Statement from Rev Hon Fred Nile MLC on the ongoing Supreme Court hearings of the Christian Democratic Party
March 5, 2022
Regarding the latest in Supreme Court hearings, Judge Black proposed he will ‘stay the order to wind up the CDP Party for a period until March 29, 2022 to allow the parties to the proceedings resolve their differences’. We thank Judge Black for this grace.
We believe this entire situation could have been resolved via a Constitutional Convention, that is to say, an internal process that Mr Knox was invited to take part in but refused.
The Party has been running on convention for as long as records show and Mr Knox has been a part of that very system as a Board Member. Our belief is that after Mr Knox and his factional allies failed in their bid to take over our Party by institutional stealth. After this failure he and his faction resorted to the desperate tactic of taking their fellow Christians to the secular court system rather than trying to solve the problem internally. The CDP did not initiate these past 18 months proceedings. They are a result of ongoing disagreements with a handful of Members.
We attempted to reconcile with the two parties insofar as resolving the branch dispute. It is very clear that we have valid financial branches, the facts show this. However, this was never accepted by the factional partisans despite the facts being on our side.
Our Constitution clearly specifies a system whereby electorate branches elect two delegates and one additional officer bearer known as an electoral coordinator. These office bearers act as their voting representatives and cast their votes for board members, policy motions and other matters at a State Council. We are over 1400 member strong with 40 current branches.
I am very saddened that the other parties in the proceedings were unwilling to reconcile and come together for the sake of the Party. However, we reached out again to Mr Knox and Mr Collins with a reconciliation agreement March 2, 2022.
We pray they will respond to our reconciliation agreement and come to a mutual understanding before Judge Black’s last chance to reconcile by March 29, 2022 deadline.
However, I am comforted by the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed’. Paul was reminding us, as followers of Christ to not despair and take faith in our Lord.
As we have been in a crisis with unjustifiable litigation, Paul reminds us that ‘we are not discouraged’. No, even if outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed each and every day. Further 2 Corinthians 4:15-17 ‘This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory.’ I believe when we are under pressure, that it is when our faith grows and the Lord reveals Himself to us.
I believe that when there is nothing more we can do, then we start trusting God to do the impossible.
We believe the crisis we are experiencing is an opportunity to experience God’s grace and power in our life. This is God’s Party and Our Lord has continued to sustain me as a Member of the Legislative Council and the only Christian voice in Parliament. Whatever Judge Black determines – my position in Parliament is unchanged.
I will continue to build on the 40 year CDP legacy committed to the preservation of Christian values in our Parliament as your MLC.
You can read more about this matter via Eternity News on the below link:
FRED NILE RESPONDS TO WINDING-UP ORDERS FOR THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Yours faithfully,
Rev Hon Fred Nile MLC
CDP Parliamentary Leader
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