Freedom and Prosperity Party
The Freedom and Prosperity Party, formerly known as No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics and The Climate Sceptics, were an Australian political party that describes itself as the world's first political party representing climate sceptics, dedicated to "...expose the fallacy of anthropogenic climate change".
Freedom and Prosperity Party | |
---|---|
Party President | Bill Koutalianos |
Founded | 2009 |
Dissolved | 2015 |
Ideology | Scepticism of anthropogenic global warming |
Political position | Right-wing |
The party was registered with the Australian Electoral Commission in early 2010, and endorsed candidates to stand in the 2010 federal election. Prior to being registered, party supporters stood as independent candidates in the Bradfield and Higgins by-elections.[1]
Electoral
The party endorsed 10 candidates for the Senate, and 6 for the House of Representatives in the 2010 elections. None were successful.
Position on aspects of global warming
The Climate Sceptics Party explicitly rejects the scientific evidence for anthropogenic global warming and refers to climate science as “climate alarmism”, taking the following positions:
- Climate science is far from “settled”, as evidenced by the revelations of recent months and years.
- The alarmist theories propounded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other political bodies are crippled by huge uncertainties.
- An objective and quantitative risk–benefit analysis of any proposed “climate” legislation is crucial.
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
The Climate Sceptics Party's policy on the Australian government's proposed emissions trading scheme, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), is that the CPRS will result in Australian industry being at a competitive disadvantage leading to rising prices, that the CPRS will also cause corruption and fraud and the curtailing of human freedoms.
Actions
On 13 July 2009, approximately 30 members of the Climate Sceptics Party and supporters arrived at the venue where Al Gore, was speaking in Melbourne, to hand out leaflets for those attending, with questions to ask Al Gore during his speech.[2] Some wore T-shirts bearing the party's slogan: "Carbon Really Ain't Pollution - CRAP".[3][4] In 2010 the Climate Sceptics organised a tour of Australia by Lord Monckton at a cost of $100,000.[5]
The party's name on the Australian Electoral Commission's register was changed to "No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics" on 14 December 2011.[6]
The party has been involved in Glenn Druery's Minor Party Alliance.[7][8]
In April 2015 the party was deregistered by the Australian Electoral Commission for a failure to demonstrate the required 500 members.[9]
See also
- Carbon tax in Australia
- Climate change denial
- Global Warming controversy
- Politics of global warming
References
- Dodson, Louise (13 November 2009). "Sex heats up byelection campaigns". Australian Financial Review. p. 9. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- "Greenies have a field day at brekkie". Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- "Seize climate change challenges: Gore". Australian Associated Press. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
- Morton, Adam (11 July 2009). "Time is of the Essence for Onetime Sceptic who Joined Gore's Crusade". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- Hickman, Leo (13 January 2010). "Lord Monckton climate change lecture costs Australian sceptics $100,000". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
- "Approval of application from The Climate Sceptics to change its name to "No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics"". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- Bitter dispute erupts over Senate preferences in Queensland: ABC 5 September 2013
- 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
- "Deregistration of Freedom and Prosperity Party for failure to demonstrate requisite 500 members". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 15 April 2015.