Legal rights and good laws vanish when democracy is ONLY about 2 parties, Labor and Liberal - a legal perspective from TEAM LAW http://www.teamlaw.net.au/-abc-news-anti-democratic-election-policy.html Principal: Trevor Poulton Campbellfield Victoria 3061 Mobile: 0402 987 181 Email: poulton@labyrinth.net.au Website: www.teamlaw.net.au 29 August 2013 Forget Murdoch press! The public is subsidizing a politically correct & policy limited ABC News The ABC News has limited its 2013 federal election coverage primarily to the campaigns of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberal Party, with some coverage being given to the Greens Party (‘major parties’). This has been at the expense of the minor parties and dependent candidates. Despite the ABC being a vast media conglomerate operating 24 hours a day and having the logistical capacity to illuminate the campaigns of all parties, ABC News has deemed it appropriate not to give oxygen to the minor parties. The exceptions are news items relating to internal party fracturing or preference deals impacting on the major parties. Consequently, the public is being denied the opportunity to contemplate and assess the range of policies and visions developed by parties outside of the levelled Labor-Green-Liberal matrix. The ABC must comply with its Code of Practice 2011 (revised 2013) established under section 6 of the Australian Broadcasting Act (Clth). Under Code 4, Impartiality and diversity of perspectives, the ABC has a statutory duty to ensure that the gathering and presentation of news and information is impartial according to the recognised standards of objective journalism. ABC hallmarks of Code 4 include: Providing opportunities over time for principal relevant perspectives on matters of contention to be expressed. Addressing a broad range of subjects from a diversity of perspectives reflecting a diversity of experiences, presented in a diversity of ways from a diversity of sources, including content created by ABC staff, generated by audiences and commissioned or acquired from external content-makers. The timeframe within which it would be appropriate for the ABC to provide opportunities for the principal relevant perspectives to be expressed, having regard to the public importance of the matter of contention and the extent to which it is the subject of current debate. It is obvious that the ABC has deliberately narrowed down its campaign coverage generally to the not dissimilar policies of the major parties in defiance of the above codes. The ABC’s feature election website Vote Compass found at http://www.abc.net.au/votecompass/ proves the case. 2 The website blatantly fails to provide an all-inclusive list of the minor parties. Significant strands of Australian community values, beliefs and views which frequently can only be accessed through the minor parties are knowingly being excluded or disproportionately represented by the ABC through Vote Compass. The website needs to be urgently reconfigured through its IT programmers, by way of for example, providing an all-inclusive and easily accessible list of the minor parties with links to their websites and policies, and an up-to-date diary of forums that the minor parties are participating in. In contrast to Vote Compass, Wikipedia has a site that provides extensive information on the minor parties. Material from the site has been downloaded by TEAM LAW and can be viewed below. The link is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Australia An August 2013 Newspoll reflects that 7% of the voter turnout will not be voting for the major parties. With last election voter numbers being 13,131,667, 7% accounts for 919,216 voters. The preferences of many of such voters will determine the make-up of the federal parliament at the forthcoming election. Vote Compass underplays the relevance of these voters. It justifies this by with the following disclaimer on its site: “Why aren't the minor parties included in Vote Compass?” “A political party or coalition of political parties with at least one sitting member in the Parliament at the time an election is called will be included in Vote Compass if it meets all of the following conditions: (a) it is registered under the relevant electoral authority; (b) it is likely to field candidates in a majority of constituencies; and (c) it has a fully developed policy platform. If a political party or coalition of parties does not have at least one sitting member in the Parliament at the time an election is called it may be included if it has recorded at least 5 % nationwide support in a recent, recognised and published independent poll and meets all three conditions required of parties with sitting members.” The anti-democratic criterion has in fact been adopted from the ABC’s policy for allocating ‘free broadcast time’ to major political parties during elections. ‘Free broadcast time’ relates to selfpromotion of the major parties through minutes/seconds time-spots. A website is not a time-fixed medium, and coverage of the diverse policies of the political parties by the ABC is not dependent on allocated advertising time-spots. The criterion must be reviewed to provide for coverage of minor parties and their policies and now is the time to do so, before the election. We hear about political spin of the major parties. Well, this election will become known for its journalistic spin. ABC TV and Radio journalists themselves, including Annabel Crabb (when she’s not busy running her entertaining Kitchen Cabinet) often mock the democratic process by moaning about the jargon and insipidness of the major parties. (e.g. Barry's Cassidy's article, This election is rich in trivia but not much else, The Drum 16/8/2013) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-16/cassidy-an-election-rich-in-trivia-but-not-much-else/4889896 Yet it is ABC journalists, including Barry Cassidy, who have the power and responsibility under their own Code to follow up on the policies of the minor parties to add spice, depth and diversity to the election. This does not mean giving ‘the minors’ equal air time with the major parties, but it means giving them reasonable coverage taking into account the topical issues and expertise of the party representatives, their electorates, their size, and number of candidates. Instead, ABC journalists and commentators have chosen to conform with the policy dictate, and democracy is the worse for it. Practising democracy in Australia is becoming reduced by the media to a purely cyclical voting event rather than a medium for social protection, progress and change. Elections are supposed to be a platform for reformist and conservative ideas to bloom in a shower of votes. Elections should also mark the arrival of younger parties that may not have previously won seats but whose ideas are coming into vogue. Topical policies being promoted and articulated by the minor parties out in the public domain, in the streets, in pubs, at parties, squares, market places, over neighbours' fences, at TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 3 work and community forums BUT not on the ABC include: immigration and population growth, defending or diluting ideals and values of Western European civilisation, innovative building and housing affordability, surveillance and shield laws, public opposition to/support of multiculturalism and multi-racialism, trade protectionism and foreign land acquisition, climate change skepticism, gay marriage (national plebiscite viz-a-viz 150 MPs deciding the meaning of marriage for 25 million), Aboriginal autonomy, transparency of governmental and corporate action, animal rights, food production and labelling, warring with Middle-East countries, and so on. With the ABC’s 24 Hour News cycle and all its other resources it could to date have easily accommodated coverage and exploration of such issues from the refined perspective of the minor parties. Time is still available to compensate the electorate, for example, by the ABC setting up debate/s between representatives of the major and minor parties, or provide studio space where minor candidates question the major party candidates such as Rudd and Abbott about their policies and visions, and diarise such debates on the ABC News website. The ABC has breached the following standards provided in the code: 4.1 Gather and present news and information with due impartiality. 