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Alright folks, it's time for my thread on micro-parties contesting #AusVotes2019. First: I cannot do all parties at once because there are SO MANY. I will update this thread in batches. Second: these tweets are pithy takes from my election blog: axvoter.tumblr.com 1/?
Usual disclaimer: I have never been a member of a political party. I write these comments to guide my #auspol vote. I share them in the hope they are useful to others. They reflect my green social democrat views; I make no claim to false objectivity. Take them how you will. 2/
One last thing before I get into the individual parties: I am not commenting on the ALP, Greens, or the Coalition parties. I figure if this thread appeals to you, you already have an opinion on those parties (also, spare me their diehards; I expect enough flak already). 3/
Sustainable Australia: they come first alphabetically on the AEC register because their official name still has a hello-fellow-kids hashtag at the start. This party's policies are anti-immigration and NIMBY anti-development posing as environmental concerns. Avoid. 4/
Animal Justice Party: if you are a vegan/vegetarian you'll like this party's policies; if you like eating meat, as I do, you will be less enthused. So, mileage may vary based on dietary attitudes. Animal welfare policies are obviously strong but can go too far re: med testing. 5/
Australia First Party: absolute white supremacist Nazi scum, the literal worst party registered at present. Fortunately these colossal fuckstains are running in four lower house seats only. If you vote in Lalor, Lindsay, Longman, or Swan, put this party LAST. Fuck this party. 6/
Australian Affordable Housing Party: yeah, I'm a Millennial, I'm with any party focused on affordable housing. But their immigration policy is a bit suss, no matter how much they claim support for diversity. Why even raise the question! So, I'm less keen than I could be. 7/
Australian Better Families: a well-dressed version of the deadbeat dad parties that rage about family courts. They use Men's Rights Activist tropes, encourage men to not consent to domestic violence orders, claim women use the legal system to drive men to self-harm, etc. 8/
Australian Christians: good news—they've contracted to just WA! Some of these fundamentalist parties are weakening. Policies are based in conceit that since a bare majority on censuses profess some form of Christianity, an exclusionary reading of the Bible should guide policy. 9/
Australian Conservatives: oh look it's Cory Bernardi's party. His senate term runs to 2022 but Lyle "#eatshitlyle" Shelton is lead candidate in QLD! Hard to figure out what they want to "conserve"; they just don't like people disagreeing with them or living other lifestyles. 10/
Australian Democrats: they've re-registered! Policies are a muddle that confuse cherry-picking ideas from left and right as "centrism". Lots of both-sides bullshit, and good stuff nestled with weird stuff like claims that ALL Australians are migrants inc Aboriginal peoples! 11/
Australian People's Party: no idea what's going on here. Their website lists candidates in almost every state but they are only on the ballot in NSW (for Senate). Militant anti-immigrant policies & nativist bullshit, e.g. only Australian-born people would get free education! 12/
Permit me a little laugh here: the Australian People's Party website states that any migrant, even one that has taken up Australian citizenship, will be deported without review if convicted of "criminal crimes". Yes, criminal crimes. Lunatic policy but thanks for the chuckle. 13/
Australian Progressives: slick website, if some hokey wording. They're generally interested in the hot button issues that concern much of the left, plus the more socially-liberal, climate-concerned folks on the centre-right. Avowed socialists will see it as a bit wishy-washy! 14/
Australian Workers Party: if you're into a Job Guarantee, full employment, Modern Monetary Theory, etc., here's the party for you. If you favour Universal Basic Income, go elsewhere. I have caveats/disagreements but this is better than a lot of other micro-party bullshit. 15/
Centre Alliance: Nick Xenophon's old party, rebranded after his awkward political exit. Only running in SA. They make "common sense" and notions of centrism do a lot of work. Very parochial pro-SA rhetoric; their platform is otherwise articulated in mostly bland, mild terms. 16/
Child Protection Party: running in just one SA seat, Sturt, and colour me surprised—this isn't a deadbeat dad party with a misleading name, but actual social workers with thoughtfully considered ideas to improve child welfare. Single-issue party but appears to lean left. 17/
Christian Democratic Party: Fred Nile's group of fucknozzles. His wife, lead NSW Senate candidate, has slogan "give us back our country!" They're labouring under delusion that far-right Christians should control Australia and the rest of us have "a lack of good character". 18/
Citizens Electoral Council: I'm disappointed. The great conspiracy theorists of Australian politics have tidied up their website so that they don't appear as nutty as they are. But trust me, these LaRouche worshippers are off the charts kooky. Put them as low as possible. 19/
Climate Action! Immigration Action! Accountable Politicians!: yes, real name. Also one of the most misleading. This is the Online Direct Democracy party, explicitly rebranded to lure people in with buzzwords. Their website is still under the old name! Their policy... 20/
