Earlier in May I wrote a blog post and an article at New Matilda about the surge in parties registering for the upcoming federal election, including speculation about a large number of parties trying to register for the election at the last minute.
The Australian Electoral Commission website has now posted a lengthy list of party applications that have proceeded to the stage of being placed on exhibition for any objections. These parties are:
- Australian Sovereignty Party
- Australian Voice Party
- Drug Law Reform Australia
- Future Party
- Outdoor Recreation Party (Stop the Greens)
- Palmer United Party
- The 23 Million
- Uniting Australia Party
- Wikileaks Party
- Voluntary Euthanasia Party
- Nick Xenophon Group
Since we last discussed this matter, Bullet Train for Australia became the 36th party registered for the upcoming election, which the Uniting Australia Party’s application has been updated with objections from Clive Palmer and his new party.
It’s not yet clear if this means other parties have failed to reach this stage of the application process, or if more will apply. It’s also possible, but unlikely, that some of these parties won’t be able to finish their application process in time for the election.
If all eleven of these parties register, there will be 46 separate political parties registered for the 2013 election, easily breaking the previous record of 40 at the 1998 election.
The increase in the number of parties is a reflection of the dissafection that the electorate has with Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber.
The problem ios taht nearly everyone of these new groups are top down controlled rathr than being branch based.
THe nmajority of them would be flat out filling a Church Hall for any function that their leadership orgnised.
Andrew Jackson
apjackson@hotkey.net.au
Parties need some link to a social movement to establish a sustainable presence. One Nation illustrates the limits of tapping widespread social unease and dissatisfaction – it had no institutional basis or a coherent ideological response to hold it together.
The small parties that continue to present themselves and gain occasional representation such as the DLP and the CDP/Family first in its various manifestations are able to draw on ideological traditions and infrastructure of some of the churches.
One can confidently predict that most of these parties will only gain minimal support and are unlikely to have a long life
Andrew Jackson
If it is a reflection, it is a weak one. If people actually vote for them in meaningful numbers, that will be an expression of dissatisfaction with the major parties. Is there anything to suggest that 1990 and 1998 were periods of particular dissatisfaction with the main parties? If not, there is nothing to support your assertion.
Notices are posted on Wednesdays and there is another batch of 4 new applications advertised today.
– Australian Independents (Patricia’s party)
– Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party
– Australian Sports Party (platform appears to be focused on promotion of grassroots participation in sports and healthy lifestyles)
– Republican Party of Australia (appears to be a reincarnation of the party of the same name which was registered prior to the 2006 Howard govt culling of micro parties)
Jeez 4 more parties these have to be the last ones. This would take us to 51 parties.
PUP (or whatever it is called) will be lucky to get 2.5% of the vote. And by lucky I mean they draw top spot on the ballot to get the benefit of the donkey vote.
Sorry meant to post this in Grayndler comments.
I don’t think that’s all. The AEC performs all the other tests, such as contacting a random sample of members to verify membership, before they advertise them. If you look at the dates on some of the previous decisions it can take several weeks between the applications being lodged and when they get to the advertising stage. I think there will probably be a few more in the next couple of weeks. Some of those that were listed in Ben’s earlier post have claimed to have submitted their applications but they haven’t appeared in the list of advertised applications yet.
Wow okay we have some new parties who just showed up recently. They include the coke in the bubblers party? the smokers rights party, and the stop CSG party. So if I am correct that 54 parties right there.
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