4.2 Present a diversity of perspectives so that, over time, no significant strand of thought or belief within the community is knowingly excluded or disproportionately represented. 4.3 Do not state or imply that any perspective is the editorial opinion of the ABC. The ABC takes no editorial stance other than its commitment to fundamental democratic principles including the rule of law, freedom of speech and religion, parliamentary democracy and equality of opportunity. 5. Do not unduly favour one perspective over another. These breaches ought to be addressed prior to the election on 7 September 2013, and the starting point is to reconfigure the dubious Vote Compass website. Trevor Poulton Barrister & Solicitor TEAM LAW poulton@labyrinth.net.au Copy to: Managing Director: Mark Scott Chief Operating Officer: David Pendleton Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) ____________________________________________ The following has been extracted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Australia We have reformatted the material. Any incorrect statement will be amended upon request of the relevant parties or otherwise by contacting the Principal of Team Law by email. If Wikipedia can put this material together in acknowledgment of the Australian federal election then surely the ABC and Vote Compass have the capacity and the moral duty to do so. DIRECTIONS: CLICK ON PARTY NAME. TAKES YOU TO WIKIPEDIA. THEN CLICK FROM THERE ON PARTY'S WEBSITE LINK FOR POLICIES List of all registered parties - links to AEC registrations 1. TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au Animal Justice Party 4 Party, Leader and Description of ALL registered parties Animal Justice Party A party that represents an animal rights perspective in the Australian political arena. AJP is the first political party in Australia formed to advance animal rights issues. The preamble of the AJP charter says the party "has been formed as a response to growing public concern about the neglect of animals and animal protection issues by political parties" and states its mission is "to promote and protect the interests and capabilities of animals by providing a dedicated voice for them in Australia’s political system." The party aims to give animals constitutional protection based on their sentience, as opposed to their instrumental value. Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated Jim Saleam An extreme right wing political party, AFP's policies are said to be based on old-fashioned Labor Party values that were allegedly abandoned by the Australian Labor Party in the early 1970s, such as the White Australia policy. The policies of Australia First can be described as nationalistic, anti-multicultural and economic protectionist. Australian Christians Ray Moran The party aims to represent Christian values, appealing to the 2.7 million voters who go to church at least once a month. Formed in 2011, when the Victorian and Western Australian branches of the Christian Democratic Party voted to spilt and form a new party. The party has endorsed senate candidates in Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania and plans to expand into South Australia and Queensland. The party has decided not to operate in New South Wales, where the CDP currently has two seats in the Legislative Council. Australian Democrats Formerly known as the Centre-Line Party, the Australian Democrats were founded in 1977 after the meger of the Australia Party and New LM, with Don Chipp as it's high-profile leader. The party is a centrist political party in Australia with a social-liberal ideology. The party was founded on principles of honesty, tolerance, compassion and direct democracy through postal ballots of all members. Policies determined by the unique participatory method promoted environmental awareness and sustainability, opposition to the primacy of economic rationalism (Australian neoliberalism), preventative approaches to human 2. Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated 3. Australian Christians 4. Australian Democrats 5. Australian First Nations Political Party 6. Australian Fishing and Lifestyle Party 7. Australian Greens 8. Australian Independents 9. Australian Labor Party (ALP) Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party 10. Australian Protectionist Party 11. Australian Sex Party 12. Australian Sovereignty Party 13. Australian Sports Party 14. Australian Stable Population Party 15. Australian Voice Party 16. Bank Reform Party 17. Building Australia Party 18. Bullet Train For Australia 19. Carers Alliance 20. Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) 21. Citizens Electoral Council of Australia 22. Coke in the Bubblers Party 23. Country Alliance 24. Country Liberals (Northern Territory) 25. Democratic Labour Party (DLP) 26. Drug Law Reform Party 27. Family First Party 28. Future Party 29. Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party 30. Katter’s Australian Party 31. Liberal Democratic Party 32. Liberal Party of Australia 33. National Party of Australia 34. Nick Xenophon Group 35. No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics 36. Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) 37. One Nation 38. Outdoor Recreation Party (Stop The Greens) 39. Palmer United Party 40. Pirate Party Australia 41. Republican Party of Australia 42. Rise Up Australia Party 43. Secular Party of Australia 44. Senator Online (Internet Voting Bills/Issues) 45. Shooters and Fishers Party 46. Smokers Rights Party 47. Socialist Alliance 48. Socialist Equality Party 49. Stop CSG Party 50. The 23 Million 51. The Wikileaks Party 52. Uniting Australia Party 53. Voluntary Euthanasia Party TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 5 health and welfare, animal rights, rejection of nuclear technology and weapons. Australian First Nations Political Party Ken Lechleitner The party was founded in 2011 by Maurie Japarta Ryan, a former independent candidate and the grandson of Aboriginal Australian activist Vincent Lingiari. The party is associated with the Australian indigenous community. The policies of the party focus on issues such as Northern Territory statehood, Indigenous rights, constitutional reform, and Aboriginal sovereignty. Australian Fishing and Lifestyle Party A political party that formed in 2006 from the Queensland branch of the Fishing Party and federally registered in 2007. It opposes any bans on recreational fishing, the use of four-wheel drives, horse riding, trail bikes, camping and kayaking, and generally opposes conservation measures which it sees as threatening to recreation. The party's website indicates particular opposition to the Greens. It contested the Senate in the 2007 election in Queensland and South Australia, and on a joint ticket with the Shooters Party in New South Wales. Australian Greens Christine Milne A green political party. The party was formed in 1992 and is today a confederation of eight state and territory parties. Other than environmentalism the party cites four core values: ecological sustainability, social justice, grassroots democracy and peace and non-violence. Party constituencies can be traced to various origins – notably the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group (UTG), one of the first green parties in the world, but also the nuclear disarmament movement in Western Australia and sections of the industrial left in New South Wales. The Greens currently support a minority Labor government in the A.C.T. Legislative Assembly and govern in formal Coalition with Labor in Tasmania, but are no longer in alliance at the federal level. Australian Independents Patricia Petersen Founded by Dr Patricia Petersen, the Australian Independents is a political party which promotes democracy and true parliamentary representation. Australian Independents candidates are free to set their own political agendas outside of the traditional model of standing as the candidate of a particular party free of party allegiance. Australian Independents employ a novel selection process for its independent candidates, allowing any List of political parties in Australia Liberal Party of Australia Tony Abbott Founded in 1945 to replace the United Australia Party and its predecessors, the Liberal Party is the primary centre-right party in Australia. Federally, the Liberal Party runs in a Coalition with the National Party, the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party, and Queensland Liberal branch the Liberal National Party. Except for a few short periods, the Liberal Party and its predecessors have operated in similar coalitions since the 1920s. In Australia, the term Liberalism refers to centre-right economic liberalism. Party ideology has therefore been referred to as Liberalism, distinct from its meaning in some countries, but also as conservatism, which features strongly in party ideology. There have however long been party members who practice economic or classical liberalism without features of social conservatism, often referred to as 'small-l liberals'. Party founder Robert Menzies, UAP Prime Minister from 1939– 41 and Liberal Prime Minister from 1949–66, and John Howard, Liberal Prime Minister from 1996– 2007, were Australia's two longest serving Prime Ministers. Despite its late establishment in comparison to the older Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party has spent more time in government than any other federal Australian political party. At the federal level, the party is currently in opposition and has been led by Tony Abbott, with Julie Bishop as deputy, since the 2009 leadership spill. Liberal National Party of Queensland Campbell Newman Part of the Coalition The Liberal National Party (LNP) is a centre-right political party. It is the Queensland division of the Liberal Party of Australia and is associated with the National Party of Australia after having been formed by merger of the Queensland divisions of both of those parties in 2008. The party is considered to be the primary party of the centre- TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 6 member of the public to apply for candidacy, provided they commit to genuinely representing their electorates. Australian Independents are socially progressive yet economically conservative. Australian Labor Party (ALP) Kevin Rudd The ALP adopted the formal name "Australian Labour Party" in 1908, but changed the spelling to "Labor" in 1912. While it is standard practice in Australian English both today and at the time to spell the word labour with a "u", the party was influenced by the United States labour movement and a prominent figure in the early history of the party, the American–born King O'Malley, was successful in having the spelling "modernized". The change also made it easier to distinguish references to the party from the labour movement in general. Labor defines itself as "a coalition that includes reformers, radicals, progressives, social democrats and democratic socialists united by a critique of the inequalities in society, a commitment to a more just and equal society, and the achieving of this aim by democratic means." The Labor Party is commonly described as a social democratic party, and its constitution stipulates that it is a democratic socialist party. The party was created by, and has always been influenced by, the trade unions, and in practice its policy at any given time has usually been the policy of the broader labour movement. The ALP was founded as a federal party prior to the first sitting of the Australian Parliament in 1901, but is descended from labour parties founded in the various Australian colonies by the emerging labour movement in Australia, formally beginning in 1891. Labor is thus the country's oldest political party. Colonial labour parties contested seats from 1891, and federal seats following the Federation at the 1901 federal election. Labor was the first party in Australia to win a majority in either house of the Australian Parliament, at the 1910 federal election. The ALP pre-dates both the British Labour Party and New Zealand Labour Party in party formation, government, and policy implementation. The Country Labor Party, formerly an independent party, now forms a branch of the ALP federally and in some states. Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party The Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party (AMEP) was formed on 11 May 2013 in Queensland at an enthusiastic public meeting of Motoring Enthusiasts from a broad range of disciplines. The decision to form the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party was initiated after the unity demonstrated by the Motoring Community following recent moves by various State Government toughening anti-hooning and vehicle impoundment legislation. right of Queensland politics. In Australia, the term Liberalism refers to centre-right economic liberalism, rather than centre-left social liberalism. Party ideology has therefore been referred to as liberalism, but also as conservatism, which features strongly in party ideology. The newly established party won government for the first time at the 2012 Queensland election, winning a record majority in the unicameral Parliament of Queensland. Its leader, Campbell Newman, is the Premier of Queensland. Along with the Country Liberal Party in NT, it is seen as an ideal model should all parties in the Coalition meage into one centre-right liberal conservative party for Australia. National Party of Australia Warren Truss Part of the Coalition Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the Australian Country Party or Country Party for short, and then adopted the name the National Country Party in 1975. The party's name was changed to the National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is commonly referred to as "The Nationals". Federally, in New South Wales, and to an extent Victoria and historically in Western Australia, it has generally been the minor party in a centre-right Coalition with the Liberal Party of Australia in government. In Opposition it has worked in formal Coalition or separately, but generally in cooperation with the Liberal Party and its predecessor, the United Australia Party. It was the major Coalition party in Queensland between 1936 and 2008, when it merged with the junior Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia to form the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP). The Party does have a division in South Australia but currently has no representation in that states parliament. Historically, the Nats have only ever had two representatives: Peter Blacker from 1973 to 1993, and Karlene Maywald from 1997 to 2010. Oddly from 2004 to 2010, Maywald was a Minister in the Rann Labor Government, before losing her seat at the 2010 South Australian state election, thereby informally creating a coalition between the ALP and the National Party at South Australia's state level of government. The National Party, at the time, rejected the notion that it was in a coalition with Labor at