Sustainable Australia

This article is about the political party. For the similarly named community group, see Sustainable Population Australia.
#Sustainable Australia
Leader William Bourke
President William Bourke[1]
Founder William Bourke[1]
Founded 2010
Headquarters Sydney[2]
Website
www.votesustainable.org.au
Politics of Australia
Political parties
Elections

#Sustainable Australia, formerly the Sustainable Population Party and Stable Population Party of Australia, is a minor Australian political party formed in 2010.[2] It opposes population growth and advocates a sustainable population for Australia, citing environmental and economic concerns.[3] It was registered in 2010 to give all Australians a choice on population.[4]

The party ran at least two Senate candidates in every state and territory in the 2013 Australian federal election and many local candidates also.[5] The Sustainable Population Party ran a candidate in the Griffith by-election[3] and also contested the April 2014 re-run in Western Australia of the 2013 federal Senate elections.[5] The party endorsed a local candidate for the 2015 Canning by-election—Angela Smith—an environmental scientist and resident of Canning. In September 2015 the party campaigned on a number of key issues including education, paid jobs, infrastructure, health care, renewable energy and housing affordability.

Opposition to a "big Australia"

The Sustainable Population Party opposed Kevin Rudd's belief in a big Australia, saying that a "big Australia" population would be "disastrous",[6] is "way beyond [Australia's] long-term carrying capacity"[6] and that "population growth is not inevitable".[6] Queensland coordinator Aaron Webber "became alarmed when hearing of Kevin Rudd's push for a 'Big Australia'".[7] The party claims that "'stable population' policies would mean a more sustainable 26 million at 2050, not the Labor/Liberal 'big Australia' plan for 36 million and rising."[4] The party ran a candidate in the Griffith by-election, for Kevin Rudd's old seat.[3]

History

The Sustainable Population Party missed out on registration for the 2010 federal election by several days, but leader William Bourke ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in New South Wales on an independent ticket with poet Mark O'Connor. The party was registered shortly after the election on 23 September 2010.[2][8] The party was registered as "Stable Population Party of Australia", but on 28 February 2014 the Australian Electoral Commission approved a name-change to the "Sustainable Population Party".[2] On 19 January 2016, the AEC approved a further name change to "#Sustainable Australia" (including a hashtag symbol).[9]

In the North Sydney by-election, 2015 its candidate and founder William Bourke got one of the party's best results with over 2,000 votes. [10] [11]

The party has been involved in Glenn Druery's Minor Party Alliance.[12][13]

Electoral results

Federal parliament

House of Representatives
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Government
2013 3,954 0.03 (#21)
0 / 150
 Steady 0
Senate
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 # of
overall seats		 +/– Notes
2013 12,671 0.09(#30)
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Increase
by-elections
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Government
Griffith by-election, 2014 666 0.86 (#7/11)
0 / 150
 Steady 0
Canning by-election, 2015 513 0.61 (#11/12)
0 / 150
 Steady 0
North Sydney by-election, 2015 2,032 3.0% (#5/13)
0 / 150
 Steady 0

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Bourke, William. "About Us - Founder & President". Australian Stable Population Party. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Extract from the Register of Political Parties for #Sustainable Population Party". Australian Electoral Commission website: Funding, Disclosure and Political Parties. Australian Electoral Commission. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "2014 Griffith by-election". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  4. 1 2 "POPULATION - THE EVERYTHING ISSUE". Flyer Distribution. 20 January 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Population Party - Candidates". Australian Stable Population Party. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 "Issue Background". Australian Stable Population Party. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "Officials". Australian Stable Population Party. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  8. ↑ http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Registered_parties/stable-population.htm
  9. ↑ "#Sustainable Australia". Current Register of Political Parties. AEC. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  10. ↑ http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-19402-137.htm
  11. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/north-sydney-by-election-2015/results/
  12. ↑ Bitter dispute erupts over Senate preferences in Queensland: ABC 5 September 2013
  13. ↑ Alliance of micro parties boosts odds for likes of One Nation or Shooters and Fishers gaining Senate spot through preferences: Daily Telegraph 5 September 2013

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.