Fred Nile loses his seat after more than 4 decades in NSW's upper house

The ex-Christian Democrat's below-the-line group has only picked up a small amount of votes so far.

Reverend Fred Nile looks set to have lost his seat after more than 41 years in the NSW Legislative Council.

Results from the state's electoral commission shows his wife, Silvana Nile, has picked up 27 votes, while he has 29.

Counting will continue but it's unlikely Nile will come close to overtaking the 21 other parties that are projected to win.

Nile first entered parliament on 19 September 1981 on the Call To Australia ticket, which later became the Christian Democratic Party.

The CDP dissolved in early 2022, and Nile planned to form a new party called Christ in Government, but that did not happen.

He briefly joined the Seniors United Party for several months before joining his wife's new party, Revive Australia.

The party was not registered for this election, and the Niles did not have an above-the-line group, making it near-impossible to win.

Other candidates without an above-the-line group included former United Australia MP Craig Kelly, who ran as an independent with the UAP's backing, and Sydney activist Danny Lim.

Nile served almost continuously, with a brief exception in 2004 when he unsuccessfully ran for the senate. That absence lasted from 30 August until 21 October, when he returned to his seat.

These are the upper house results, based on 6 News projections:

Labor: 7-9

Coalition: 6-7

Greens: 2-3

Animal Justice: 0-1

Legalise Cannabis: 1

Liberal Democrats: 1

One Nation: 1

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers: 1

Also not elected is Lyle Shelton, who at one stage was supposed to take Nile's seat before he lost endorsement. Shelton was standing as an Independent Family First candidate.

21 out of the 42 upper house seats were up for election this year.

Help support unbiased journalism & keep us independent: donate just $4 a month on Patreon & receive exclusive benefits.

Want to inform others? Share the link to this story on social media & with your family & friends using the buttons below.