Blog

  • Lockout laws fail to curb violence

    Posted by · July 24, 2014 12:00 PM

    Exclusive data obtained and analysed by the Future Party has revealed that, in addition to damaging Sydney’s international reputation and tarnishing the city’s nightlife culture, the Coalition government’s lockout laws have failed to achieve their objective of a reduction in alcohol-related violence. In fact, not only has the policy exacerbated the very issue it exists to diminish, but has also coincided with a spike in the number of alcohol related assaults and accidents outside of licensed premises.

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  • The federal budget – our response so far

    Posted by · June 29, 2014 12:00 PM

    We’d like to take a moment to summarise The Future Party’s response to this year’s Federal Budget.

    Prior even to the budget itself, rumours and early announcements of cuts to research prompted our Fund Our Future campaign, culminating successfully in the Rally for Research at Sydney Town Hall – and we will, of course, continue to make the vital case for the government to prioritise science and innovation in the weeks, months and years ahead. We have been and continue to be staunch opponents of the government’s agenda to dismantle all meaningful action to reduce carbon emissions, in blatant disregard of the science on climate change – and indeed, we go further than any other party in our consistently strong stance on this issue, whether its our support for fuel excise indexation or for renewable-enabling smart grids and nuclear energy research. Likewise we are long standing advocates of more generous tax and welfare treatment for low income Australians, rather than the cruel, arbitrary cuts favoured by the government.

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  • A challenge to the Greens and the Labor Party

    Posted by · April 30, 2014 12:00 PM

    progressive

    Abbott’s deficit levy has been widely panned by all kinds, from business, to Liberal backbenchers, to the Labor Party and even The Greens. This is incredible considering the nature of the levy: it is a progressive tax. Yes, I just called an Abbott policy progressive. The tax disproportionately impacts the wealthy, and the overwhelming majority of the population will have no additional taxes to pay.

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  • Response to the NSW Premier’s Resignation

    Posted by · April 16, 2014 12:00 PM

    The Future Party strongly supports the ongoing efforts of the Independent Commission Against Corruption to clean up the political culture in NSW. As Premier Barry O’Farrell noted in his press conferences yesterday and today, it is vital that people cooperate with the efforts of the ICAC and other bodies seeking to stamp out institutionalised corruption in all its forms. It is also vital that our political leaders hold themselves to the highest possible standards of integrity.

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  • Submission to the Inquiry into the 2013 Federal Election

    Posted by · April 11, 2014 6:27 PM

    Download this submission:
    Submission to the Inquiry into and report on all aspects of the conduct of the 2013 Federal Election and matters related thereto (PDF, 175 KB, 12 April 2014)

    The Future Party made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (JSCEM) inquiry into the 2013 federal election.

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  • Submission to the inquiry into the conduct of the 2013 Federal Election

    Posted by · April 11, 2014 12:00 PM

    Download this submission:
    Submission to the inquiry into the conduct of the 2013 Federal Election     (PDF, 278 KB, 11 April 2014)

    Read the text of the submission below:

     

    To the Committee Secretary,

    Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters,

    The Future Party is a small, growing, and recently established party – a so-called micro party. We are nonetheless serious and issues focused, with a comprehensive policy platform, and are seeking to build support over the long term to eventually become a viable alternative force in Australian politics. As such, we share the concerns of the public, experts and the major parties that there are systemic flaws in our electoral process that turn the contest for some Senate seats into preference deal lotteries.

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  • Fund our Future: Rally for Research

    Posted by · March 19, 2014 12:00 PM

    Today the Future Party is announcing the “Fund our Future: Rally for Research” campaign to encourage increased funding of Australia’s research institutions. The government’s drastic cuts to funding will damage Australia’s academic research sector. The campaign will include a petition and will culminate in a rally on the 3rd of May in the lead up to the budget announcement.

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  • WA Senate Election

    Posted by · March 05, 2014 12:00 PM

    Following problems with the recount of Senate ballots in Western Australia last election, the Court of Disputed Returns has ordered a fresh vote be held in the state. The Federal Executive of the Future Party has considered whether or not to run candidates. Although several groups have already approached us seeking preference deals and other cooperation, the Future Party has decided not to contest the election. The main reasons for this decision were:

    • A lack of current activity among our WA membership, who would need to form the backbone of any campaign on the ground.
    • The difficulty of finding, vetting and pre-selecting candidates within the given time frame.
    • The diversion of time, money and attention from our efforts: building up the party’s grass roots presence nationally; campaigning on critical federal issues, such as the NBN and research funding cuts; and preparing for the upcoming NSW state election.
    • The large number of small parties likely to contest the election, adding to the difficulty of success, and requiring an emphasis on tactical preference negotiations over engaging with the electorate on policy.

    If you would like to help organise our WA branch to put us in a position to contest seats there in the next federal election, please contact volunteers.manager@futureparty.org.au

  • NBN Senate Committee submission: Australia is worth the investment

    Posted by · February 13, 2014 12:00 PM

    Download this submission:
    NBN Senate Committee submission: Australia is worth the investment (PDF, 360 KB, February 2014)

    Media release 10:00 am 13/02/2014

    The Future Party has prepared a submission to the Senate Enquiry on NBN Co’s Strategic Review, which will be submitted to the NBN Senate Committee today. [Link]

    “Measuring the value of the NBN simply using only sales revenue does not adequately capture how significant the NBN will be to economic growth of our country.” said the Future Party’s communications officer and report co-author, Kate Kilgannon.

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  • Stop the lies: Density is what our cities need

    Posted by · February 11, 2014 12:00 PM

    Dr Tony Recsei recently wrote that resistance to high rise development is not simply about NIMBYism. I am guilty of regularly applying the term NIMBY. The reason I use it is that there appears to be a sense of entitlement surrounding the nature of the city. Specifically, this entitlement resides in those who are lucky enough own a home who believe that the city should remain the same as it was when they handed over their deposit.

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