Australian Progressives

The Australian Progressives is a minor Australian political party. The party was established in September 2014,[2] and registered as a federal political party by the Australian Electoral Commission on 17 February 2015.[3]

For the defunct party that contested the 2004 federal election, see Australian Progressive Alliance.
Australian Progressives
PresidentRobert Knight (2018–present)
SecretaryKate Hamley
Founded2014 (2014)
Merger ofAustralian Progressives
Australian Progressive Party
Mutual Party
Smashed Avocado Party
IdeologyProgressivism
Communitarianism
Australian republicanism
Political positionCentre[1]
Website
progressives.org.au/

A February 2015 article in The Monthly noted the party's use of crowdfunding and promises of community consultation on policy, but also stated it had "prioritised the establishment of a political party ahead of the development of a platform".[2] Until August 2015 when the Australian Progressives merged with the unregistered Australian Progressive Party, the two similarly named parties were seen as competing for the same constituency.[4]

On 1 February 2018, the party was under threat of deregistration for failure to meet membership requirements.[5] The party since contested the 2019 Australian federal election.

History and structure

The Australian Progressives was established in September 2014, and registered in February 2015. The party contested the 2016 and 2019 Australian Federal Elections, as well as the 2017 Bennelong By-Election. Canberra Progressives, the ACT Branch of the Australian Progressives, were registered as an ACT political party in May 2020 and have indicated their intention to contest the 2020 Australian Capital Territory general election.

The Australian Progressives has held 3 National Conferences since the party's founding, being 2015 in Sydney, 2018 in Melbourne, and 2019 in Canberra. The 2020 National Conference was scheduled to be held on the Gold Coast in June, but has been rescheduled to an online event on November 21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Constitution of the Australian Progressives establishes the party's governance structure as involving a quasi-bicameral system, with an elected National Executive, chaired by a directly elected President of the Party, and an appointed National Operations Committee, chaired by the Party Secretary. The National Operations Team consists of the Directors of the Party, appointed functionaries who run the day-to-day operations of the party, including the Directors of Membership and Electorate Engagement, Communications, and Policy, as well as the Treasurer.

The Party's National Executive consists of 8 General Executives, elected to a 2-year term, the President of the Party, elected to a 3-year term, and the Party Secretary and Treasurer who sit as non-voting observers. Half of the General Executive positions are up for election every year, creating a staggered electoral system. The Presidential Election occurs at the same time as every third General Executive Election.

Policies

The Party has endorsed 2 fundamental objectives to guide their policy making agenda. These fundamental objectives are:[6]

1. The Australian Progressives are committed to the eradication of poverty.

2. The Australian Progressives are committed to the fight against human-induced Climate Change.

2016 federal election

In the 2016 Australian federal election, the Australian Progressives fielded two senate candidates in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. It also stood a candidate for the northern Melbourne seat of Batman in the House of Representatives.[7]

2017 Bennelong by-election

In the 2017 Bennelong by-election, Australian Progressives preselected Policy Director Christopher Golding, who was an employee of the NSW Department of Primary Industries, but resigned in order to be compliant with Section 44 of the Constitution.

2019 federal election

In the 2019 Australian federal election, the Australian Progressives contested 5 electorates, being all three ACT seats: Bean (Therese Faulkner), Canberra (Robert Knight), Fenner (Kagiso Ratlhagane), as well as Longman (Jono Young) in Queensland and Sturt (Angela Fulco) in South Australia.[8]

See also

References
  1. Medhora, Shalailah (28 October 2014). "Australia's two new progressive parties share a name – and mutual dislike". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  2. Tim Flannery and Catriona Wallace (February 2015). "Fixing politics: how online organisation can give power back to the people" – The Monthly. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  3. "Australian Progressives". Current Register of Political Parties. Australian Electoral Commission. 17 February 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  4. Shalailah Medhora (28 October 2014). "Australia's two new progressive parties share a name – and mutual dislike" – Guardian Australia. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  5. "Notice of intention to deregister Australian Progressives" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  6. https://www.facebook.com/AusProgressive/posts/3126287294062971
  7. "Candidates for the 2016 federal election". Australian Electoral Commission. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  8. "Candidates". Federal Election 2019 guide. ABC. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
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