Liberal Democratic Party (Australia)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the remnant party of United Australia Party in New South Wales during the 1940s, see Liberal Democratic Party (New South Wales).

Liberal Democratic Party
National PresidentJohn Humphreys
Founded2001; 20 years ago (2001)
HeadquartersMount Waverley, Victoria, Australia
IdeologyClassical liberalism[1]
Libertarianism[2]
Minarchism[3]
International affiliationInternational Alliance of Libertarian Parties
Colours  Yellow   Blue
Victorian Legislative Council
2 / 40
Website
ldp.org.au
Part of a series on
Liberalism
in Australia
People
  • Don Chipp
  • Alfred Deakin
  • Robert Menzies
  • Malcolm Turnbull
Parties (Active)
Organisations (Defunct)
Think tanks
Related topics
  • Yellow flag waving.svg Liberalism portal
  • Flag of Australia.svg Australia portal
  • v
  • t

The Liberal Democratic Party (shortened as LDP, Liberal Democrats or Lib Dems) is an Australian political party founded in Canberra in 2001. The party espouses smaller government and supports policies that are based on classical liberal, libertarianism principles,[4] such as lower taxes, opposing restrictions on gun ownership, supporting privatising water utilities, increasing the mining and export of uranium and the relaxation of smoking laws.[5] The LDP is a registered party in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia and is also registered for federal elections with the Australian Electoral Commission. As of May 2021, it has two representatives in the Victorian Legislative Council, Tim Quilty and David Limbrick, and elected representatives in some local governments.

History[]

Formation[]

The Liberal Democratic Party was founded in 2001 as a political party registered in the Australian Capital Territory. It first contested elections in the 2001 ACT election, receiving 1 percent of the vote.[6] The party also contested the 2004 ACT election, receiving 1.3 percent of the vote.[7]

In 2006, changes to the Electoral Act by the Howard government forced all parties without parliamentary representation to deregister and re-register under stricter naming rules.[8] Advised by the Australian Electoral Commission that federal registration under the original name was uncertain given opposition by the Liberal Party of Australia, the party chose to register federally as the Liberty and Democracy Party in 2007.[9] The Liberty and Democracy Party contested 2007 federal election, winning 17,048 votes (0.14 percent) in the lower house and 16,942 votes (0.13 percent) in the upper house.

In 2008, the party successfully applied to the Australian Electoral Commission to change its federally registered name to Liberal Democratic Party.[10] During this period, the party remained registered under its original name in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).[11]

Initial Electoral Contests[]

In 2010, the party contests 2010 federal election, receiving 1.8 percent of the national senate vote[12] and an average of 1.3 percent across the 21 lower house seats it contested, with a best of 5.52 percent in Gippsland.

In 2012, the Liberal Democratic Party had its first successful election win. Jeff Pettett was elected as a Councillor to the Ku-ring-gai Council in northern metropolitan Sydney at the New South Wales local government elections, gaining 24 per cent of vote in the absence of Liberal Party candidates.[13] Clinton Mead was elected as a Councillor to the Campbelltown Council in southern metropolitan Sydney at the New South Wales local government elections

Prior to the 2012 Ramsay and Port Adelaide state by-elections in South Australia, the polls in The Advertiser newspaper gave the LDP 23 percent and 14 percent of the vote respectively in the absence of Liberal Party candidates. The LDP ended up with votes of 13.3 percent and 7.3 percent respectively. The paper described the LDP as "a hardline liberal 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".[14]

