Calling for the return of the Governor to Government House at a meeting called by ACM in Parliament House, Sydney on 28 February, 2007, the Rev Fred Nile made this offer: “I’ll chauffeur her back myself.” Mr. Nile attacked the “childish” way NSW republican politicians have behaved in trying to remove all references to our heritage.
“They moved the portrait of The Queen from the main foyer and put it in an area not normally open to the public, claiming the light was damaging it. Then they moved the Royal portraits from the main dining room for “occupational health and safety reasons” putting them away behind a pillar in another room. Can you believe it?”
“They even abolished the Oath of Allegiance just before The Queen visited Sydney.” The outspoken MLC indicated he would not be pushed around by republican politicians at the next State Opening of Parliament. “Well, if I am returned, I shall swear the Oath anyway, and I call on all loyal MP’s to do the same. It couldn’t be an act of disloyalty to swear allegiance to The Queen. After all, the people overwhelmingly rejected the republic in 1999,” he warned, defiantly.
Mr. Nile is standing for re-election to the Legislative Council, and made some comments on changes to the electoral law in NSW which concern the upper house. In voting “above the line” (ie. for parties, rather than individual candidates) the voter can now allocate as many preferences for other parties as he or she wishes. (This is the “optional preference” system.) This means that the preferences will no longer be determined by the parties. He also pointed out that under the new system, it is crucial to obtain a high first preference vote, preferably over the quota sufficient to be elected without the allocation of preferences.
In thanking Mr Nile, the ACM National Convener said:“There has been no parliamentarian more consistently and unswervingly loyal to the Crown and the Flag than the Rev. Fred Nile. And he has been an outstanding supporter of the campaign to return the Governor to her domain.”
ACM does not advise its supporters how to vote in elections, but tries to inform the public as to the position of politicians on republicanism. It is intended to post this information on this site prior to the NSW election.