Liberal Democratic Party (Australia)

For the United Australia Party offshoot active during the 1940s, see Liberal Democratic Party (New South Wales).
Liberal Democratic Party
National President Gabriel Buckley
National Treasurer David Leyonhjelm
Founded 2001
Headquarters Dickson, Australian Capital Territory
Membership 5000 Members
Ideology Classical liberalism
Libertarianism[1]
International affiliation Interlibertarians
Colours      Yellow and
     Blue
House of Representatives
0 / 150
Senate
1 / 76
Website
ldp.org.au

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP or Liberal Democrats) is an Australian political party founded in Canberra in 2001. The party's policies are broadly based on classical liberal and libertarian principles.[2] The LDP is a registered party in the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, and Victoria, and is also registered for federal elections with the Australian Electoral Commission. It had one senator, David Leyonhjelm, elected to parliament at the 2013 federal election, and also has four representatives at local government level (one councillor in Victoria, two councillors in New South Wales and one in South Australia).

Party name

Founded as the Liberal Democratic Party in 2001, changes to the Electoral Act by the Howard government forced all parties without parliamentary representation to deregister, and re-register under stricter naming rules.[3] Advised by the Australian Electoral Commission that federal registration under the original name was uncertain given opposition by the Liberal Party of Australia, and lacking the funding to appeal a likely negative finding, in 2007 the party chose to register federally as the Liberty and Democracy Party.[4] However, in 2008 the party successfully applied to the Australian Electoral Commission to change its federally registered name to Liberal Democratic Party.[5] During this period, the party remained registered under its original name in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).[6] In 2016 the Liberal Party again sought to challenge the name but ultimately abandoned the action. [7]

Philosophy

The LDP states it adheres to libertarian, classical liberal, small government and laissez-faire principles coupled with what the party considers as a high regard for individual freedom and individual responsibility.[8]

Policies

LDP policies include the following:[9][10][11][12]

History

Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm

Emergence

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 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."[40]

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.[41] 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.[42] 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.[43]

Leyonhjelm organised preferences for several different, but closely entwined, political parties seeking election in the Senate, including the Outdoor Recreation Party, Smoker's Rights Party, and the Republican Party of Australia.[44] Australian Sex Party candidate Fiona Patten alleged Leyonhjelm intentionally failed to lodge ticket voting preferences forms, reneging on a preference deal,[45] but Leyonhjelm claimed that there was a mistake entering the AEC fax number.[46] 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.[47]

Shortly after David Leyonhjelm's Senate victory, Liberal Democrats councillor Clinton Mead was elected Mayor of the City of Campbelltown in New South Wales.[48]

On 1 July 2014, David Leyonhjelm became the Liberal Democratic Party's first senator.

See also

References

  1. Bertram, Dean (2013, September 21); "In praise of Australia's Liberal Democrats"; The Spectator.
  2. "LDP philosophy". Ldp.org.au. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
  3. Stephen, Mayne (29 June 2006). "Minor parties deregistered by Howard electoral law changes". Crikey. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  4. Davis, Mark; Jensen, Erik (2007-11-12). "Lots of trash 'n' treasure in micro-party bazaar". The Sydney Morning Herald (First ed.). p. 18. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  5. Mitchell, Alex (2009-02-10). "Tax-hating gun-lovers register political party". Crikey. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  6. "Register of political parties". ACT Electoral Commission. 2007-10-15. Archived from the original on 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  7. "Leyonhjelm wins 'Liberal' tag battle". Yahoo. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  8. "Principles". Liberal Democratic Party. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  9. "Policies". Liberal Democratic Party. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
  10. Kroehn, Chantelle; Adam Todd (2007-11-14). "`Local' candidates are anything but". Guardian Messenger (1 - FIRST ed.). p. 4.
  11. "Policies". Liberal Democratic Party. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  12. Bicknell, Graham (2007-11-23). "Soccer should be banned says LDP". Geelong Advertiser (1 - ed.). p. 2.
  13. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1266-budget
  14. 1 2 http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1144-competitive-federalism
  15. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1167-welfare
  16. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1218-policy-on-defence
  17. 1 2 http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1164-taxation
  18. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1153-free-trade
  19. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1147-energy
  20. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1145-democracy
  21. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1156-immigration
  22. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1274-equality-before-the-law
  23. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1268-cannabis
  24. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1142-assisted-suicide
  25. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/lindt-cafe-hostages-like-the-rest-of-us-denied-the-practical-right-to-selfdefence-20141218-129q4r.html
  26. http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1440435
  27. http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1265-foreign-aid
  28. "2001 Election - First Preference Results". ACT Electoral Commission. 2005-03-08. Archived from the original on 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  29. "2004 Election - First Preference Results". ACT Electoral Commission. 2005-02-01. Archived from the original on 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  30. "Party Registration decision: Liberty and Democracy Party". Australian Electoral Commission. 2007-10-03. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  31. "Party appealing to discontented masses". Hills Shire Times (1 - ed.). 2008-04-15. p. 3.
  32. "The Australian Electoral Commission Website". Australian Electoral Commission. 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  33. "First Preferences by Party". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  34. Bauche, David (12 September 2012). "Malicki dominates the vote for her sixth term". Hornsby Advocate. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  35. Detours ahead as minor parties claim Senate balance - SMH
  36. Aston, Heath (2 October 2013). "The $1m mistake: senator's poll windfall". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  37. Heath Aston (1 June 2014). "Senate's odd couple quickly form a voting blocThe Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  38. Rose, Danny (5 November 2014). "Lib Dems to stand candidates for Vic poll". The Australian. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  39. 2015 Canning by-election VTR: AEC
  40. Wills, Daniel (20 January 2012). "Female voters save Labor's seat". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  41. Damien Murphy (2013-09-09). "Detours ahead as minor parties claim Senate balance". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
  42. "NSW sends pro-gun Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm to Senate". Abc.net.au. 2013-09-09. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
  43. "Liberals don't live up to their name, unlike the LDP". The Australian. 1 October 2013.
  44. Crook, Andrew (22 August 2013). "Revealed: the libertarian Right’s micro-party links". crikey.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  45. Dunckley, Mathew (16 September 2013). "Faulty fax machine blamed in Sex Party spat over Senate seat". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  46. Swan, Jonathan (16 September 2013). "Sex Party points finger at minor rival over preference form bungle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  47. 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.
  48. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/macarthur/clinton-mead-named-campbelltown-mayor-and-camden-mayor-lara-symkowiak-returned/story-fngr8h70-1226716711785

External links

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