MELBOURNE Anglican Archbishop Philip Freier asked the Victorian Electoral Commission not to let Fred Nile's Christian Democratic Party change its name to Australian Christians.

Archbishop Freier and the Victorian Council of Churches complained that the new name suggested the party spoke for all Christians when its views were supported by probably only a minority. But the commission said it had no grounds to reject the name change.

Fred Nile. Credit:Jon Reid

''I am concerned about the possible effects to religious harmony in Victoria if a political group which does not represent the views of the majority of Christians in Australia were to be allowed to use the name 'Australian Christians', with an obvious implication that it did speak for all Christians,'' Dr Freier wrote to the Electoral Commissioner.

The Victorian Council of Churches objected because the name was confusing, general secretary Theo Mackaay told The Age.