...is to elect senators without policy, who will vote on bills according to the outcome of polls on an app. No, really. This techbro thought bubble is actually even more stupid than it sounds. I wrote a brief takedown of this garbage in 2016: axvoter.tumblr.com/post/146399011… 21/
I'm going to pause here. Lots more parties to go—outside of the majors, there are 49 on ballots nationwide. Longer reviews at axvoter.tumblr.com and if you want further reading check out thread below. #Ausvotes2019 #AusVotes, #AusVotes19, #auspol 22/
Right, let's go with a second batch of takes on the micro-parties contesting #AusVotes2019. Longer reviews are going up on my #auspol election blog at axvoter.tumblr.com and it seems doing all this research is turning my Google suggestions to shit 23/
Democratic Labour Party (on some ballots as Labour DLP): a right-wing, socially conservative Catholic party. Their interest in workers' rights stems from the 1950s split within the ALP but the party is pretty divorced from its labourist roots now. 24/
Derryn Hinch's Justice Party: more like the Retribution Party. Hinch has some good policies, e.g. to legalise euthanasia and stop animal cruelty. But his kneejerk approach to criminal justice ignores research from specialists in the field and will not make communities safer. 25/
Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party: absolute white supremacist filth for whom there are not sufficient expletives. This party can fuck off until it can fuck off no more, and then go jump in a lake. Potentially the most vile option on the ballot in a crowded field. 26/
Health Australia Party: anti-vaxxers who spend an awful amount of time trying to claim they are not anti-vaxxers. Also love a Big Pharma conspiracy theory. Joke of a party who want the government to subsidise their snake oil. 27/
Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party: this party does not just want to legalise weed, but has amazing optimism about all the potential uses for cannabis. Harmless party, if less sophisticated than the now-deregistered Drug Law Reform Party. #420blazeit 28/
Independents for Climate Action Now: this party is alarmed by the climate emergency we face and espouses mostly good policies (I have reservations on their immigration policies). Give higher preferences to parties with good climate policy *and* good policies on other issues. 29/
Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party: if Health Australia try to disguise being anti-vax, this party sure does not! Conspiracy theorist cranks who are a danger to public health. Do not give them the time of day. 30/
Jacqui Lambie Network: Lambie is trying to get back into the Senate with her usual "Tasmania first" appeals, having been ejected in the section 44 fiasco. Populist policies, but honestly a bit of an improvement on her past stuff, and better than the overtly racist parties. 31/
Katter's Australian Party: every three months another meme is started by Bob in his big hat. He's a climate sceptic and hostile to the LGBTI community. Sometimes takes a decent stand on economic policies, e.g. opposition to privatisation, but I'm straining here. 32/
Liberal Democratic Party: well at least Leyonhjelm is gone? And in his departure said some savage things about the people remaining in this right-libertarian party of nutbags. If they're too shithouse even for Leyonhjelm, you shouldn't touch them with a 50-foot barge pole. 33/
Love Australia or Leave: no, really, there is a party actually called this. They're running for the Senate above the line in Queensland and only below the line in NSW and Tasmania. Vile racists. Get absolutely fucked. 34/
Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting): running in just one electorate—Cunningham, which happens to be *my* electorate in Wollongong. This is basically the Deadbeat Dad Party, angry with the Family Courts. I'm putting their candidate last on my lower house ballot. 35/
One Nation: Pauline Hanson's senate term runs to 2022 so the lead Senate candidate in QLD, where ON has the best chance at a seat, is Malcolm Roberts. Yes, the loopy climate denier with ties to the sovereign citizen movement. Also, enjoy thread below. 36/
Pirate Party Australia: I think a lot of people don't look past the goofy name. This is a group of civil and digital libertarians. Detailed policy, generally positive, but many of you will find one or two caveats. Used to support UBI but have come over to Job Guarantee. 37/
Reason Australia: this is the Sex Party rebadged. Only running in 3 VIC lower house seats, no Senate—a bit odd. Candidates espouse concern for environment, drug law reform, women's rights. Still ties to adult industry employers, not workers, so my prior reservations remain. 38/
Republican Party of Australia: in 2013 tried to funnel preferences to far-right micro-parties. *NOT* linked to the non-partisan peak body Australian Republic Movement, which as best as I can tell wants to ghost this party. You should too, no matter how pro-republic you are. 39/
Rise Up Australia Party: as far as the Christian far-right parties go, this one is the worst of the lot. Islamophobic, anti-LGBTI, and prone to hugely offensive claims, e.g. party leader Danny Nalliah called Black Saturday bushfires divine punishment for VIC abortion laws. 40/
Science Party: lots of good futurist ambition; also a bit too techbro-thought-bubble at times. Their interest in education extends only to supporting STEM; they evince little appreciation for arts/humanities, which numerous social media/tech controversies show is much-needed! 41/
