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The Great Australian Party
May. 7th, 2022 12:33 amThe Great Australian Party
Website: https://www.greataustralianparty.com.au/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RodneyNCulleton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greataustralianparty
(My review for the 2021 WA election)
It’s time for the Sovereign Citizen party of the disgraced former Senator-in-Exile, Rodney Culleton! GAP was formed in 2019 as the election vehicle for Rod Culleton, after his extremely failed previous political career in the 2016 senate, where he ran as a One Nation candidate and then sat as an independent before the power of s44 came and rendered him ineligible due to bankruptcy.
If you do not know the whole Senator-in-Exile story, do read up on it, because it includes the delightful fact that Culleton tried to appeal his exclusion to the Privy Council, even though the Privy Council is basically incapable of overruling the High Court since 1988. He certainly has extremely complicated and wrong views of how the Australian legal system and parliament functions.
Party Analysis
GAP is essentially the radical right crackpot party. It’s where conspiracy theories too wild for the rest of the far right cluster go to die.
The Animal Welfare policy of GAP is quite strange, as it reads extremely socially liberal. In fact, it is the Greens Animal Welfare policy, imported. Please compare with this page. I still don’t quite understand whether this is a cynical move to try and appeal to Greens voters, or if it’s a form of green-washing, or they actually like the contents of the policy.
The Communication and Arts policy has still not been updated since last time I looked at is, as they’re still campaigning that we shouldn’t stop using analogue tv signals, digital is unnecessary. I have to remind you this party was formed in 2019 and analogue was discontinued in 2013. They also despise the ABC for liberal bias, and do not want any further deregulation of Telstra or Australia Post (neither of which appear on the table at the moment).
In the Defence policy they want us to work with “other Commonwealth countries” to protect our borders from foreign invasion. So not the US, presumably. Also there is a “make as much of our defence hardware and apparel in Australia” policy, because everyone’s into local manufacture this year.
In Education policies, GAP thinks we need to be teaching more religious values, patriotism and morality. They want to “ban political leanings” in education because apparently the education system right now is dangerously biased. Also they want “legitimate consequences” for bullying, and I’m not sure if they mean expulsion or corporal punishment. Also GAP would like more focus on early childhood education, “starting when the mother is 6 months pregnant”. I presume this is meant to be education for new parents about caring for and educating their children, but I have the funniest mental image of a universal ‘play music to your fetus’ program or something. They also want a focus on bilingual education for under 5s and support for parents to take part in early years programs with their children. I really don’t know what to make of all this early childhood stuff. It looks a bit like more support for parents to stay home and improve education outcomes?
Employment policies want fewer overseas workers, and rescinding of industrial relations policy. The policy is a bit odd – they are ok to retain unionism as long as it’s voluntary, but they want to give more ways to fire employees or throw out union officials. I cannot tell if they want more individual bargaining or continued collective bargaining. More local manufacturing, more apprenticeships, make our nation self-sufficient. They are very unhappy that older teens have policies keeping them at school to 17, rather than starting apprenticeships at 15. GAP bizarrely insist that 15-16 year old apprentices learn better than adult apprentices. I have no issues with keeping kids engaged and interested in the learning they are doing; I am just sceptical and worried about this insistence on 15 being so much better than 17-18 for learning is due to adult apprentices having more ability and perspective to advocate for a living wage and better conditions. One example they give of this terrible hollowing out of apprenticeships is the fact that nursing is now a university degree rather than on-the-job training. Apparently teaching nurses as professionals is diminishing the number of nurses and their skillset, rather than giving them a more rounded and technical education. (Also only girls are nurses). In fact, all jobs should be on-the-job apprenticeships if possible, universities are dangerous institutions. Now, I am not disputing that more workplaces open to training on the job would be useful. However the wholesale disregard for the benefits of university education here cheeses me off.