the state level. State National Party President John Venus told journalists, "We (The Nationals) are not in coalition with the Labor Party, we aren't in coalition with the Liberals, we are definitely not in coalition with anyone. We stand alone in South Australia as an independent party." Flinders University political scientist Haydon Manning disagreed, saying that it is "churlish to describe the government as anything but a coalition". The Nats have no representation in the ACT or Tasmania. TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 7 Australian Protectionist Party Nick Xenophon Group Andrew Phillips A political party with Protectionist and Nationalist policies, with a focus on economic protectionism and social conservatism. The APP opposes multiculturalism saying it is "ruining Australia." Registered as a federal political party with the Australian Electoral Commission on 18 January 2011, the Australian Protectionist Party opposes refugees and asylum seekers and often participates in rallies such as the ones outside the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. Since inception, the Australian Protectionist Party has been active in protesting against the presence of asylum seekers and Muslims, and has also organized several protests against Sharia law being implemented in Australia. Unrelated to the original Protectionist Party which was a political party from federation. Nick Xenophon Australian Sex Party Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) Fiona Patten The Party was founded in 2009 in response to concerns over the influence of religion in politics and internet censorship. The party was born out of an adult-industry lobby group, the Eros Association. Its leader, Fiona Patten, is the association's CEO, while the party's registered officer, Robert Swan, is the association's media director. The ASP policy platform has been described as libertarian, sex-positive, and social progressive. It is opposed to mandatory internet censorship, and supports the introduction of a national media classification scheme, including a rating for non-violent sexual content. The ASP also supports a royal commission into the sexual abuse of children in Australian religious institutions, and is in favour of legalized abortion, gay rights, voluntary euthanasia, the legalization of cannabis for recreational use along with the decriminalization of all other drugs for recreational use. The party is in favour of sexual rights for intellectually disabled individuals. Patten describes the party as a "civil libertarian alternative". Patten is a veteran campaigner on issues such as censorship, equality and discrimination. Australian Sovereignty Party Australian Sports Party Australian Stable Population Party William Bourke Formerly known as the Stable Population Party of Australia, the party was formed in 2010. It opposes population growth and advocates a stable population for Australia. Leader William Bourke ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in New No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics Bill Koutalianos No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics, formerly known as The Climate Sceptics, are a political party that describes itself as the world's first political party representing climate sceptics on what they call climate alarmism, dedicated to "...expose the fallacy of anthropogenic climate change". The Climate Sceptics Party's policy on the Australian government's proposed emissions trading scheme, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), is that the CPRS will result in Australian industry being at a competitive disadvantage leading to rising prices, that the CPRS will also cause corruption and fraud and the curtailing of human freedoms. Andrew Thompson The Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) (originally known as the Non-Custodial Parents Party) is a small Australian political party. The party has members in all states and territories of Australia. It supports less government control of many aspects of daily family life. In particular, it puts forward a number of policies seeking changes in the areas of family law and child support. The party’s web-site states that the core policies centre on the issue of family law reform, emphasizing legislative changes in order to enshrine a child's natural rights to a meaningful relationship with both parents, and legal and procedural changes to ensure that the Child Support system is fair, equitable and aimed at fulfilling its primarily goal, that being to support the children. The policies are primarily aimed at assisting non-custodial parents, grandparents and spouses of non-custodial parents. This is particularly with respect to those parents who have either not been granted contact with their children or who have been adversely affected by the child support legislation. One Nation One Nation is a right-wing and nationalist political party. Pauline Hanson founded the party after being elected as an independent due to her disendorsement as the preselected Liberal Party candidate for the Australian House of Representatives. It gained more than 22 percent of the statewide vote translating to 11 of 89 seats in Queensland's unicameral legislative assembly at the 1998 state election. Federally, the party peaked at the 1998 election on 9 percent of the nationwide vote, electing one Senator in Queensland. The party has never approached TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 8 South Wales on an independent ticket with Mark O'Connor in the 2010 Federal election. Australian Voice Party Bank Reform Party Building Australia Party Ray Brown The Party advocates the rights of the building industry. The party was founded in 2010 out of discontent with state and federal governments that push regulations which the founders of the BAP believe hold back the Australian building and building design industry. Its policies are centred on the building industry and housing affordability, but also include supporting a nurse-to-patient ratio in NSW and encouraging environmental sustainability. The party is led by Raymond Brown JP, an accredited Building Designer and the Past National President of the Building Designers Association of Australia. He has served as a councillor and the Deputy Mayor of the Hills Shire Council. Bullet Train for Australia Carers Alliance MaryLou Carter A party whose policies emphasise support for carers and people with disabilities. It is ideologies are progressive and it stand for social justice. Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) Fred Nile Originally established as the "Call to Australia Party" in 1977, the party grew out of earlier organizations such as the Festival of Light, with which Nile has been associated for more than 30 years. These groups had sought to mobilize conservative and evangelical Protestants as an electoral force. Nile was elected to the Legislative Council in 1981, and the party has managed to see a candidate elected at every subsequent New South Wales state election to date. The party claims to support policies that promote Christian values, are supportive of family values, protective of children and their rights including those of unborn children, and policies that are protective of established Australian values and systems, inclusive of a requirement that immigrants to Australia demonstrate a desire to learn English. The party opposes abortion, euthanasia, pornography, homosexuality, adultery, incest, and Islam, most notably sharia law. Citizens Electoral Council of Australia Craig Isherwood The CEC is a nationalist political party affiliated these heights again, and while it nominally still exists it attracts a negligible percentage of the vote. The name "One Nation" was chosen to signify belief in national unity, in contrast