Lyle Shelton to replace Fred Nile in NSW upper house

The ordained Christian reverend resigned for a failed tilt at federal politics in 2004 but was re-elected to the NSW upper house in 2007.

“The need for unashamedly Christian voices in public life has only increased in recent years,” Mr Nile said.

“I can think of no one better than Mr Shelton to carry this forward.”

Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile in 2019. He has announced his retirement from politics. Getty

Mr Nile has previously called for a halt on Muslim immigration, described homosexuality as a “mental disorder” and criticised same-sex couples having children.

The party approached Mr Shelton in late March to take Mr Nile’s spot.

Former party president Ross Clifford was the original successor but he quit the party in 2019 after a bitter spat over its future.

Mr Shelton said his priorities would include promoting religious freedom and “freeing children” from “radical gender-fluid indoctrination”.

“I will also be pushing back on woke corporations which create a climate of fear for people who hold mainstream views on marriage, family and biological gender,” Mr Shelton said.

The former lobbyist blamed a lack of Christian values for the recent controversies surrounding the Berejiklian government, including the Premier’s revealed relationship with disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

Mr Shelton, who is not without controversy, expects to mainly support the government.

In January, he tweeted he had gone for a “sneaky run” across the NSW border into Queensland despite border closures at the height of Sydney’s Christmas outbreak.

Queensland police later criticised Mr Shelton for wasting their time after they found out he had a valid travel pass.

He has previously compared children from same-sex relationships to the Indigenous Stolen Generation, lobbied for gay conversion therapy – now illegal in three Australian states – and campaigned against same-sex marriage during the postal survey in 2017.

Mr Shelton took a failed swing at federal politics in 2018 for the now deregistered Australian Conservatives party founded by Liberal turncoat Cory Bernardi.

If he succeeds the Reverend Nile in November, he will serve the remaining 16 months of his term.