Late last year, with a heap of encouragement from others, I decided to put the wheels in motion to start a political party.
This was to encourage others to get politically active, and work towards actually making a difference.
While it is growing, something that I have noticed is that the system is stacked against people starting their own party. Thereby reinforcing the status quo of two or three “major” parties.
To become “officially” registered as a political party in the state of Queensland, you need to provide the electoral commission with the names and addresses of 500 members.
These details are checked against the electoral roll. If these details don’t match, the member isn’t counted.
Yet to start an incorporated association under Queensland law, all you need is “confirm” that the association has seven members.
For a special purpose company under ASIC’s jurisdiction, all you need is three members.
So why are prospective political parties treated differently?
Before you say that it is because candidates/parties can claim reimbursement for expenses, the candidate needs 6% of the primary vote to be eligible.
Could it be that they, the powers that be, don’t want people to become “engaged” in the political process?
The other thing that I noticed was how little people actually understand politics, and that it is this lack of understanding that the media and “major” parties exploit.
I’ve lost count of the number of times people talk about electing a Prime Minister.
Sadly, the media nor the politicians themselves are any help with this.
And then they wonder why political apathy is at an all-time high.
While I am not holding onto any delusions of grandeur that the party will change the world, or hold the balance of power. I am hoping that at the very least, the supporters of the party will become more politically aware, and educated.