to a perceived increasing division in Australian society allegedly caused by government policies favouring immigrants and indigenous Australians. The term was used in British politics (where it is used in a quite different sense: see One Nation Conservatism), but was last used in Australian political life to describe a tax reform package by the Labor government of Paul Keating, whose urban-based, Asia-centric, free-market, and proaffirmative action policies were representative of what One Nation voters were opposing. Believing the other parties to be out of touch with mainstream Australia, One Nation ran on a broadly populist and protectionist platform. It promised to drastically reduce immigration and to abolish "divisive and discriminatory policies ... attached to Aboriginal and multicultural affairs." Condemning multiculturalism as a "threat to the very basis of the Australian culture, identity and shared values", One Nation rallied against government immigration and multicultural policies which, it argued, were leading to "the Asianisation of Australia." The party also denounced economic rationalism and globalisation, reflecting working-class dissatisfaction with the neo-liberal economic policies embraced by the major parties. Adopting strong protectionist policies, One Nation advocated the restoration of import tariffs, a revival of Australia's manufacturing industry, and an increase in support for small business and the rural sector. During its brief period of popularity, One Nation had a major impact on Australian politics. The primary effect at both state and federal levels was to split the conservative vote and threaten the National Party's support base. The appeal of its policies to the National Party's constituency put great pressure on that party. The rapid rise of the party revealed a substantial minority of discontented voters dissatisfied with the major parties. In the prologue to her autobiography Untamed and Unashamed, Hanson cites the Howard government's adoption of her policies as an attempt to win back One Nation voters to the Liberal and National parties, stating "the very same policies I advocated back then ... are being advocated today by the federal government". Outdoor Recreation Party (Stop the Greens) Peter Whelan The Outdoor Recreation Party (ORP) is a minor political party in New South Wales, Australia. It professes to represent the outdoor community and interests such as cycling, bushwalking, camping, kayaking, 4WD motoring, skiing, fishing and shooting. It is formally allied with the Liberal Democratic Party. TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 9 with the international LaRouche Movement, led by American political activist and conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche. They have been described as "far right", "fascist" and "lunar right," as well as "ideologues on the economic Left." Coke in the Bubblers Party Country Alliance Russell Bate The CA is a party in the state of Victoria with a focus on "anti-green but pro-environment" policies. It was founded in early 2004 by six rural Victorians concerned with the policies of the existing parties. The party purposely has few policies, as its elected representatives are expected to act independently in their constituents interests. Its policies include support for some logging in water catchments, recreational shooting and hunting, and limitation of poker machines to casinos and racing venues. The party is opposed to the sale of publicly owned assets and advocates the decentralization of government bureaucracies. It opposes Green policies like catching and sterilizing feral animals as impractical, and their influence in matters like the reserve rules around Lake Mokoan, where "children cannot throw stones and you are not even allowed to put up an umbrella. The party is supported by a range of groups with regional interests including motorbike riding, hunting, angling and the timber industry. The party has declared its principles to be similar to the National Party of Australia, Outdoor Recreation Party, Fishing Party and the Family First Party. It also had the in-principle support of former independent Victorian MLAs Craig Ingram and Russell Savage. Country Liberals (Northern Territory) Adam Giles The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party (CLP) is a regionally based political party affiliated with both the National (formerly "Country") and Liberal parties of Australia. The CLP contests seats for the Coalition in the Northern Territory rather than the Liberal or National parties. The Country Liberal Party (CLP) stands for office in the Northern Territory Assembly and Federal Parliament of Australia and primarily concerns itself with representing Territory interests. The Party promotes local issues like statehood for the Northern Territory as well as more broadly liberal values like support for individualism and private enterprise, as well as traditional conservative values. In indigenous policy, the party has committed to improving education and job creation and to reducing a culture of welfare dependency. The CLP dominated the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from its establishment in 1974 until 2001. The Country Liberals returned to office following the 2012 Palmer United Party Clive Palmer The Palmer United Party (PUP), dubbed the PUPs, was formed by Australian mining businessman Clive Palmer in April 2013. The party ideology is centre-right liberal conservatist rightwing populist, yet it's agenda is closer to the centre than other parties of the right. The party was to be originally named the United Australia Party, one of several the historical predecessors of the Liberal Party of Australia. Palmer intended the party to be reformation of the UAP. Palmer's nephew, Blair Brewster, had applied to trademark the UAP name. Palmer announced that the party would be renamed the "Palmer United Party" instead to fast track registration, to avoid a conflict with the now defunct Pauline's United Australia Party, and to avoid confusion with a separate party already registered with the Australian Electoral Commission, the Uniting Australia Party. There was subsequent speculation it would join forces with Katter's Australian Party. Peter Slipper, the independent MP (formerly a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland and previously Speaker of the House of Representatives), tried to join the party. Yet, hours after announcing his membership had been accepted, the party released a statement on its website announcing members had decided to revoke Mr Slipper's membership under clause D26 of the constitution of the party. The PUP has also applied for registration in Queensland. Two Queensland state MPs, Alex Douglas and Carl Judge, joined the party. Both had been elected as Liberal National Party MPs at the 2012 state election, but had fallen out with the LNP and resigned from the party later that year, and had sat as independents in the interim. Pirate Party Australia Pirate Party Australia, sometimes referred to as the Australian Pirate Party, is a political party in that represents civil liberty issues. The party is based on the Pirate Party of Sweden and is focused on copyright reform, internet freedom, and ending censorship. The proposed Australian Internet Filter and data retention proposals are key issues for the party that the PPA is against. At the request of Exit International, David W. Campbell of the Pirate Party Australia conducted a series of information sessions as part of Exit International's workshop for seniors who wanted to know how to by-pass the Australian Internet Filter so that they can access information on safe euthanasia techniques. The party is unique in its approach to preference deals with other minor parties in that they are professing to eschew