Jim Wallace rejects Fred Nile's claims of bias

Claims that the 2007 Make it Count webcast was biased against John Howard and helped him lose the election were rejected today by Australian Christian Lobby managing director, Jim Wallace.

The claims were made by Rev Fred Nile in a Christian Democratic Party email newsletter sent on Saturday. Mr Nile, referring to the upcoming Make it Count webcast with Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott, said he hoped it wasn't as biased on the 2007 webcast. Click here for ACV's full report.

Mr Wallace said Rev Nile's comments were unsubstantiated and that the ACL was 'determinedly non-partisan'.

'Rev Fred Nile’s claims about the 2007 Make it Count event being biased are completely without foundation. Both Howard and Rudd were given equal time to speak and for the most part were asked similar questions. If anything, the warm applause Howard received had some people saying the night had favoured him!' Mr Wallace told ACV.

'The reality is that ACL was providing an opportunity for the two leaders to present themselves and their beliefs and policies to Christian voters in an unbiased way and we believe that we achieved that aim. ACL is determinedly non partisan, but if others have a bias when they watch the event, it will almost surely colour their perception, as seems to be the case here.'

Further comment has also been sought from Rev Nile. An ACV reader, 'Milton', commented on the original story and said, 'I was at the event at a church in Cardiff NSW. I do believe that not challenging the fudging of the Christian commitment by Rudd was not helpful as it made him more palatable to the Christian community... I am confident that a bias in favour of the perceived social justice of the ALP came through.'

The next Make it Count webcast in on June 21 and so far 156 churches have registered.