In energy policy, GAP want it all made at home. It looks like they want local petroleum manufacture, and higher emissions testing on vehicles. Apparently if we test for lower emissions “all Motor Engineers will be retrained to a much higher level of understanding than currently exists for the benefit of reducing dramatically, suspended unburnt hydrocarbons. We will assist all current education facilities to better implement this re-education with a view to expanding this knowledge worldwide”. There are no details of what this new education involves to burn hydrocarbons more cleanly, and why we’re not doing it already. GAP thinks climate policies are dangerous nonsense, but they are ok with “true renewable energy”. They want to stop sale of uranium (so that’s a no on nuclear power). Also we should sell energy to the world. Honestly, the policies are unclear, but largely sound like retaining coal and gas but aiming for cleaner burning (I would presume carbon capture, but they are down on climate policy, so I presume simply more efficient burning?). Electricity should not be privatised.
GAP’s environment policy is all over the place. They deprecate the Greens and Climate Change as dangerous, yet they are also on board with some level of conservation and renewable power (“clean energy” is the term they like). They support feral animal culls by shooting, but also want to protect Brumbies in the Snowy High Country (this in fact may be the deciding factor in how low I put them on my ballot). They want more access to beaches, marine parks and national parks for people. It’s quite odd. They clearly do enjoy the outside, but just cannot trust the advice and evidence that the climate is changing (and have a pack of conspiracies about how it’s a conspiracy).
Their families policy is concerning. GAP believe in keeping “the marriage and family unit intact”. Divorce causes trauma, a bunch of signalling that sounds a lot like what Men’s Rights Activists talk about, and “Compulsory counselling reinforces societies’ values and commitments to the sanctity of marriage and the individual’s commitment to work strongly to retain the marriage vows”, which is clearly a dogwhistle for religious counselling.
Health policies include anti-vax sentiments, and not just against Covid vaccines, but all vaccines. Hilariously they want to use the Northern Rivers as a control group due to their low vax rates (though even those are still above 83% of children). They think IVF for “unmarried women” is exploitation making women depressed, and they also want homeopathy and naturopathy included in Medicare. All of their crank tendencies are really on display here. Oh and apparently they want to implement the NUREMBERG CODE so people can object to vaccines better (their interpretation of all this is wildly kooky).
Immigration policies are racism central. GAP want zero net immigration, turn backs not just for boats but for aeroplane arrivals, want migration visas to cost more, and to withdraw from UN treaties on migration and refugees. This is honestly appalling. We have a bad record as a country, but this is advocating even worse rules.
Actually, GAP want us to withdraw from as many treaties and agreements as possible. They want to review them all and drop as many as they can, especially anything that’s from the UN and any free trade agreements. Local border protectionism and looking inwards is what is required, not living in an international community.
Their justice policy is also, unsurprisingly, quite authoritarian. Mandatory imprisonment for violent crimes, more deportations, heavier penalties and sentences, everything must be a trial by jury (uh GAP there’s very good reasons we don’t use jury trials for some complex matters like class actions). They’re very unhappy about vandalism (treat it as a crime!), and quite horrifically want to name youths who are serial offenders (oh yes, let us destroy any rehabilitation prospects there). Also, in ‘let us import American values’ areas, they want desecration of the flag to be a criminal offence (why? No really, why? You can go get another one, there’s no shortage).
GAP are also into the citizen initiated referenda that are featuring a lot in right wing and libertarian parties. They want a minimum of 5,000 signatures for this. This is hilariously low and I am very against these policies, largely because I consider that we elect politicians to deal with this for us.
In the Seniors policy, GAP decide to experiment a bit with social policy. To start with “GAP proposes that all Australian’s over the age of 55, be classified as Seniors. They should not suffer demeaning categorisation such as aged, pensioners etc.” I don’t think the terminology is the biggest issue, GAP, but you do you. They also want no asset test for the aged pension (if you have ever paid tax), a retirement age of 60, free health and medical care for all seniors, more seniors card discounts, and better indexation of pensions. Also they’re agitating for the return of widow and war-widow pensions (war-widow pensions particularly blow my mind, because if you assume that essentially the list of widows from WWII and Korea are now negligible, given they’d all be over 90 now, there’s a total of 621 military deaths since 1960. I imagine the number of people who both would qualify and have need for it at this point is a rounding error). I do find it hilarious how the right stare ageing in the face and suddenly start advocating for All The Benefits but for old people only.
