Power Play For King Of Castle

Sun Herald

Sunday March 25, 2007

By Alex Mitchell

THE Greens and the Reverend Fred Nile's Christian Democratic Party are locked in a battle over who will hold the balance of power in the NSW Legislative Council.

With the major parties unlikely to win enough seats to control the upper house, the Greens and the Christian Democrats are fighting to win enough seats to become the crossbench powerbrokers.

Both minor parties have used headline-grabbing initiatives to gain momentum.

Greens Leader Lee Rhiannon announced that possession of the drug "ice" should not be a criminal offence; Mr Nile called for a 10-year moratorium on immigration by Muslims.

Ms Rhiannon is seeking re-election at the head of a ticket that includes academic John Kaye, who has expertise in energy, water, transport and education, and Ben Oquist, a protege of federal Greens leader, Senator Bob Brown.

The Greens, who have three sitting MPs, have dubbed this "Australia's first climate-change election".

Mr Nile, who won elections in 1981, 1991 and 1999, has blasted the Greens as "anti-family, anti-Christian and anti-church" and has blamed the party for promoting a breakdown of family life and morals.

Interest will also focus on support for the Climate Change Coalition led by former television journalist Patrice Newell.

The sole Australian Democrat in the upper house, Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, is fighting to save his seat.

A final result for the upper house is expected in a fortnight.

THE NUMBERS

333

Candidates seeking election to the upper house or Legislative Council.

© 2007 Sun Herald

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