Tim Blair

You gloating or something? WTF would you do if your kid was hooked on junk?

You gloating or something? WTF would you do if your kid was hooked on junk?

Are you saying that heroin addiction is a bad thing amoung moonbats, now?

I didn't understand the post, either. But I though it was an Austrailian thing. Maybe it helps if you know who Rev. Fred Nile is?

Australian!!!

Dammit!!!

"Preview is my friend... spellcheck is my friend"

Not gloating, moonbat, Just pointing out that a NSW politician has claimed on national television (on a largely-unwatched show) that several other politicians have told him their kids are using heroin.

In that case they'd be best served hopping on a train, and not in my cab please, to Kings Cross to use the NSW Government heroin injecting room.

If they can't wait for Kings Cross and are feelin' lucky, they be best served getting off early at Redfern station and availing themselves of the services at the free needle exchange van, sponsored by NSW Dept. of Health. Both services approved by the NSW parliament.

In other news, Tim watches Face to Face.

Wait, wait.

You're telling me that NSW politicians actually go to clergy when they have problems?

Or is it that the Reverend here is a buddy of theirs apart from being a Churchman?

"What should I do, Fred? My child's on heroin."

Smack 'im.

Uh, let me rephrase that...

Hey, we never even had this kind of class when I was a little kid in school, so I wouldn't have even known.

The Reverend Fred Nile is a politician.

Reverend Fred Nile is a politican from the Christian Democrats.

For you Americans, imagine if you took the Republican party, purged the libertarian, gun nut and fiscal conservative element, and distilled it until you only have the hardcore Christian element left.

Fred's mellowed over the years though.

I think the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras would love to see him back. His protests fueled the controversy that led to the event's most popular successful years.

Since he's pulled out (pardon the pun)the Mardi Gras has gone into decline because of lack of controversy, relevance or interest.

Rev Fred is a minister of the Uniting Church of Australia, which was formed in 1977 from a merger of all the Congregationalists, nearly all of the Methodists, and a majority of the Presbyterians. It's about 10% of the population. The nearest US equiv would be something like one of the big, mainline ex-Protestant denoms. Fred Nile, though, stands in relation to the rest of the UCA much like George W stands to the mainline US Methodists.

He's been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council (ie, State Senate) for about 20 years. There are 21 seats filled statewide at each election by what amounts to a refined form of cumulative voting, so you only need about 4% of the votes to win a seat.

I'm surprised by how few pols' kids turn out badly.

I call upon Fred Nile to name names. This is a slur on all politicians.

No-one remembers the Australian Prime Minister going public with his daughter's heroin problem some years back?

Yobbo,

Tim watches Face to Face when he's in an Albury motel room with a one-channel-only TV.

Must never stop over in Albury.

Does anyone have a rough idea what proportion of people use heroin? Is the number suggested by Nile disproportionately high?

And no, I'd rather names not be mentioned.

(Having said that, Bob Carr stated that his brother died from heroin)

Must never stop over in Albury.

Stay over at Wodonga, Much better place.

Having a child addicted to heroin is not a matter for levity, whether or not one is a politician.

Heroin addiction goes across the board, from the housing estates in the west of Sydney to the mansions in the eastern suburbs.

Having a drug-addicted son or daughter is a hell I would not wish on my worst enemy.

I was a little touchy last night. A guy I've known for 12 years died from a heroin overdose Saturday after first being hooked on it while he was in high school.

So Nile was probably just spouting cheap rhetoric? Very unlikely that other Australian politicians view him as a counsellor in times of crisis?

"Bob Carr stated that his brother died from heroin"

Barrie Unsworth, NSW Labor Premier for a short period in 1988, had a son (Anthony) who died of a heroin overdose in the early 1980s. Bob Hawke, Labor Prime Minister 1983-91 (I know, but a lot of Yanks follow Tim's blog), had a daughter -- forget which one -- who was addicted to heroin in her youth, although AFAIK she's still alive. Didn't stop the Little Feller winning "Father of the Year" round about that time, though. (Hawke is/ was pretty much point for point an Australian Bill Clinton).

What was Fred's response: "Just say no"?

"What should I do Fred? My child's on heroin; I'm an adulterer; I take bribes; and I'm an alcoholic".

"Relax, boy, you're just a normal NSW politican. What's the problem? Just thank God you're not gay".

Rev Fred's point, I think, is that there is a crisis amongst Sydney's young, perhaps all Aust's.

And as always he views this as directly related to decline in religious belief.

All that stuff about funding for private schools missed the point that many of the 'elite' kids in them are now social misfits to a shocking degree not seen before. Stinking, with unwashed clothes, drug-addled, rarely seeing their parents or any adult authority figure, the children of Sydney's elite are descending into the gutter while their parents take shopping trips to Paris.

