Family First Party (2021)

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Family First Party
FoundersJack Snelling
Tom Kenyon
FoundedJuly 28, 2021 (2021-07-28)
IdeologyChristian politics

The Family First Party is an Australian political party based in South Australia, founded on 28 July 2021 by former state Labor ministers Jack Snelling and Tom Kenyon.

History[]

The Family First Party previously existed as a political party in Australia, founded in 2002 by Andrew Evans, who won a seat in the South Australian Legislative Council at the state election that year.[1] In 2017 it merged with the Australian Conservatives which dissolved in 2019.[1][2]

Jack Snelling (left) and Tom Kenyon (right) established the Family First Party on 28 July 2021.

On 28 July 2021, Jack Snelling and Tom Kenyon both left the Labor Party, forming the Family First Party.[1][3] Upon founding the party, Snelling has said that "we are very concerned about religious freedom and attempts to restrict that freedom", and that "I think that particularly in the last few years the political environment has shifted significantly in both the major parties where you simply cannot prosecute arguments about religious liberty".[3]

The party intends to run candidates in the 2022 South Australian state election.[1][3] Family First is aiming to run in all 47 seats of the South Australian House of Assembly.[4] Snelling does not intend to run, but Kenyon is reportedly considering candidacy.[5] InDaily reported that Kenyon is "expected" to run as Family First's lead candidate in the Legislative Council.[6]

Both The Australian and ABC News noted that the Liberal Marshall government in South Australia is led by moderates who had supported reforms relating to abortion and euthanasia.[3][7] Snelling has cited "moves to restrict the rights of hospitals and clinicians to refuse to participate in abortions and euthanasia" as a concern.[1]

Snelling has claimed that "we have the support of some of the founding members of Family First including Andrew Evans".[1] Evans told The Advertiser that "I don't mind them doing it. It puts a brake on the major parties", but added that he would not be involved in the new party as "I've done my bit".[5] The Australian reported that Snelling and Kenyon had acquired Family First's "data base of about 6000 supporters".[3] Former Family First senator and current leader of the Australian Family Party, Bob Day, however, said the new party was "not restarting Family First", noting that Snelling and Kenyon were "longstanding members of the Labor Party with a long tradition in the union movement".[6] Former Senator and leader of the Australian Conservatives, Cory Bernardi, said of Family First that he would "cheer them on", and that he had released intellectual property associated with the former Family First name to the new party.[7]

Snelling told a Sunday Mail journalist that he is the chairman of an incorporated association called "Family First Party".[5] While the Family First Party is seeking to be registered as a political party, they are not currently registered.[5] The Advertiser reported that "former Family First insiders" believed that the new party was formed with the intent of taking marginal seats from the Liberal Party in northeastern Adelaide.[4] Snelling has said that "I have had no discussions with anybody in the ALP",[4] and that he had not discussed the decision to form Family First with either party leader Peter Malinauskas or Labor's state executive.[1]

The Advertiser also wrote on 30 July 2021 that a Liberal member had said that the "fuse had been lit" for a potential breakaway party from the Liberals to be formed after the Family First Party's formation, with "some Liberals" also worrying that the party could potentially cause the Liberals to lose seats in northeastern Adelaide.[8]

On 1 August 2021, it was reported that Deepa Mathew, who ran for the Liberal Party in the seat of Enfield at the 2018 South Australian state election, had joined the Family First Party.[9] Mathew claimed that the Liberal Party was "introducing legislation that is a serious threat to the very fabric of our society and families, especially around individual's and organisations' freedom to be able to conscientious object based on your beliefs".[9] Federal Liberal MP for Boothby, Nicolle Flint, called Mathew's defection a "big loss for the Liberal Party", and that she was "deeply saddened to learn that Deepa was leaving the Liberal Party – I firmly believe if you want to change things do it from within".[9] The Advertiser wrote that Mathew was expected to run as a candidate for Family First.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g MacLennan, Leah (28 July 2021). "Former SA Labor MPs Jack Snelling and Tom Kenyon revive Family First Party". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  2. ^ Grattan, Michelle (20 June 2019). "Cory Bernardi to disband Australian Conservatives". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Penberthy, David (28 July 2021). "Ex-Labor ministers resurrect Family First in South Australia". The Australian. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Starick, Paul (28 July 2021). "Former ALP ministers Tom Kenyon and Jack Snelling's ambitions to revive Family First political party". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Starick, Paul (27 July 2021). "Former ALP ministers Jack Snelling and Tom Kenyon reviving Family First party". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b Richardson, Tom (28 July 2021). "What we know today, Wednesday July 28". InDaily. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b MacLennan, Leah (29 July 2021). "Cory Bernardi has given his blessing, but will this be a second coming for the Family First Party?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  8. ^ Starick, Paul (30 July 2021). "Conservative South Australian Liberals consider breakaway party". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d Henson, Elizabeth (1 August 2021). "Revived Family First Party recruits Liberal Party candidate Deepa Mathew". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
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