| Christian Democratic Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Fred Nile |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Level 1, 963 Pacific Highway Pymble, NSW 2073 |
| Ideology | Christian Democracy, National conservatism, Social conservatism |
| Website | |
| http://www.cdp.org.au/ | |
| Politics of Australia Political parties Elections |
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The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) is a minor political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.
Contents |
Formation
Originally established as the “Call to Australia Party” in 1977, the party grew out of earlier organisations such as the Festival of Light, with which Nile has been associated for more than 30 years. These groups had sought to mobilise conservative and evangelical Protestants as an electoral force. Nile was elected to the Legislative Council in 1981, and the party has managed to see a candidate elected at every subsequent New South Wales state election to date..
Electoral fortunes
The Niles have built a small but stable electoral base among conservative Catholics and Protestants alike in New South Wales, particularly in the “Bible Belt” suburbs of north-western Sydney and in some country areas, but the CDP has only achieved modest results in its attempts to expand its electoral base further. The party has comparable support in Western Australia, but has lacked similar representation in its state parliament because its seats have higher election quotas.
The party concentrates almost exclusively on moral issues such as abortion, homosexuality and pornography. Recently it has made opposition to same-sex marriage a major part of its platform. The party is staunchly monarchist, on the grounds that Australia was founded on the British Judeo-Christian political and legal systems.
The Christian Democratic Party sees the policies of the major parties as an attack on their traditional views. Gordon Moyes explained, “Our Christian heritage is under attack from pagan and secularist forces, militant Islamic groups, a neo communism under a Green guise and a strident homosexual lobby that has successfully gained the support of the Labor Party, Australian Democrats and the Greens, and many from the left of the Liberal Party.”
For the 1983 federal election, the CDP formed an alliance with the Victoria-based Democratic Labor Party. They won no seats and contested subsequent elections separately.
The Christian Democratic Party has generally had two (sometimes three) sitting Members in the Legislative Council (MLCs) at any one time. Usually, these two individuals have been Fred Nile and one other MLC. The 1984 NSW election saw Nile joined by former Liberal politician Jim Cameron. Cameron retired shortly after being elected, due to serious health problems, and was replaced by Marie Bignold. Fred’s wife Elaine Nile joined her husband and Bignold after achieving election to the LC at the 1988 NSW election. Bignold subsequently had a falling out with the Niles over her opposition to the Liberal Party stance on industrial relations, which the Niles supported. The restructuring of the Legislative Council in 1991 meant that Bignold’s MLC seat was abolished and she was forced to an early election, but she failed in her bid to seek reelection.
In the early 2000s, it was announced that Elaine Nile would retire due to ill health and be replaced with John Bradford, a former Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives who had defected to the CDP before being defeated. However, this fell through due to disagreements between the Niles and Bradford, and Elaine Nile served until 2002, at which time she was replaced by Gordon Moyes of Sydney’s Wesley Central Mission. Moyes was elected in his own right at the 2003 NSW election.
In 2004, Moyes suggested Nile make a bid for a Senate seat at the 2004 federal election. In that election, Nile achieved 2.6% of the primary vote, but narrowly missed attaining a seat. Another rival conservative party, Family First, won a seat in Victoria with 1.9% and a better preference deal. With Nile's return to the NSW Legislative Council, Moyes began to question the leadership of his former party leader.
During the New South Wales legislative election, 2007 the CDP called for a moratorium on Muslim immigration to Australia, seeking to replace them with “persecuted Christians from the Middle East”. Nile said the moratorium should be in place to allow a study of the effects of Muslim migration. “There has been no serious study of the potential effects upon Australia of more than 300,000 Muslims who are already here,” he said. “Australians deserve a breathing space so the situation can be carefully assessed before Islamic immigration can be allowed to resume. In the meantime, Australia should extend a welcoming hand to many thousands of persecuted Christians who are presently displaced or at risk in the Middle East.”[1] Nile and another CDP candidate Allan Lotfizadeh reported receiving death threats on account of this announcement.[2] Fred Nile was re-elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council on March 24, 2007, achieving a vote of 4.4%. This was the highest vote for the CDP since 1988. Gordon Moyes’ seat is up for re-election in 2011.