At the 2013 federal election, LDP candidate David Leyonhjelm was elected to the Senate after polling the third highest vote in the state of New South Wales after the Liberal Party of Australia and the Australian Labor Party.[15] According to Leyonhjelm, a portion of their vote probably came from their 'first position' on the long senate ballot paper and voters potentially being confused with his party and other contesting parties such as the Liberals, the Australian Democrats and the Christian Democratic Party.[16] However, Leyonhjelm points to the fact that the Liberal Democrats' vote in South Australia, where they were fifth on the ballot, rose 3 percentage points. He also points to the fact that the donkey vote generally only produces swings of +1 or 2 percentage points to the party listed first on the ballot.[17] Leyonhjelm organised preferences for several different, but closely entwined, political parties seeking election to the Senate, including the Outdoor Recreation Party, Smokers' Rights Party and the Republican Party of Australia.[18] Australian Sex Party candidate Fiona Patten alleged Leyonhjelm intentionally failed to lodge ticket voting preferences forms, reneging on a preference deal,[19] but Leyonhjelm claimed that there was a mistake entering the AEC fax number.[20] The Liberal Democrats were not involved in Glenn Druery's Minor Party Alliance during the election which assisted in negotiating preference flows between minor parties.[21] On 1 July 2014, David Leyonhjelm became the Liberal Democratic Party's first senator.

Shortly after David Leyonhjelm's Senate victory, Liberal Democrats councillor Clinton Mead was elected Mayor of the City of Campbelltown in New South Wales.[22]

In 2015, the Liberal Democrats registered with the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), and announced it would field upper-house candidates in the upcoming Victorian state election on 29 November 2014.[23] In 2016, the Liberal Party sought to challenge the name of the party with the electoral commission, but ultimately abandoned the action.[24]

David Leyonhjelm was re-elected with a 3.1 percent (−6.4) primary vote, or 139,000 votes, at the 2016 double dissolution federal election.[25] Gabriel Buckley, the LDP's lead candidate in Queensland, marginally misses out on a seat.[26]

WA elections were held 11 March 2017 where the states first LDP member, Aaron Stonehouse was elected.[22]

In May 2017, former Leader of the Opposition and political commentator Mark Latham left the Australian Labor Party and joined the LDP.[27]

In candidates 2018 Tim Quilty and David Limbrick are elected to the Victorian Legislative Council (state upper house). In the same year, Mark Latham left the party to become the leader of One Nation NSW division.[28]

In 2019, David Leyonhjelm announced that he will be quitting federal parliament in order to contest the New South Wales state election.[29] This resulted in Duncan Spender being sworn in to fill Leyonhjelm's former seat until the next Federal election.[30] David Leyonhjelm did not get elected in the 2019 New South Wales election securing only 0.46 of a seat quota.[31] Duncan Spender also lost their Senate seat in the 2019 election.

In the Victorian Local Government election of 2020 the party fielded 11 candidates state-wide. Two endorsed candidates were elected, Olga Quilty in Wodonga with a 5.83% first preference vote against 18 other candidates and Paul Barker in Torquay with a 11.67% first preference vote against 9 other candidates.

Recent Developments[]

On May 18, 2017, the Liberal Democratic Party formed a 'conservative bloc' with One Nation and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party in the Western Australia Legislative Council.[32]

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Victorian MPs Quilty and Limbrick became outspoken critics of the Victorian Parliament, the Federal Parliament, and Australia's COVID response in whole. On August 17, 2021, while the Victorian Parliament was closed due to restrictions, the two protested on the steps of Parliament in the presence of armed police.[33] The two refused to comply with a vaccine mandate for MP's, with Limbrick famously destroying his vaccination status card on live TV.[34]

In May 2021 the party founder Dr John Humphreys was re-elected to the position of National President.[35][36]

In July 2021, Campbell Newman, the former Premier of Queensland and Leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland, resigned from the LNP, stating the LNP candidate in the 2021 Stretton state by-election was "let down by a party and leadership that never stands up for anything".[37] In August 2021, he announced he had joined the LDP to run as the party's lead Senate candidate in Queensland at the 2022 Australian federal election.