Firearms! Oh boy this one is messed up. “GAP believes in firearms ownership as a right, not a privilege.” Oh look we are importing US standards again. Stop it. They want easier registration with less red tape (folks that won’t be happening), category licencing for firearms rather than specific licencing (yeah no), oh and good god they support HANDGUN CARRY. You absolute maniacs. You want concealed carry of guns. This will not fly with 99% of the community. Also “GAP will work to establish secured depots of firearms and ammunition throughout every town and city, ready for issue to the civilian population in the event of an attack on the people of Australia by a foreign power” because apparently GAP thinks there will be a land invasion of Australia at any point.
Tax policies are also quite complex. GAP want a COMPLETE REFORM of the tax system, including removal of the GST, abolishing income tax, and removing compulsory super. They want to replace it with a transaction tax. I don’t fully understand how transaction taxes work, but this sound completely wild and extremely unlikely to sufficiently tax high earning individuals.
In terms of Indigenous policies, GAP want to form a “‘National Tribal Federation’ to unite all tribes within Australia so as to establish, recognise and re-enliven the inalienable Birth Right of the Tribal Sovereign’s across this nation”. I...don’t think this something the community is asking for? “GAP will additionally establish a ‘Tribal & Islander Council’ to overhaul ALL Land Rights legislation ~ to end the legislative extinguishment of Individual Birth Rights to the land, with a fair and equitable outcome for those that have suffered due to the colonisation of this land”. This sounds interesting but likely to cause constitutional issues.
Is this party trying to kill me?
Yes. GAP want to loosen gun laws, allow concealed carry of handguns, don’t believe in vaccines and don’t believe in climate change.
Is this party trying to harm me?
GAP have a large number of damaging policies, so yes.
Conclusion:
Look, GAP are one of the most cooked right wing parties on the ticket. They want to stop immigration, import a whole lot of right wing American culture war issues, withdraw from international agreements and treaties, go back to analogue TV, replace the entire tax system and have a Men’s Right Activist bent to divorce. They’re into guns and against vaccines.
Do not vote for these people. They’re actively dangerous to a chunk of the community.
Website: https://www.greataustralianparty.com.au/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RodneyNCulleton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greataustralianparty
(My review for the 2021 WA election)
It’s time for the Sovereign Citizen party of the disgraced former Senator-in-Exile, Rodney Culleton! GAP was formed in 2019 as the election vehicle for Rod Culleton, after his extremely failed previous political career in the 2016 senate, where he ran as a One Nation candidate and then sat as an independent before the power of s44 came and rendered him ineligible due to bankruptcy.
If you do not know the whole Senator-in-Exile story, do read up on it, because it includes the delightful fact that Culleton tried to appeal his exclusion to the Privy Council, even though the Privy Council is basically incapable of overruling the High Court since 1988. He certainly has extremely complicated and wrong views of how the Australian legal system and parliament functions.
Party Analysis
GAP is essentially the radical right crackpot party. It’s where conspiracy theories too wild for the rest of the far right cluster go to die.
The Animal Welfare policy of GAP is quite strange, as it reads extremely socially liberal. In fact, it is the Greens Animal Welfare policy, imported. Please compare with this page. I still don’t quite understand whether this is a cynical move to try and appeal to Greens voters, or if it’s a form of green-washing, or they actually like the contents of the policy.
The Communication and Arts policy has still not been updated since last time I looked at is, as they’re still campaigning that we shouldn’t stop using analogue tv signals, digital is unnecessary. I have to remind you this party was formed in 2019 and analogue was discontinued in 2013. They also despise the ABC for liberal bias, and do not want any further deregulation of Telstra or Australia Post (neither of which appear on the table at the moment).
In the Defence policy they want us to work with “other Commonwealth countries” to protect our borders from foreign invasion. So not the US, presumably. Also there is a “make as much of our defence hardware and apparel in Australia” policy, because everyone’s into local manufacture this year.