the secret deals that typify preference negotiations and instead are conducting all such activities openly and transparently and putting all decisions to a TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 10 Legislative Assembly general election, and then leader Terry Mills became Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. Mills was replaced as CLP leader in March 2013 and Adam Giles became leader of the party and Territory Chief Minister. Giles was the first indigenous Australian to lead a state or territory government in Australia. Current deputy leader of the National Party, Senator Nigel Scullion is a one of two representatives of the CLP in federal parliament. Democratic Labour Party (DLP) John Madigan The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is a political party of the labour tradition that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The DLP has its origins in the historical Democratic Labor Party, a conservative Catholic-based anticommunist pro republican political party which existed from the 1955 split in the Australian Labor Party until 1978, which played an important role in Australian politics. The Australian Electoral Commission considers the current DLP to be legally the same as the earlier DLP, and so the party was not affected by laws from the John Howard era (1996–2007) which deregistered parties which had never had a parliamentary presence and prohibited party names that include words from another party's name. A party under the DLP name has competed in all elections since 1955. The original DLP resulted from the conservative Catholic National Civic Council's anti-communist entryist tactics within the ALP and Australian trade union movement in an effort to curb communist influence. Such action lead to the then ALP leader H. V. Evatt publicly attacking the anti-communist "Groupers" and expelling them from the ALP, triggering the 1955 split. The expelled anti-communists then formed the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), which in 1957 became the Australian Democratic Labor Party and today is the Democratic Labour Party of Australia. The DLP used the preference voting electoral system to direct electoral preferences away from the ALP at state and federal levels, until its membership and party organization declined sufficiently to render it electorally impotent in the early 1970s. Its primary interests were related to industrial relations and foreign policy, but the party was also a forerunner in campaigning to end the White Australia Policy, while supporting equal pay for equal work, the vote for 18-year olds and family income splitting for tax purposes among other things. The party held the balance of power in the Australian Senate during the 1960s and 1970s, until it fell afoul of Australian resistance to that nation's involvement in the Vietnam War and suffered accordingly in terms of its electoral representation. In 1978, DLP branches in all states, except Victoria, voted to dissolve. In membership vote. Republican Party of Australia Peter Consandine The Republican Party of Australia is a minor political party dedicated to ending the country's links with the United Kingdom and establishing a republic, but remaining in the Commonwealth. It was formed in 1982, and achieved registration federally in 1992. It contested the 2004 federal election, but was not registered at the time of the 2007 election, although some of its members stood as independent candidates. It in many ways replaced the Australian Republican Party, which had operated from 1949 through until the RPA's founding. Rise Up Australia Party Daniel Nalliah Rise Up Australia Party is a socially conservative political party. The party's policy platform is focused on nationalist and Christian conservative issues, such opposing the spread of Islamic doctrine in Australia and opposition to same-sex marriage. The party was started by Danny Nalliah and operates under the tagline "Keep Australia Australian". After a previously unsuccessful campaign in politics, in 2011, Nalliah launched Rise Up Australia. The launch date was picked as it was the anniversary of Nalliah's successful case in the Supreme Court. The youth leader of the Party is a former Miss Teen Australia. The party was launched with the help of Christopher Monckton. Nalliah has declared former Prime Minister Julia Gillard a heathen "living in sin" and former Greens leader Bob Brown an "openly practicing homosexual" and said that he felt sick to the stomach watching them shake hands. The party leader Nalliah also claims that he has divine powers and has resurrected 3 dead people, and that God has spoken to him on several occasions. Aims of the party include opposition to multiculturalism, preserving Australia's "JudeoChristian heritage" and cuts to Australia’s "Muslim intake", as well as the protection of freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. The party has an extreme anti-Islamic platform, and has even been closely affiliated with the far-right radical organization, the Australia Defense League, with the Rise up Australia President & ADL President attending party meetings and rallies together. Following the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria which claimed 173 lives, Nalliah avowed to have been party to "a flash from the Spirit of God: that His conditional protection has been removed from the nation of Australia, in particular Victoria, for approving the slaughter of innocent children in the womb." Similarly he has also linked the catastrophic 2010–2011 Queensland floods to remarks Kevin Rudd made about Israel, Nalliah declared on his website "...at once I was reminded TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 11 Victoria, the DLP continued in that state. In 1986, unions affiliated with the DLP re-affiliated with the ALP. The party has a comprehensive policy platform, and Peter Kavanagh has referred to the heritage of the historic Democratic Labor Party, claiming that "The DLP remains the only political party in Australia which is pro-family, pro-life and genuinely pro-worker." The DLP website claims to be not "left" or "right" but centre-"decentralist". The DLP’s stated principles are "democracy", "liberty" and "peace". On 27 June 2013, the Australian Electoral Commission approved the party's name change from "Democratic Labor Party" to "Democratic Labour Party", reintroducing the traditional British spelling of "Labour". Drug Law Reform Australia Family First Party Bob Day The Family First Party is a socially conservative political party. It currently has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council (Robert Brokenshire and Dennis Hood). The party's federal chairman is Bob Day. Although officially eschewing religious labels, many of its candidates and members are from conservative Christian backgrounds. Relations between Family First and Fred Nile's Christian Democratic Party (Australia) are strained by the need to compete for the same group of voters and to secure Senate preferences, particularly from the Liberal Party of Australia. Family First is incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee and managed by an Executive Committee comprising the Board of Directors. Decision making is tightly held within the executive group, including the capacity to elect new members to the executive, determine party policy and ratify candidate pre-selection. A National Conference occurs once every two years, with delegates from state party licensees. Federal and State branches have Annual General Meetings that are open to all members. Future Party Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party The Party advocates the relegalization of cannabis for medical, recreational and industrial use. The group was founded in 1993 by Nigel Quinlan, who ran as a