On October 16, 2021, Quilty, Limbrick, and other opposition MPs were ejected from Victorian Parliament for refusing to disclose their vaccination status.[38][39] As a result, a Victorian "Parliament-in-exile" formed with the expelled members meeting in the basement of a closed-down nightclub.[40][41][42] After two weeks of exclusion, the MP's submitted their vaccination status on October 28, 2021, in order to return to parliament to oppose the legislative agenda of the main party.[43]

On November 23, 2021, the LDP announced a preference deal with the United Australia Party in the upcoming Australian elections where each party would encourage its members to choose the other as their second preference.[44]

On November 24, 2021 , an acting Senior Sergeant of the Victorian Police who resigned after speaking publicly against enforcing health orders, announced she would be running for Federal Senate with the Liberal Democrats as their second in Victoria.[45][46][47]

According to The Age, between November 2018 and November 2021, the Liberal Democratic Party's Legislative Council members voted with the Andrews Government's position 22.1% of the time, which was less than the opposition Coalition (28.9%).[48]

Policies and views[]

The LDP states that it adheres to classical liberal, small government and laissez-faire principles coupled with what the party considers as a high regard for individual freedom and individual responsibility.[49] LDP supported policies include:[50][51][52][53]

  • Ending the war on drugs - by legalisation of all drugs that are less harmful than both alcohol and tobacco (for example cannabis) and decriminalisation of all other drugs[54]
  • Opposition to censorship
  • Legalisation of assisted suicide[55]
  • Abolition of coercive psychiatry
  • Federal budgets which are neither in surplus, nor deficit, but balanced[56]
  • Ending political correctness and nanny state control (e.g. repealing the Sydney lockout laws)
  • Supporting the implementation of pill testing.[57]
  • Support of competitive federalism and political decentralisation
  • Restore to the States the power to impose income taxes and other taxes currently reserved to the Commonwealth[58]
  • Cease all Commonwealth involvement in health and education[58]
  • Extensive reduction of taxes and fines, industrial relations regulations and government spending including welfare, health and the military, replacing most with a compulsory superannuation payment to fund social services and compulsory insurance cover for those whose balance does not meet a mandated minimum[59]
  • Support for commercial off-the-shelf and military off-the-shelf defense acquisitions where possible[60]
  • Support of extensive privatisation and deregulation: end government ownership of business enterprises including the ABC, SBS, Australia Post, government owned public schools, government owned public hospitals, electricity generation and public transport services
  • Deregulate industry to the greatest extent possible to build its international competitiveness
  • Support of a 20% flat rate income tax with a $40,000 tax free threshold[61]
  • Support of extensive free markets and free trade[62]
  • Support of the most efficient and effective electricity generation, with no options off the table[63]
  • Support of market over government responses to climate change
  • Opposition to industry subsidies including corporate welfare
  • Support of citizen-initiated referenda, fixed parliamentary terms, recall elections and voluntary voting[64]
  • Support the relaxation of foreign investment requirements and removal of restrictions against foreign ownership
  • Call for reform to the anti-dumping legislation
  • Opening up and removing the locking up of our state forests and national parks and proper management and conservation to prevent bushfires
  • Support for increasing barriers for immigrants to acquire Australian citizenship
  • Support for Pacific Solution of regional processing of asylum seekers in Nauru and Papua New Guinea[65]
  • Maximisation of freedom of travel administered by a general immigration tariff on all non-humanitarian immigrants from other nations to replace the existing quota system[66]
  • Support of free migration agreements with more nations such as the current Australia/New Zealand agreement
  • Unauthorised arrivals temporarily detained for health and security checks, transparent process for determining refugee status, community release under bail-like conditions while status is determined
  • Removal of sin taxes (including for alcohol and tobacco)[61]
  • Marriage privatisation or getting the government out of the marriage business[67]
  • Equality before the law, including opposition to affirmative action[68]
  • Support of property owners' rights
  • Support of motocross, cycling, fishing, bushwalking, hunting, logging, 4WD and shooting rights
  • Repeal of all mandatory helmet laws for cyclists.[69]
  • Support for acknowledging the contribution of Christianity to liberal democratic values[70]
  • Opposition to government-mandated food labelling for religious purposes[70]
  • Opposition to the introduction of laws for individual groups such as Sharia law or Aboriginal law[70]
  • Decriminalise the means to self defence (including pepper spray, tasers and firearms under some circumstances)[71][72]
  • Opposition to government-funded foreign aid, other than short-term humanitarian relief, in favour of private charity[73]

Election results[]

Federal parliament[]