In Education policies, GAP thinks we need to be teaching more religious values, patriotism and morality. They want to “ban political leanings” in education because apparently the education system right now is dangerously biased. Also they want “legitimate consequences” for bullying, and I’m not sure if they mean expulsion or corporal punishment. Also GAP would like more focus on early childhood education, “starting when the mother is 6 months pregnant”. I presume this is meant to be education for new parents about caring for and educating their children, but I have the funniest mental image of a universal ‘play music to your fetus’ program or something. They also want a focus on bilingual education for under 5s and support for parents to take part in early years programs with their children. I really don’t know what to make of all this early childhood stuff. It looks a bit like more support for parents to stay home and improve education outcomes?
Employment policies want fewer overseas workers, and rescinding of industrial relations policy. The policy is a bit odd – they are ok to retain unionism as long as it’s voluntary, but they want to give more ways to fire employees or throw out union officials. I cannot tell if they want more individual bargaining or continued collective bargaining. More local manufacturing, more apprenticeships, make our nation self-sufficient. They are very unhappy that older teens have policies keeping them at school to 17, rather than starting apprenticeships at 15. GAP bizarrely insist that 15-16 year old apprentices learn better than adult apprentices. I have no issues with keeping kids engaged and interested in the learning they are doing; I am just sceptical and worried about this insistence on 15 being so much better than 17-18 for learning is due to adult apprentices having more ability and perspective to advocate for a living wage and better conditions. One example they give of this terrible hollowing out of apprenticeships is the fact that nursing is now a university degree rather than on-the-job training. Apparently teaching nurses as professionals is diminishing the number of nurses and their skillset, rather than giving them a more rounded and technical education. (Also only girls are nurses). In fact, all jobs should be on-the-job apprenticeships if possible, universities are dangerous institutions. Now, I am not disputing that more workplaces open to training on the job would be useful. However the wholesale disregard for the benefits of university education here cheeses me off.
In energy policy, GAP want it all made at home. It looks like they want local petroleum manufacture, and higher emissions testing on vehicles. Apparently if we test for lower emissions “all Motor Engineers will be retrained to a much higher level of understanding than currently exists for the benefit of reducing dramatically, suspended unburnt hydrocarbons. We will assist all current education facilities to better implement this re-education with a view to expanding this knowledge worldwide”. There are no details of what this new education involves to burn hydrocarbons more cleanly, and why we’re not doing it already. GAP thinks climate policies are dangerous nonsense, but they are ok with “true renewable energy”. They want to stop sale of uranium (so that’s a no on nuclear power). Also we should sell energy to the world. Honestly, the policies are unclear, but largely sound like retaining coal and gas but aiming for cleaner burning (I would presume carbon capture, but they are down on climate policy, so I presume simply more efficient burning?). Electricity should not be privatised.
GAP’s environment policy is all over the place. They deprecate the Greens and Climate Change as dangerous, yet they are also on board with some level of conservation and renewable power (“clean energy” is the term they like). They support feral animal culls by shooting, but also want to protect Brumbies in the Snowy High Country (this in fact may be the deciding factor in how low I put them on my ballot). They want more access to beaches, marine parks and national parks for people. It’s quite odd. They clearly do enjoy the outside, but just cannot trust the advice and evidence that the climate is changing (and have a pack of conspiracies about how it’s a conspiracy).
Their families policy is concerning. GAP believe in keeping “the marriage and family unit intact”. Divorce causes trauma, a bunch of signalling that sounds a lot like what Men’s Rights Activists talk about, and “Compulsory counselling reinforces societies’ values and commitments to the sanctity of marriage and the individual’s commitment to work strongly to retain the marriage vows”, which is clearly a dogwhistle for religious counselling.
Health policies include anti-vax sentiments, and not just against Covid vaccines, but all vaccines. Hilariously they want to use the Northern Rivers as a control group due to their low vax rates (though even those are still above 83% of children). They think IVF for “unmarried women” is exploitation making women depressed, and they also want homeopathy and naturopathy included in Medicare. All of their crank tendencies are really on display here. Oh and apparently they want to implement the NUREMBERG CODE so people can object to vaccines better (their interpretation of all this is wildly kooky).
Immigration policies are racism central. GAP want zero net immigration, turn backs not just for boats but for aeroplane arrivals, want migration visas to cost more, and to withdraw from UN treaties on migration and refugees. This is honestly appalling. We have a bad record as a country, but this is advocating even worse rules.