Secular Party: group of secular humanists who want to reduce religion's influence on public life. Immigration policy more guarded than in past but they are still worried refugees are extremists—even though many seek the freedom of/from worship that this party also wants! 42/
Seniors United: self-absorbed party with suspicion of change; a professed concern for "those coming after us" is put in the shade by their panic about, sigh, franking credits. They are anti-immigrant, too; the party seeks a "breather" from migrants! Avoid. 43/
Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers: I never had time for this party, and I am even more shirty about those who would water down gun laws in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attack. Also: pro-coal, anti-environment, and rants about "vegan terrorism". Go away. 44/
Socialist Alliance: proper eco-socialists concerned with workers' solidarity and hostile to the interests of capital. Quintessential "people before profit" stuff; their platform is informed by broad socialist ideals and addresses current issues e.g. Newstart, Adani. Approve. 45/
Socialist Equality Party: are you a socialist and also a crank? Here's the party for you. Used to register donkey vote Group Voting Tickets that delivered preferences to the Libs. They're going hard in support of Julian Assange, which is... hardly the leading socialist issue. 46/
Time for another break. This is the longest thread I have ever done. I will be back over the weekend with third (last?) batch of reviews of parties in #AusVotes2019. I have longer reviews of all parties contesting #auspol federal election at axvoter.tumblr.com #AusVotes 47/
Time for my third and last major batch of tweets on #auspol micro-parties. This thread completes my reviews of all micro-parties contesting #AusVotes2019 across the country. Lengthier reviews are going up at my blog: axvoter.tumblr.com #AusVotes 48/
The Australian Mental Health Party: only running two candidates, for whom you must vote below the line in QLD and WA. They want a "person-centred" health system; policies seem fairly decent, robust. They extend the "person-centred" language to economy, education, environment. 49/
The Great Australian Party: what an absolute bag of dicks. White nationalists and conspiracy theorists. This is the party of Rod Culleton, ex-One Nation, who describes himself as "senator in exile" after his section 44 ouster. Hard to say if this party or Anning's is worse. 50/
The Small Business Party: self-interested small business types who want to pay less tax but somehow receive more services for it. Also they don't get that if the climate is fucked, so are small businesses. Their "fair tax reform" page is just anti-ALP franking credits spiel. 51/
The Together Party: well I'm surprised! This is a loosely social democratic party whose policies are pretty good. They want a stronger government that works actively to address pressing issues, especially climate change, income inequality, and social inclusion. 52/
The Women's Party: less good than it sounds. Their proposal for a gender quota of parliamentarians (not candidates) raises big questions about our electoral system that they do not answer. Other policies flimsy, read as first drafts. Women deserve better than this party. 53/
United Australia Party: it's Clive. He doesn't "give a stuff", so why should you? He hopes everyone has forgotten his past political dysfunction and incompetence. This party couldn't find a policy if it were stapled to Clive's backside. PS PAY YOUR WORKERS YOU DOG. 54/
Voteflux | Upgrade Democracy!: yes, a second party to advance that wet fart of a techbro thought bubble, representatives with no policy who will vote according to polls on an app. They use some ahistorical balderdash to justify it too. Don't waste your time on this. 55/
Victorian Socialists: policy contains no surprises. It is phrased broadly to accommodate multiple socialist tendencies, and addresses current issues e.g. stop Adani, climate change, corporate tax evasion, abolish Border Force. Only running in Calwell, Cooper, and Wills. 56/
Western Australia Party: fixated on questions of tax distribution and want GST revenue to go to states on per capita basis. This party is on the right, support draconian border policies, most other stuff is really barebones and goes no further than "give WA more money". 57/
Yellow Vest Australia: this is the Australian Liberty Alliance, the political wing of the highly Islamophobic Q Society. They've appropriated the French yellow vest imagery in the hope of getting more votes. Either way they're a big sloshing dumpster of racist bin juice. 58/
Instead of wasting your time reading policies of cranks like Great Australian Party, Anning's Conservative Nationals, or Yellow Vest Australia, I recommend you delve into the thread below about the incestuous and fractious far-right scene in Australia. 59/
And now I've covered all the micro-parties in #AusVotes2019! I'd like to point you towards @catescates' party reviews. She delves into the professed policies of all parties, plus Victoria's independents, and is less snarky than me. 60/ catespeaks.com/australian-fed…
I will probably add a few more tweets to this thread in coming days, e.g. NSW independents, but this is it for micro-parties. If you prefer blog posts, I am posting reviews on axvoter.tumblr.com and all will be online by Tuesday evening. 61/ #auspol #AusVotes #AusVotes2019