candidate under the name Nigel Freemarijuana. In 2001, Freemarijuana's name was assessed by the Australian Electoral Commission as to whether it was suitable to be added to the electoral roll – the Commission found that it was, meaning Freemarijuana could run as an electoral candidate under the name. HEMP is based in Nimbin, New South Wales, the centre of Australia's cannabis culture. HEMP has of Kevin Rudd speaking against Israel in Israel on 14th December 2010. It is very interesting that Kevin Rudd is from QLD. Is God trying to get our attention? Yes, I believe so." The party voices support for the state of Israel stating in their policy platform "[we]support the right of the State of Israel to exist within secure and defensible borders, and with Jerusalem as its undivided capital" In a 2011 interview with Perth's "Out in Perth", Nalliah stated that homosexuals can be turned back to heterosexual relationships through education and through Christ. The Rise Up Australia Party's energy policy also claims that currently Australia's coal fired power stations don't produce any traceable CO2 emissions and that they're 99.99% energy efficient. they have plans to repeal the carbon tax if elected. The Rise Up Australia Party also plans an overhaul of Australia's media content laws by restricting immoral content which their website describes as being "gratuitous violent and socially-degenerating themes". There was subsequent speculation it would join forces with Katter's Australian Party. Secular Party of Australia John Perkins The Secular Party of Australia is a minor Australian political party, founded in January 2006 and registered as a federal political party in 2010. It supports secular humanist ethical principles with its stated political aims being. In 2005, the Secular Party took out a series of advertisements airing in prime time, spoken by party founder and then vicepresident John Goldbaum. The campaign often used the slogan "Don't Let the Church Govern Australia", attacking the policies of the Howard Government concerning abortion, contraception, and gay marriage. In 2007 the party merged with the similar Freedom From Religion Party. The phrase "Freedom From Religion" was appended as a subheading to the main party name on the website and in marketing materials. This subheading has since been changed to the sub heading "Freedom of religion and freedom from religion". In 2008 and 2009 the party became more active in Senate Committee discussions around the taxation of religious organisations and the HREOC submission on same sex discrimination. The Secular Party believes that the law and policy in Australia isn't that of a truly secular government and that voters in Australia are looking for a secular alternative. Senator Online (Internet Voting Bills/Issues) A political party with a focus on E-democracy. Senator Online does not have any policies. Instead it has pledged to conduct an online poll for every bill that passes before the Senate. Anyone on the Australian electoral roll who is not a member of another political party would be allowed TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 12 unsuccessfully stood candidates in several federal and state elections. After being notified by the Australian Electoral Commission on 23 April 2010 that they failed to meet the requirement registration in Australia due to having less than 500 members, they successfully appealed the decision when they submitted a list of additional members on the 17th May 2010, however the issue of writs on the 19th July 2010 for the federal election put their registration on hold and they were unable to field any candidates. On 23rd September 2010 they were finally granted registration.[4] They have since worked with the AEC to streamline the membership application process for registered political parties to allow internet registration which has seen their membership grow further. The HEMP party is fielding senate candidates in all states in the 2013 federal election. Katter's Australian Party Bob Katter A party that was formed by the independent Federal Member of Parliament Bob Katter. It won two seats at the March 2012 state election in Queensland. The party's policies closely mirror those of Katter, including support for agricultural interests, opposition to privatization and deregulation, and strong conservatism on social policy. The party's name was to be "The Australian Party" but the party's application for registration under that name was denied by the Australian Electoral Commission in 2011, on the grounds that the intended abbreviated party name was too generic and likely to cause confusion. Although, unsuccessful in registering the "The Australian Party" abbreviated party name nationally, the party's simultaneous application to register in Queensland succeed with the abbreviated name despite a few public objections. In August 2011, Katter's Australian Party announced plans to merge with state MP Aidan McLindon's Queensland Party, with Katter's party as the surviving entity. As part of the deal, McLindon became Queensland state leader of Katter's Australian Party. McLindon was later joined by Shane Knuth, a sitting LNP member, who said the LNP had not been beneficial for rural and the LNP merger had been a Liberal takeover that had been "disastrous" for regional representation, with rural MPs having no say. In the 2012 Queensland state election, the party won two of the 76 seats it contested, with Knuth holding his seat and Rob Katter winning another. Yet McLindon was defeated in his seat. In November 2012, the party was joined by LNP MP Ray Hopper, claiming that the LNP had been a takeover by the old Liberal Party at the expense of the National Party. Hopper claimed to have spoken to eight other government MPs who were considering defection. Hopper was later elected to register to vote in these polls and will be allowed one vote per bill. The senators would then be required to vote in accordance with the clear majority (70% and more than 100,000 votes). If there is no clear majority the senators will abstain from voting. Shooters and Fishers Party Robert Brown The Shooters and Fishers Party, formerly the Shooters Party or the Australian Shooters Party, is an political party based on Gun Rights, Global Warming Skepticism, Nationalism, and Enviromentalism. The Shooters Party came into existence in 1992, when the New South Wales Government proposed laws preventing citizens from owning firearms for self-defense as part of a raft of firearms laws after a number of mass shootings. It was founded by journalist and broadcaster John Tingle, who was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council in March 1995 as the party's first representative. Tingle resigned in May 2006, and was succeeded by businessman Robert Brown. The party's policies are not entirely focused around firearms. It asserts that every law-abiding citizen should have the right to own and use a firearm for legitimate purposes. It strongly supports recreational & conservation hunting, and laws giving shooters access to public land for hunting. It also has policies relating to personal freedom, and reduction of governmental interference in citizens' lives; as well as the need for five-year reviews of all legislation. The party's motto is "Reclaim Freedom". It actively supports recreational fishers, four-wheel drivers and other outdoor users, as well as rural activities of farming, mining & forestry. The Party opposes what it calls "extreme Green policies" and the "left leaning social reconstructive agenda" of the Greens. The Party counts among its achievements, a number of successful Bills, including those giving rights of self-defense to any citizen, anywhere, with immunity from civil or criminal liability; providing extra penalties for attacks on vulnerable people; giving