Senate
Election year No. of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		No. of
overall seats won 		No. of
overall seats 		+/–
2007 16,942 0.13
0 / 40
0 / 76
 —
2010 230,191 1.81
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady 0
2013 523,831 3.91
1 / 40
1 / 76
 Increase 1
2016 298,915 2.16
1 / 76
1 / 76
 Steady 0
2019 169,735 1.16
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Decrease 1

State parliament[]

New South Wales[]

Legislative Council
Election year No. of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		No. of
overall seats 		+/–
2019 109,777 3.24
0 / 42
 —

South Australia[]

Legislative Council
Election year No. of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		No. of
overall seats 		+/–
2018 25,956 2.47
0 / 22
 —

Victoria[]

Legislative Council
Election year No. of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		No. of
overall seats 		+/–
2018 89,428 2.50
2 / 40
 Increase 2

Western Australia[]

Legislative Council
Election year No. of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		No. of
overall seats 		+/–
2017 23,848 1.77
1 / 36
 Increase 1
2021 9,218 0.64
0 / 36
 Decrease 1

Political representatives[]

Current members of parliament[]

Victoria

Past members of parliament[]

Australia
Western Australia

Donors[]

A 2019 report has found that the Liberal Democratic Party has received political donations of over $37,000 from pro-gun groups during the 2011-2018 period.[74]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Bertram, Dean (21 September 2013). "In praise of Australia's Liberal Democrats". The Spectator.
  2. ^ "Libertarianism gets a loudspeaker in David Leyonhjelm". Australian Financial Review. 26 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Federal election 2016: Labor deal splits conservatives". The Australian. 23 June 2016.
  4. ^ "LDP philosophy". Ldp.org.au. Archived from the original on 20 November 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  5. ^ Carey, Adam (11 December 2018). "Party in the upper house: Who's who on new Victorian crossbench". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  6. ^ "2001 Election - First Preference Results". ACT Electoral Commission. 8 March 2005. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
  7. ^ "2004 Election - First Preference Results". ACT Electoral Commission. 1 February 2005. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
  8. ^ Stephen, Mayne (29 June 2006). "Minor parties deregistered by Howard electoral law changes". Crikey. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  9. ^ Davis, Mark; Jensen, Erik (12 November 2007). "Lots of trash 'n' treasure in micro-party bazaar". The Sydney Morning Herald (First ed.). p. 18. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  10. ^ Mitchell, Alex (10 February 2009). "Tax-hating gun-lovers register political party". Crikey. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  11. ^ "Register of political parties". ACT Electoral Commission. 15 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
  12. ^ "First Preferences by Party". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  13. ^ Bauche, David (12 September 2012). "Malicki dominates the vote for her sixth term". Hornsby Advocate. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  14. ^ Wills, Daniel (20 January 2012). "Female voters save Labor's seat". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  15. ^ Damien Murphy (9 September 2013). "Detours ahead as minor parties claim Senate balance". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  16. ^ "NSW sends pro-gun Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm to Senate". Abc.net.au. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  17. ^ "Liberals don't live up to their name, unlike the LDP". The Australian. 1 October 2013.
  18. ^ Crook, Andrew (22 August 2013). "Revealed: the libertarian Right's micro-party links". crikey.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  19. ^ Dunckley, Mathew (16 September 2013). "Faulty fax machine blamed in Sex Party spat over Senate seat". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  20. ^ Swan, Jonathan (16 September 2013). "Sex Party points finger at minor rival over preference form bungle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  21. ^ Dylan Welch (1 April 2014). "Senate voting inquiry prompted by Glenn Druery's election tactics could put end to preference trading" – ABC.net.au. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  22. ^ a b "New Mayors for Campbelltown and Camden".
  23. ^ Rose, Danny (5 November 2014). "Lib Dems to stand candidates for Vic poll". The Australian. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  24. ^ "Leyonhjelm wins 'Liberal' tag battle". Yahoo. 13 March 2016. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  25. ^ "Senate Results - Australia Votes - Federal Election 2016". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  26. ^ "One Nation claims four Senate seats". www.townsvillebulletin.com.au. 4 August 2016.
