Homosexual Vilification Act was being abused to gag free speech and prevent open non-malicious public discussion.

Views on the Australian Greens political party
Nile is a frequent critic of the Australian Greens, claiming that they have exploited genuine concern for the environment to garner political influence to "push their agenda of social engineering".

Nile once described the Green Party as the "watermelon party - green on the outside but red on the inside, with a bit of a pink tinge."

Nile has also attempted to draw attention to what he calls the "duplicite political expediency" of the Green party, citing their push to legalise and fund "illicit drug habits for addicts" such as heroin and cannabis in what he claims is contravention of publicised Green Party policy.

Nile has also labelled the Greens as being "anti-family", "anti-Christian" and "pagan", citing what he believes to be pro-pornography and pro-sex industry policies and their opposition to the current practice of opening parliament with daily prayers.

Views on the Muslim community
Following the Moscow theatre hostage crisis in 2002 Nile asked whether the then state minister of police would consider banning full body coverings like those worn by the Chechen terrorists, from parliament and places of public gathering to prevent the carriage of weapons or explosive devices. On the 23rd of June 2010, Nile introduced a bill into the Legislative Council to criminalise the public wearing of any face covering which prevents the identification of the wearer, including the burqa and niqab. Further discussion of the bill will not occur until September 2010. The major parties have not indicated how they will vote on the bill.

On 10 March 2007, Nile raised concern that Australian embassy officials posted in Islamic nations were favouring the immigration of Muslim over Christian refugees. Nile called for a moratorium on Muslim immigration to Australia: "Australians deserve a breathing space so the situation can be carefully assessed," he told an audience in North Ryde.

Nile asked for the removal of the then Australian Muslim leader Sheik Taj El-Din Hilaly after the sheik placed the blame for sexual assault on the female victims.

In December 2007 Nile raised concerns about the construction of a Muslim school in the Sydney suburb of Camden and was invited to attend many events opposing the school.

As a consequence of Nile's public position on Muslim immigration, he has received widespread condemnation and alleged death threats from individuals within the Islamic community.

On June 22, 2010, Nile introduced an anti-burqa bill into the New South Wales Legislative Council, seeking to ban the enveloping Muslim head and body cover for women from that Australian state.

Views on neo-pagans
Nile is openly opposed to Australian neopagans, having said that the Christian Democrats would "do what it can to stop pagan weddings and witchcraft or Wicca activities."

Parliament activities
Nile served on the New South Wales' Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Issues (1988–1995), facilitating legislative reforms on 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.

Nile has also served on the New South Wales' Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice, the New South Wales' Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform, the Parliamentary Select Committee into Firearms, the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee into the Management of Parliament, as Chairman of the Cross City Tunnel Inquiry and Chairman of the Joint Select Committee on the Royal North Shore Hospital.

Nile currently serves as:


 * Assistant President of the New South Wales' Legislative Council
 * Chairman of the General Purpose Standing Committee No. 1
 * Chairman of the Select Committee on Electoral and Political Party Funding
 * Member of the Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption
 * Member of the Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission
 * Member of the Legislative Council Procedure Committee
 * Member of the Committee on Children and Young People
 * Member of the Standing Committee on State Development
 * Member of the Privileges Committee