In 2007, the President of the Legislative Council, Meredith Anne Burgmann retired from public service[3] and the Council sought a replacement. Tensions flared when both Moyes and Nile applied for the position. Nile subsequently withdrew his application and nominated Moyes at Moyes' behest. Peter Thomas Primrose was confirmed President on the 8th March.2007, Moyes having received only two votes, Nile's and his own.[4] After Nile was made Assistant Deputy President on the 28th June 2007 and then Assistant President 28 November 2007, Moyes began to publicly attack Nile.
Moyes argued that Nile's anti-LGBT, anti-abortion and anti-Muslim focus should be altered and that greater emphasis be placed on environmental issues. In contrast to Nile, Moyes inferred that the burden of responsibility for Islamic terrorism lay at the feet of western civilisation, the "Crusades" and the "excesses of the 'war on terrors'.[5]
Moyes (70) claimed Nile (75) was too old and was too "committed to gaining money and status, and [...attacked...] any who disagree[d] with himself". According to Moyes, Nile was a pathetic figure who has never laughed, has no friends, is a workaholic, has no interests or hobbies, eats fast-food meals and when in Sydney attending Parliament, spends every night alone in a cheap motel in western Sydney.[6]
Moyes also attacked the Christian Democratic Party itself, stating that the party was a cult[7], a hypocritical, anti-Christian, anti-democratic dictatorship that adhered to the values of extremist fundamentalism.[8] Moyes claimed that the "end was nigh" for the party as there was a conspiracy to disband the party and form a new conservative Christian political party.[9] Moyes attempted to draw Nile's Parliamentary staff into the conflict by making claims that they had intimidated and bullied his own.[10]
Moyes ignored repeated warnings from the CDP Management Committee claiming that they were dysfunctional.[11] committee of the sad, mad, senile and aggressively ambitious.[12] As a result, Gordon Moyes was expelled from the Christian Democratic Party in March 2009 by secret ballot at a Special General Meeting of the State Management Committee and CDP State Members Council. Moyes became an independent for several months before joining the Family First Party in 2009.
Members of Parliament
Federal
- John Bradford MP (McPherson, Qld) – Liberal MP who defected to the Christian Democrats shortly before the 1998 federal election, in which he contested the Senate unsuccessfully for the CDP
New South Wales
- Fred Nile MLC (1981–2004, 2004–present)
- Jim Cameron MLC (1984)
- Marie Bignold MLC (1984–1988)[1]
- Elaine Nile MLC (1988–2002)
- Gordon Moyes MLC (2002-2009)[2]
- 1 Bignold remained in Parliament without CDP endorsement until 1991.
- 2 Moyes remained in Parliament without CDP endorsement as an independent.
References
- ^ Nile wants stop to Muslim migrants The Australian March 12 2007
- ^ Christian Democrats receive death threats The Australian March 13 2007
- ^ Presidents of the Legislative Council, 1856 to date:http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/ArchivesLegislativeCouncilPresidentsoftheLegislativeCouncil
- ^ Presidents of the Legislative Council vote:http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LC20070508006
- ^ Rev Dr Gordon Moyes: what of muslim immigration and the existence of their schools:http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2008/01/07/what-of-muslim-immigration-and-the-existence-of-their-schools/
- ^ SMH: Christian Soldiers at War: September 7th, 2008:http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/christian-soldiers-at-war/2008/09/06/1220121593002.html
- ^ Editorial: Expelled for trying to be more Christian: April 20th, 2009:http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2009/04/20/expelled-for-trying-to-be-more-christian/
- ^ Editorial: Why Party expulsions are self defeating: April 20th, 2009:http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2009/04/20/why-party-expulsions-are-self-defeating/
- ^ Rev Dr Gordon Moyes: The End is Nigh:http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2009/01/08/the-end-is-nigh/
- ^ David Blunt: Deputy Clerk of the NSW Parliament, 23rd march 2009 :http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/LCStructure
- ^ Editorial: Why Party expulsions are self defeating: April 20th, 2009:http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2009/04/20/why-party-expulsions-are-self-defeating/
- ^ Editorial: Do CDP members realise what is happening: April 17th, 2009:http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2009/04/17/do-cdp-members-realise-what-is-happening/
Bibliography
- Fred Nile: Autobiography: Sydney: Strand Publishing: 2001: ISBN 1-876825-79-0
External links
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