Blatantly Partisan Party Reviews: My Cheat Sheet to the Parties
There are a lot of parties contesting the federal election on Saturday. Besides the ALP, Greens, and the Coalition parties, there are 49 parties that are registered and have fielded candidates at least somewhere in Australia. I’ve reviewed all of those 49.
Now, here is my cheat sheet. I write from a green social democratic perspective, and readers of my blog will have noticed that at the end of each entry I give a loose recommendation of what sort of preference I would give to that party. I will not post my precise preferences—in no small part because I have not finalised them!—but here are all the parties listed in order of preferential category. If you have an even halfway similar political perspective to me, this might be useful.
One quick note before I get started on the list: not all parties are running everywhere. I have indicated in brackets after the party name which states and territories the party in question has fielded Senate candidates. They might also have candidates in some seats for the House of Representatives; check your local electorate. If a party has candidates in a House of Representatives seat but no candidates for that state’s Senate seats, I have named the electorate, with the state in square brackets thereafter.
The list includes links to my reviews of each party if you want to know more about them and why I made the judgement that I did.
Good preference (parties whose platforms are positive, with no or few serious problems):
Australian Progressives (Bean [ACT], Canberra [ACT], Fenner [ACT], Longman [QLD], Sturt [SA])
Australian Workers Party (NSW, QLD, VIC)
Child Protection Party (Sturt [SA])
Independents for Climate Action Now (NSW, QLD, VIC)
Pirate Party (NSW, QLD, VIC, WA)
Socialist Alliance (NSW, WA, Brisbane [QLD], Lilley [QLD])
The Australian Mental Health Party (QLD, WA)
The Together Party (NSW)
Victorian Socialists (Cooper, Calwell, Wills [all VIC])
Decent preference (parties whose platforms are positive, but with some reservations):
Help End Marijuana Prohibition (all states, NT)
Reason Australia (Cooper, Melbourne, Menzies [all VIC])
Science Party (NSW, Mallee [VIC], Perth [WA])
Middling to decent preference (not a bad party but significant flaws in policy):
Secular Party (VIC)
The Women’s Party (NSW)
Middling preference (platform is either a mixture of positives and negatives, or a decent platform undermined with a notably terrible policy or party characteristic):
Animal Justice Party (all states)*
Australian Affordable Housing Party (NSW)
Australian Democrats (NSW, SA, VIC)
Centre Alliance (SA)
Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party (VIC)
Socialist Equality Party (NSW, VIC, Oxley [QLD])
*If you are vegan or vegetarian, you will likely locate the Animal Justice Party somewhere around decent and good.
Weak to middling preference (problematic, but better than what comes below):
Jacqui Lambie Network (TAS)
Sustainable Australia (all states, ACT)*
*In my review of Sustainable Australia I suggested “weak or no preference” but I am now of the view that “weak to middling” is more appropriate.
Weak or no preference (in the House, you must number every square; put these parties as low as you can. In the Senate, you can cease preferencing if you wish—I would suggest numbering as many as you can, to indicate which you view as the lesser of the many evils, but I also understand if you give no preference at all):
Australia First (Lalor ]VIC], Lindsay [NSW], Longman [QLD], Swan [WA])
Australian Better Families (NSW, QLD, TAS)
Australian Christians (WA)
Australian Conservatives (all states)
Australian People’s Party (NSW)
Christian Democratic Party (ACT, NSW, VIC)
Citizens Electoral Council (all states, NT)
Climate Action! Immigration Action! Accountable Politicians! (NSW, QLD, VIC)
Democratic Labour Party aka Labour DLP (NSW, QLD, VIC)
Fraser Anning’s Conservative National Party (all states and territories)
Health Australia (NSW, VIC, WA)
Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party (NSW, QLD, WA)
Katter’s Australian Party (QLD)
Liberal Democratic Party (all six states, Bean [ACT])
Love Australia or Leave (NSW, QLD, TAS)
Non-Custodial Parents Party (Cunningham [NSW])
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (all states)
Republican Party of Australia (VIC)
Rise Up Australia Party (NSW, NT, QLD, VIC, Boothby [SA])
Seniors United (NSW)
Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers (all states)
The Great Australian Party (NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, WA, Bean [ACT])
The Small Business Party (NSW, VIC)
United Australia Party (all states and territories
Voteflux.org | Upgrade Democracy! (NSW, VIC, WA)
Western Australia Party (WA)
Yellow Vest Australia (VIC, WA)