  27. ^ "Mark Latham joins Liberal Democrats and sparks speculation of return to politics". The Guardian. 8 May 2017.
  28. ^ "Mark Latham joins One Nation as NSW leader".
  29. ^ Cockburn, Paige (7 January 2019). "David Leyonhjelm to quit federal politics and contest NSW election". ABC News. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  30. ^ "New senator vows to make short week count". Manning River Times. 1 April 2019.
  31. ^ Stewart, Selby; Coleman, Oscar (15 April 2019). "Leyonhjelm fails in NSW Upper House bid, Animal Justice Party claims seat". ABC News. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  32. ^ "Powerful conservative bloc pledge to work with government in WA Upper House". ABC News. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  33. ^ 2-man protest by LibDems MPs outside the Victorian Parliament, retrieved 23 November 2021
  34. ^ Limbrick cuts up vaccination card - LibDems stand against medical apartheid, retrieved 23 November 2021
  35. ^ "Australia's Right-Wing Libertarians Are Trying to Capitalize on Anti-Lockdown Sentiment".
  36. ^ "2021 Liberal Democrats AGM". 24 May 2021.
  37. ^ "Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps". Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  38. ^ MPs kicked out of Parliament over vax status privacy! - Tim Quilty's speech, retrieved 23 November 2021
  39. ^ MPs kicked out of Parliament over vax status privacy! - David Limbrick's speech, retrieved 23 November 2021
  40. ^ "Media". Tim Quilty MP. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  41. ^ Parliament in Exile - Suspended members of Vic Parliament continue working in exile, retrieved 23 November 2021
  42. ^ Times, The Rio (4 November 2021). "Covid-19: Australian MPs get banned from parliament, share a warning to the world of abuses". The Rio Times. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  43. ^ "We've listened, we're going back in to fight" - Exiled MPs return to Parliament, retrieved 23 November 2021
  44. ^ LibDems-UAP preference deal announced, retrieved 23 November 2021
  45. ^ EXCLUSIVE: Ethical Policing in Victoria, retrieved 25 November 2021
  46. ^ https://www.northernbeachesreview.com.au/story/7462881/vic-cop-quits-over-enforcing-health-orders/<ref>
  47. ^ @LibDemAus (25 November 2021). "Krystle Mitchell is our #2 candidate for Victoria in the Senate. Catch her interview with @discernableco here:" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  48. ^ Sakkal, Paul (26 November 2021). "'Is this what compliant looks like?': Victoria's crossbench conflict". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  49. ^ "Principles". Liberal Democratic Party. Archived from the original on 18 July 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  50. ^ "Policies". Liberal Democratic Party. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  51. ^ Kroehn, Chantelle; Adam Todd (14 November 2007). "'Local' candidates are anything but". Guardian Messenger (1 - FIRST ed.). p. 4.
  52. ^ "Policies". Liberal Democratic Party. Archived from the original on 5 August 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  53. ^ Bicknell, Graham (23 November 2007). "Soccer should be banned says LDP". Geelong Advertiser (1 - ed.). p. 2.
  54. ^ "Drug Reform". Liberal Democratic Party. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  55. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  56. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  57. ^ "Refusal to test pills 'stupid': Leyonhjelm". SBS News.
  58. ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  59. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  60. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  61. ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  62. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  63. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  64. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  65. ^ "David Leyonhjelm voted moderately for regional processing of asylum seekers".
  66. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  67. ^ "Lifestyle Choices".
  68. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  69. ^ Leyonhjelm, Former Senator David (23 August 2018). "Compulsory helmet laws are discriminatory". Medium.
  70. ^ a b c "Religion". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  71. ^ "Lindt cafe hostages, like the rest of us, denied the practical right to self-defence". Smh.com.au. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  72. ^ "Legal to carry ___ for self-defense?". Forums.whirlpool.net.au. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  73. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  74. ^ Knowles, Lorna (27 March 2019). "Gun lobby's 'concerted and secretive' bid to undermine Australian laws". ABC News. Retrieved 15 July 2019.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""