families of homicide victims the right to be heard in court; establishment of the Game Council New South Wales, and legislation allowing specifically licensed hunters to hunt on public land; government funding of shooting clubs, and establishment of regional shooting complexes; recognition of membership of a hunting club as "genuine reason" for obtaining a firearms licence; extension of minor permits from ages 18 to 12, etc. The Shooters Party also assists firearms organizations. In May 2012, the two crossbench Shooters and Fishers Party MP's in NSW successfully negotiated a deal with the NSW O'Farrell government giving recreational shooters in NSW access to national parks to cull feral animals including pigs, rabbits and deer by allowing the passage of laws through the NSW TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 13 state party leader to replace McLindon. Queensland Independent MP Rob Messenger had expressed interest in joining the party if they were to oppose Sharia Law in Australia as well, however following the merger with the Queensland Party, Messenger declared he would not join the new party as it intended to run against sitting independents at the election. Katter's claims that his party is not a revival of the old Country Party. Liberal Democratic Party Peter Whelan The Liberal Democrats, is a political party founded in 2001, and is broadly described as a libertarian and objectivist party. In 2007, the party tried to register federally under the name "Liberal Democratic Party" but this was opposed the by the Liberal Party of Australia, so the party chose to register as the "Liberty and Democracy Party".However in 2008 the party successfully applied to the Australian Electoral Commission to change its federally registered name to "Liberal Democratic Party".During this period, the party remained registered under its original name in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The LDP generally adheres to libertarian, classical liberal, small government, objectivist and laissez-faire principles coupled with what the party considers as a high regard for individual freedom and individual responsibility. The party rejects "leftright", "right-wrong" and "moral-immoral" ideologies, instead taking philosophical policy positions which reflect what the party considers as freedom over oppression. The party states that acceptance of the rights of individuals to pursue their activities does not necessarily indicate endorsement of those activities. The Advertiser described the LDP as "a hardline libertarian party that demands abolition of government welfare as well as the minimum wage, seatbelts and bike helmets. It backs legalisation of marijuana and increased freedom to access pornography." However, the party policy platform has never advocated the abolition of government welfare or abolishing seatbelts. Thank you to Wikipedia for the above descriptions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_partie s_in_Australia upper house to sell the state-owned power stations Eraring Energy, Delta Electricity and Macquarie Generation expected to raise up to $3 billion. Currently, the SAFP have a total of 3 state MPs in the upper houses of Western Australia and New South Wales. Smokers' Rights Party Rachel Connor The Smokers' Rights Party was formed in 2012, after becoming frustrated with government infringements on the personal lives of Australians, believing that adults should be free to make their own lifestyle decisions. They are a civil liberties party with a focus on smokers, who stand in opposition to the nanny-state. They believe that taxation on cigarettes in Australia is excessive and not justified by public health costs. They support private property rights, and would like to see property owners making their own smoking rules (including bars and pubs, which are private property), not the government. They believe that plain packaging is counterproductive, as lack of brand recognition will reduce the incentive for companies to produce cleaner cigarettes. With the lack of brand recognition, cigarette manufacturers will only be able to compete on price, resulting in cigarettes more likely to damage ones health. The decision to smoke is fundamentally a matter of personal choice and should not be subject to nanny-state hectoring and restrictions. Socialist Alliance Collective Leadership with National Co-convenors (Susan Price and Peter Boyle). The Socialist Alliance was founded in 2001 as an alliance of socialist organisations and individuals in Australia, initiated by the Democratic Socialist Perspective and the International Socialist Organisation along with 6 other founding socialist organisations, to create greater left unity in the aftermath of the protest of the World Economic Forum in Melbourne on 11–13 September 2000. With branches in all states and territories,[1] and electoral registration federally and in a number of states, it is the largest group on the Australian far Left. Socialist Equality Party The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) is a trotskyist political party in Australia. The SEP was established in 2010 as the successor party to the Socialist Labour League, which was founded in 1972 as the Australian section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). The SEP is a registered political party with the Australian Electoral Commission,[4] and participates in elections at all levels of government. Party Secretary Nick Beams is a member of the International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS), the online TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au 14 news and information center of the ICFI.[5] Peter Symonds, national editor of the WSWS, is also a member of the party.[5] Stop CSG Party The 23 Million The Wikileaks Party Julian Assange The Wikileaks Party is a political party created in part to support Julian Assange’s bid for a Senate seat in Australia in the 2013 election. Julian Assange stated: “The party will combine a small, centralised leadership with maximum grass roots involvement and support. By relying on decentralised Wikipedia-style, user-generated content structures, it will do without apparatchiks. The party will be incorruptible and ideologically united.” The party has announced it will be fielding candidates for the Australian Senate in the states of NSW, Victoria and Western Australia. The party’s first policy is to immediately introduce a national shield law to protect a reporter’s right not to reveal a source. John Shipton has stated that "The party stands for what Julian espouses— transparency and accountability in government and of course human rights." That the party will advance WikiLeaks' objectives of promoting openness in government and politics, and that it would combat intrusions on individual privacy. Assange has been reported as saying that he envisions the WikiLeaks Party as bound together by unswerving commitment to the core principles of civic courage nourished by understanding and truthfulness and the free flow of information, and one that will practise in politics what WikiLeaks has done in the field of information. The Constitution of the WikiLeaks Party lists objectives, including: the protection of human rights and freedoms; transparency of governmental and corporate action, policy and information; recognition of the need for equality between generations; and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination. The Wikileaks Political party has criticized the Telstra Group’s relationship with the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice. Uniting Australia Party Voluntary Euthanasia Party Legal rights and good laws vanish when democracy is ONLY about 2 parties a legal perspective from TEAM LAW TEAM Business & Property Law ABN 18 654 673 868 www.teamlaw.net.au