I agree with Fred. We need a return to traditional values.

I think the reason that some politicians talked to Fred is because they trust and respect the man.I don't think he is the caricature that he is made out to be.He probably has more experience that most.

HA HA HA!!! What a thigh slapper, Tim!!! Kids on heroin!!!

gubbaboy's right - it's a shitty, awful position to be in, and those sitting alongside Fred in the chamber for a few years know that there's tremendous love and compassion in the man (in addition to the well known steely determination). I suspect you would be very surprised at the advice and comfort he gave. People overestimate how much genuine animosity there is in politics, particularly parliament. Maybe it's the Stockholm syndrome, but there are many very close friendships formed across party lines.

The point Tim is making is that these hypocrite pollies who come to Fred for help on the sly are the same ones who, when it comes to drug use, are either publicly screaming "hang 'em high", or wanting to treat heroin users as poor victims who need more injecting rooms/needle exchanges/methadone clinics at the taxpayer's expense. All this because they have one eye on the polls, the other watching their backs and none watching their own kids. The fact that Fred always views such problems through the moral prism of his particular brand of Christian faith annoys the heck out of some of the population, but also means he is one of the few people trusted in politics.

I don't agree with all his policies, but he seems an honest, consistent man in one of the most sleazy and corrupt state parliaments in the country.

And no, heroin is not a joke, nor is letting kids "experiment" with drugs. Putting up with drinkers and gamblers at work is bad enough, but junkies are the pits.

So your kid is on heroin. No problem send them up to Kings Cross. Here you can get a clean needles at the NSW Government sponsored K2 in singles or in packs. Then stand outside the railway station on Darlinghurst Rd waiting for a dealer to turn up. You have also a choice of other locations as well.

On the corner of Bayswater Rd there is a phone booth where you can trade phone numbers with other junkies of your dealer of choice. Then you can queue to phone your favourite drug dealer and wait on the corner for speedy courier delivery of your heroin by push bike or car. Then again you can also do the same again on the corner of Roslyn St which is just 100 meters from the local police station. No worry about dealers being arrested, the dealers and junkies outnumber the police by about 800:1.

Once this is accomplished just stroll back opposite the railway station to 66 Darlinghurst Rd. Here is the NSW Government’s injecting centre ( a commercial undertaking operated by the Uniting Church) Go in and shoot up in safety. Overdose here and you will be revived. Then you will be given tea and bikkies by the waiting medical staff.

You then can wander back to Bayswater Rd where you can vomit all over the footpath or smash the window of a shop ( preferably empty ). Now if you are a girl you can prostitute yourself on the strip. If you do not want to be so public you can go into a “ Strip Club “ and work from there. If you are a male you have a choice. You can hop on to the train and go to the nearest suburb to rob a home or mug someone on the street. Its your choice. Now once you have sufficient funds you can start the cycle all over again.

Kings Cross where all of this is happening was once the bohemian tourist precinct of Sydney. Drugs killed this tourist precinct as it brought about the tourist areas collapse. Walk through this area and see the dozens of empty shops and the hundreds of unsold apartments which were once hotel rooms.

Isn’t having a daddy who is NSW politician cool. He really looks after you.

Ingrid,our compassionate Lord Mayor Clover Moore wants to visit that reality on Redfern.She boasts that the injecting room is a fantastic success and her vote has increased in Kings Crooss.I hate it that Moore has abandoned the mums and dads in favour of heroin addicts from across Sydney.She wants to institutionalize this problem both at the Cross and Redfern.God help us if the heroin drought finishes.

Found this summary of Moore on the web.........................................

Clover Moore (IND)
Member for Bligh in NSW

Independant and gutless unless you are a dead beat bleeding heart, dope smoking dole bludging housing commission resident, Clover (Can't answer letters that contain words with more than 3 letters) Moore local Independant Member for Bligh in NSW has as much guts as inanimate road kill.

On issues that are actually relevant to the wider community, Clover
has taken her lessons from the Mayor of SOUTHPARK. Cleverly enshrining herself in a majority area and dedicated to the nobel causes of saving brain dead aboriginal disabled whales that strand themselves in Surry Hills, she has not an ounce of compassion for the poor schmucks who actually pay their taxes. Clover Moore is Less than ballsy when it comes to dealing with issues that are raised by those who vote in her community that actually pay tax, when you find a good majority of voters, stick to them and hang the consequences for the elctorate, there's more votes from pinko lesbian sole parents ripping off the sytem than there is from the poor dills that earn the money to support the system.

"You gloating or something? WTF would you do if your kid was hooked on junk?"

Rather than pour millions into methadone clinics ( a government supplied drug of addiction ) and injecting centre: spend the money on police.

How many more cops could you get for the $10 million spent on the Kings Cross facility? And this money has been spent in three years.

