37 Facts About Fred Nile

Frederick John Nile was born on 15 September 1934 and is an Australian former politician and ordained Christian minister.

Fred Nile was re-elected at the 1991,1999,2007, and 2015 state elections and served as the Assistant President of the Legislative Council between 2007 and 2019.

Fred Nile lost his seat at the 2023 New South Wales state election, after four decades of being in parliament.

Fred Nile was National President of the Christian Democratic Party, a conservative party which focused primarily on what it regarded as important moral and social issues.

Fred Nile is mainly known for his vocal opposition to drug use, abortion, pornography and homosexuality.

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

Until his electoral defeat in 2023, Fred Nile was the longest-serving member of the New South Wales Parliament.

Fred Nile was born in Kings Cross, New South Wales and was educated at Mascot Public and Cleveland Street High School.

In 1958, Fred Nile married Elaine Crealy, who was a member of the Legislative Council for 14 years.

Fred Nile attended the NSW Congregational Theological College, the NSW United Faculty of Theology and the University of New England.

Fred Nile was awarded a Licentiate of Theology by the Melbourne College of Divinity.

Fred Nile was re-elected to the Council at the 1991 and 1999 state elections.

In 2003, Fred Nile resigned from the Uniting Church in Australia claiming that the church had "officially decided to part with a literal interpretation of the Judeo-Christian Bible".

Fred Nile resigned from the NSW Parliament on 30 August 2004 in order to contest the 2004 Federal election, seeking a position in the Australian Senate on a platform of opposition of the recognition of gay marriages.

Fred Nile was the last candidate excluded after the distribution of votes on the 77th count, and was not elected to the Senate.

At the 2007 New South Wales state election, Fred Nile was re-elected for a further eight-year term and was appointed to the newly created position of Assistant President of the NSW Legislative Council.

In 2014, Fred Nile announced that he would be contesting the next state election in 2015 with his deputy, Ross Clifford.

In 2015, Fred Nile supported the Liberal government's privatisation of the state's electricity poles and wires.

In January 2017, Fred Nile was denied entry to the United States where he had been invited to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump.

Fred Nile was later granted a visa and an apology, though no reason was given for the initial refusal.

Fred Nile appeared on the ballot second to his wife Silvana with no party affiliation as Group G Having only two candidates, this group had no above-the-line voting square which experts considered to leave no prospect for election.

Fred Nile objected to the program's content and turned a tape of the show over to police.

In January 2015, Fred Nile argued that male hostages who fled the Lindt Cafe siege should not receive bravery awards, as giving them one would "cheapen" it.

Fred Nile stated during an interview on Channel Seven's Sunrise program that no hostages at Martin Place should receive bravery awards and their actions had potentially risked the lives of their fellow hostages.

Fred Nile has been described by Buzzfeed as "one of Australia's longest-running anti-gay campaigners".

Fred Nile has opposed the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which he described as a "public parade of immorality and blasphemy".

Fred Nile objected to the "indecency and obscenity in various parts of the Mardi Gras" and stated that it reinforced "the worst stereotypes".

In 2005, Fred 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.

Fred Nile claimed that the Homosexual Vilification Act was being abused to gag free speech and prevent open non-malicious public discussion.

Fred Nile used his newspaper, Family World News, to urge a no vote on the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.

Fred 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".

Fred Nile has criticised the Greens for what he calls "duplicite political expediency", 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 Greens policy.

On 10 March 2007, Fred Nile raised concern that Australian embassy officials posted in Islamic nations were favouring the immigration of Muslim over Christian refugees.

Fred 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.

Meanwhile, in introducing his bill into the Legislative Council, Fred Nile gained headlines by arguing that the ethics course is based on a philosophy linked to Nazism and Communism.

From 2007 to 2019, Fred Nile served as the assistant president of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

Until his defeat as a Legislative Council candidate, Fred Nile served as a member of the Standing Committee on Social Issues.