Actually, GAP want us to withdraw from as many treaties and agreements as possible. They want to review them all and drop as many as they can, especially anything that’s from the UN and any free trade agreements. Local border protectionism and looking inwards is what is required, not living in an international community.
Their justice policy is also, unsurprisingly, quite authoritarian. Mandatory imprisonment for violent crimes, more deportations, heavier penalties and sentences, everything must be a trial by jury (uh GAP there’s very good reasons we don’t use jury trials for some complex matters like class actions). They’re very unhappy about vandalism (treat it as a crime!), and quite horrifically want to name youths who are serial offenders (oh yes, let us destroy any rehabilitation prospects there). Also, in ‘let us import American values’ areas, they want desecration of the flag to be a criminal offence (why? No really, why? You can go get another one, there’s no shortage).
GAP are also into the citizen initiated referenda that are featuring a lot in right wing and libertarian parties. They want a minimum of 5,000 signatures for this. This is hilariously low and I am very against these policies, largely because I consider that we elect politicians to deal with this for us.
In the Seniors policy, GAP decide to experiment a bit with social policy. To start with “GAP proposes that all Australian’s over the age of 55, be classified as Seniors. They should not suffer demeaning categorisation such as aged, pensioners etc.” I don’t think the terminology is the biggest issue, GAP, but you do you. They also want no asset test for the aged pension (if you have ever paid tax), a retirement age of 60, free health and medical care for all seniors, more seniors card discounts, and better indexation of pensions. Also they’re agitating for the return of widow and war-widow pensions (war-widow pensions particularly blow my mind, because if you assume that essentially the list of widows from WWII and Korea are now negligible, given they’d all be over 90 now, there’s a total of 621 military deaths since 1960. I imagine the number of people who both would qualify and have need for it at this point is a rounding error). I do find it hilarious how the right stare ageing in the face and suddenly start advocating for All The Benefits but for old people only.
Firearms! Oh boy this one is messed up. “GAP believes in firearms ownership as a right, not a privilege.” Oh look we are importing US standards again. Stop it. They want easier registration with less red tape (folks that won’t be happening), category licencing for firearms rather than specific licencing (yeah no), oh and good god they support HANDGUN CARRY. You absolute maniacs. You want concealed carry of guns. This will not fly with 99% of the community. Also “GAP will work to establish secured depots of firearms and ammunition throughout every town and city, ready for issue to the civilian population in the event of an attack on the people of Australia by a foreign power” because apparently GAP thinks there will be a land invasion of Australia at any point.
Tax policies are also quite complex. GAP want a COMPLETE REFORM of the tax system, including removal of the GST, abolishing income tax, and removing compulsory super. They want to replace it with a transaction tax. I don’t fully understand how transaction taxes work, but this sound completely wild and extremely unlikely to sufficiently tax high earning individuals.
In terms of Indigenous policies, GAP want to form a “‘National Tribal Federation’ to unite all tribes within Australia so as to establish, recognise and re-enliven the inalienable Birth Right of the Tribal Sovereign’s across this nation”. I...don’t think this something the community is asking for? “GAP will additionally establish a ‘Tribal & Islander Council’ to overhaul ALL Land Rights legislation ~ to end the legislative extinguishment of Individual Birth Rights to the land, with a fair and equitable outcome for those that have suffered due to the colonisation of this land”. This sounds interesting but likely to cause constitutional issues.
Is this party trying to kill me?
Yes. GAP want to loosen gun laws, allow concealed carry of handguns, don’t believe in vaccines and don’t believe in climate change.
Is this party trying to harm me?
GAP have a large number of damaging policies, so yes.
Conclusion:
Look, GAP are one of the most cooked right wing parties on the ticket. They want to stop immigration, import a whole lot of right wing American culture war issues, withdraw from international agreements and treaties, go back to analogue TV, replace the entire tax system and have a Men’s Right Activist bent to divorce. They’re into guns and against vaccines.
Do not vote for these people. They’re actively dangerous to a chunk of the community.
