Religious Right Groups
Christian Democratic Party
(formerly Call To Australia Citizens’ Movement)
| Leadership: | Parliamentary Leader and Hon. National President Rev. Fred Nile |
| Date formed: | November 1977; the new title ‘Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)’ was adopted on 1 September 1997. |
| Area of operation: | A national party dominated by its NSW branch. |
| Estimated membership: | Maximum of 2-3,000 Australia-wide, mostly inactive except at election time. |
| Finances: | Always desperate for funds but manages to scrape $50,000 or so together for some election campaigns. Heavily dependent on volunteer labour. Main recent fundraising effort was a ‘monster garage sale’. |
| Main objectives: | ‘To advance the glory of God through the institution of Parliament … ; to promote the true welfare of the people of Australia through all legislation being brought into conformity with the revealed will of God in the Holy Bible … ; to support and promote recognition of our Christian heritage by uplifting the Judeo/Christian ethic, with pro-family, pro-child, pro-moral, pro-life and pro-Australian policies …’ (CDP National Charter, 1 September 1997, 1) |
| Main activities: | The party has enjoyed a Parliamentary presence in the NSW Legislative Council since 1981, generally returning two Members over a full cycle and occasionally exercising the balance of power. Nile and his colleagues regularly make speeches, issue media releases, attend conferences etc. |
| Links with other groups: | While maintaining a technically independent existence, the CDP is an offshoot of the Australian Festival of Light (AFOL). Nile used to promote the AFOL/CDP axis as the centrepiece of Australia’s Religious Right, but now seems to cooperate quite happily with Right to Life groups, Salt Shakers and others. He enjoys being wooed by the major parties in NSW, a common occurrence when his party holds the balance of power. |
| Publications: | Mainly newsletters. CDP activities are extensively covered in Family World News, a monthly tabloid also produced by Nile. |
| Sample quotes: | “Is it a fact that the Islamic female terrorists in Hamburg, Germany, and in the recent Muslim terrorist attack in Moscow, Russia, wore the black chador body covering of Iran and Saudi Arabia? Is it a fact that such total body covering completely conceals a person’s identity, even whether the wearer is male or female – which is a perfect disguise for terrorists as it conceals both weapons and explosives? … [W]ill the government consider a prohibition on the wearing of the chador in public places? …” (Fred Nile, Parliamentary question, as reported in Family World News, January 2003, 3)” |
| The Green Party is … the ‘watermelon’ party, Green on the outside, Red on the inside, because many former dedicated members of the disbanded Australian Communist Party have joined … The Green Party is also Pink, as it is the political wing of the Homosexual ‘Gay Liberation Movement’ which is why it is promoting and supporting Homosexual legislation such as lowering the age of dissent [sic], Homosexual spouses, etc.” (Fred Nile, ‘Editorial’, Family World News, April 2003, 3) | |
| Assessment: | The CDP has achieved very little in over a quarter-century of existence (one of its five major boasts is that it was responsible for legislation which ’saved Letona Fruit Canning company, which has unfortunately now closed’). Fred Nile has provided some dynamism, but his stultifying authoritarianism and obstinacy has held the party back. The CDP has experienced virtually no success outside NSW. However, no party enjoying some parliamentary representation can be entirely written off. |
| Contact details: | GPO Box 141 Sydney NSW 2001 www.cdp.org.au |
| For other state and territory contact details, see www.cdp.org.au/fed/branches.asp |