"Rev Fred is a minister of the Uniting Church of Australia, which was formed in 1977 from a merger of all the Congregationalists"

Uncle Milk is wrong.

Fred resigned from the Uniting Church because of their operation of the injecting centre. Disunited no doubt.

Poor Clover cannot read. The official report says that possibly four lives were saved in the first 18 months of the injecting centre report.

This is not a huge success as she claims. 100% of the local businesses are against the facility as swarms of junkies line the street and kill the retail.

The previous police commander said it was out of control and he did not know what to do about it. Clover Moore went nuts when he went public. He just about had a nervous breakdown because of her private outburst.

He was recently replaced as commander. Lets see what the new commander does. Maybe he has balls and will stand up to her.

And by the way Clover is holding an official function in the Town Hall next monday for the recently replaced commander. Why an official function for him we will never know. He is young and has not retired. Is she trying to buy his silence about her persistant interference in the running of the Kings Cross patrol?

> "Uncle Milk is wrong. Fred resigned from the Uniting Church because of their operation of the injecting centre."

sorry, Richmond, thanks for the correction. But FN was UCA until fairly recently. So anyone know how Fred classifies himself now?

Clover Moore is a fitting target just as Dan Rather and Margo Kingston are.I hope someone with a bitng wit and passion to expose the moronic will take aim at her.

Biting, I'll put my dentures back in now.

"Clover Moore is a fitting target just as Dan Rather and Margo Kingston are.I hope someone with a bitng wit and passion to expose the moronic will take aim at her"

Hear Hear!!!!!!!!!

For those not already acquainted with the Rev Nile, here are some select quotes from the man:

Reverend Fred Nile, a Christian Democratic Party representative in the NSW Legislative Council, said that the government should ban the wearing of the chador by Muslim women. He believes the coverings are a “perfect disguise for terrorists” and could be used to “conceal both weapons and explosives.”

Nile believes homosexuality is a "disease" that can be "cured".

"People of all religions are welcome in our country, but they should be made aware this is a Christian nation, with a Christian heritage and we trust they will recognise this fact as they come to live amongst us." Rev,. Fred Nile Oct 2001 quoted in The Queensland Baptist Newspaper Vol. 78 No. 09 28 October 2001

"Many homosexuals have said to me why don't you forgive and accept us? They quote Jesus who said "I forgive you". However they want me to change the words of Jesus when He said "I forgive you, go and sin NO MORE!" They want me to say "I forgive you, go and SIN SOME MORE!"" He's the Australian equivilent of another Fred, Fred Phelps.

He's also what the average Aussie would call a "wowser."

Robert S.
I think that Fred Nile holding those views and parliamentarians on both sides of politics still confide in him just adds to the pathos of the situation.

Fred Nile (as well as a lot of lay members) left the Uniting Church after it's recent (early this year ?) policy change, to accept gay clergy.

When asked "What should I do fred, my kids are on smack" the rev should answer, "pray for safe injecting rooms so they don't die at the end of a seedy lane from a hot dose sold from some dodgy supplier". But fred lives in a "just say no" fantasy land where people like the mp's kids should be locked up for possession.
Nile = Nutter.

There is no such thing as a safe injecting room. Thats the problem. These kids do not know what they are injecting . All they have done is pay $30 bucks with a tinfoil with a white powder in it

What they are doing is irreversible brain damage from the mixture of substances they are shooting up. Not only that, the damage caused by injecting is also destroying their internal organs.

You may call Fred a nutter as that is the simplistic retort. Unfortunately he is right. The kids should think about the consequences and say no. That young beautiful child you are saving in the injecting centre each time they shoot up may well be the same person who will strike you on the back of the head with a crowbar to rob you so that they can pay for their next fix.

Nile = Not so nutty after all.

""People of all religions are welcome in our country, but they should be made aware this is a Christian nation, with a Christian heritage and we trust they will recognise this fact as they come to live amongst us." Rev,. Fred Nile Oct 2001 quoted in The Queensland Baptist Newspaper Vol. 78 No. 09 28 October 2001"

Robert S says ordinary Australians would call Fred a wowser. I doubt it. He is ultra conservative and narrow minded for sure.

"Ordinary Australians" what does that mean ?

Australians welcome people of all religions and Fred is right we are a Christian country.

But what the hell does someone who is opposed to drugs make Robert S claim we would call him a wowser? Most Australians would support Fred and his opinion about drugs.

My God, you webloggers are so last century!

Fred Nile has done his job! These guys are going to steal the Australian election!

It's just that nobody realises it yet!

And I'm not even a Christian!

Just a hardline conservative!

I have to fix my sarcasm meter.

Tim watches Face to Face when he's in an Albury motel room with a one-channel-only TV.

Alone again. Naturally.