Following on from the post yesterday, this second part reviews the remaining political parties on the Senate ballots across the country in this 2025 Federal Election. Noting this is being published on Anzac Day, let us also remember that our forebears fought for the freedoms we and many others around the world enjoy. The Indigenous people of this land signed up and served alongside their non-Indigenous neighbours, shoulder to shoulder regardless. WE should remember them along with all who served in the wars in which this nation fought. Lest we forget.
The Greens
The quasi-third party in Australian politics since the demise of the Democrats, The Greens try to be everything to everyone. Question is, can they deliver and hold true to their ideals when they are put in a genuine position of power.
Supporting broader Medicare funding, including the incorporation of dental aligns with their aims to address the cost of living. Measures espoused include supermarket gouging, cheaper public transport (generally a state, not federal issue), bank regulation (didn’t we have a Royal Commission about that?) and free education. Addressing the housing crisis, but not totally eliminating tax benefits on investment properties – so people can have their home as well as their holiday home elsewhere and still get negative gear.
Of course they do have their signature climate and environmental policies, including ceasing “dirty” power sources, subsidisation of renewal energy sources for the community and protecting koalas, all while creating jobs.
The Greens had no specific policies encompassing Indigenous people. A search for “Indigenous” raised not an Australian matter, but one in Taiwan. The second link, also found in a search for “First Nations” was a recent article regarding a proposed Workplace Racial Equality Agency(WREA) to collect data on workplace related racism and generate indicators for not only Indigenous people, but people of all ethnicities. Ironic, given the recent ACT Greens Attorney-General, Shane Rattenbury, who held the most highly placed government office of any Greens politician in any State or Territory, could not even be bothered to acknowledge the victim of racial abuse by the ACT Government and ACT Policing. There are multiple links to articles regarding LGBTIQA+, Woodside, the environment. You have to go to the second page to find the First Nations Portfolio. The most recent “Latest News” is a release dated 17 September 2024. Not a word about the most recent and very disappointing Closing the Gap Report, released on 10 February 2025, which outlines that only 4 of the 19 targets are on track to be met.
The Greens do acknowledge the traditional owners, on their pages, but forgive us if we are dubious about their genuine commitment to racial equality when it comes Indigenous people. They already shown they do not have the mettle to call out racism and corruption when they hold the highest legal office in government.
Indigenous – Aboriginal Party of Australia
Founded by Uncle Owen Whyman, a Barkindji-Malyangapa man in 2020, the IAPA, also known as the Indigenous Party of Australia, is the sole party for First Nations People. With lived experience on country and in culture, all the IAPA candidates will bring their unique perspective on Indigenous disadvantage to the ballot box and potentially to a government. Their policies are entirely focused on Aboriginal need, encompassing such matters as education, river health and protecting the environment and respecting sacred sites, housing, empowering local voices, addressing Indigenous incarceration as well as suicide prevention and support. They want to put their voices IN parliament, so that Aboriginal people are heard and cannot be completely ignored.
The origins of this party are in Wilcannia, a town ignored during the pandemic and left is such a state of despair in 2021 that it made national headlines as it faced the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the country. In a town where 62% of the population of the population at the time identified as First Nations, it’s hard not to think that the they were so unsupported for so long because of their heritage and it wasn’t unpredictable. A regular point for trucks to stop on the route to Broken Hill, it was not unforeseeable that the pandemic would reach Wilcannia.
The IAPA will need to engage with other parties and people beyond their own supporters and ideals to gain traction in any parliament, but in the absence of a Constitutionally recognised voice, this party offers some hope for those seeking an alternative means of speaking truth to power.
Jacquie Lambie Network
Identifying as an Indigenous woman of the Palawa people and having served in the Australian Army , Jacqui Lambie has a consistently advocated for defence force veterans. Her party pushed for an investigation into the Office of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF). Notably, findings were raised calling into question the autonomy of the IDGAF and recommending that the office be made independent of the Defence Force. You would have to be living under a rock to not have seen the treatment dealt out to whistleblower David McBride.
The party also pursued a Royal Commission into veteran suicide. Many Indigenous people, past and present have or are serving in the Defence Force and all people of Indigenous heritage know the challenges faced simply from identifying and it would seem from the Executive Summary that may extend to First Nations people serving in the Defence Force (paragraph 170).
The party’s current focus is on addressing corruption in politics, particular the “brown-paper bags” exchanged of which voters are generally oblivious. They advocate for manufacturing – and make the point by posting an image of a cap that they note is made in China. And it is this that is their third policy – Chinese interference in Australian politics through political donations. All in all, a comprehensive campaign platform where the three elements are all interconnected.
The party website does not carry any Acknowledgement of country, nor does it make any comment regarding First Nations people, not even in Jacqui’s brief biography. The has however, been a voice for those of lesser means and many constrained through roles in military service. They ask you judge them on their achievements and by any measure, for a small party, they have delivered the goods.
Legalise Cannabis Party
A single issue party, to legalise the use and growth of cannabis who have seen success at state elections in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales since they formed in 2020. Noting that legislation is at the state and territory level, the party is not shy about stating that its focuses is at the state level. Which would make one wonder, why vote for them in a Federal election?
Well, perhaps because they don’t want to see legalised cannabis heavily taxed in the same way as alcohol or tobacco and drive a black market. This seems to be their sole reason for pursing a Federal senate seat. There is zero mention of any matters specific to First Nations people and absolutely nothing on any other issue.
Liberal-National Party Coalition
Standing as a coalition of independent parties depending on the state and forming one half of the political duopoly, the Liberal-National Coalition has a vast array of policies and a long track record in both government and opposition.
The one positive that sets the Liberal Party apart from other conservative or right wing parties, is its ability to accept dissenting voices such as Bridget Archer. Whilst Archer is In the lower house and their lacklustre leader flounders on the campaign trail – so much so that one wonders if he missed his true calling in gymnastics so adept is he at backflips – the treatment of Archer versus Payman by their originating parties stand in stark contrast. But it is here that positives cease.
The Liberal Party’s stand in opposition to the Voice Referendum is emblematic of a party blind to the daily racism faced by First Nations people. The proportion of Indigenous Australians is seven times more than Jewish and equal tot the number of LGB+ individuals, Indigenous people have the least say and lowest influence of any demographic in Australia. Consistently and persistently subjected to paternalism from measures as far back as the Aboriginal Protectors to income management, Indigenous people are forced to endure the voices of turncoats even when they distance themselves from them.
Indigenous Australians are derided and ignored by the Liberals and its token representative Jacinta Nampijinpa Price who aligns more with American Trumpist rhetoric than Indigenous or Australian values. But Price cannot really be blamed, she’s only been singing from the Dutton song sheet composed a few months ago. It’s unfortunate that no-one gave Price the most recent version. Yet, the unoriginally proposed Shadow Minister for Government Efficiency led by this economic luminary undergoing her 14th investigation into misuse of travel claims does little to engender confidence, let-alone trust in the Coalition’s genuine intentions to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged people in the country.
Peter Dutton has attempted to move away from the “Make Australia Great Again” slogan to an alternative angle to “Get Australia Back on Track”. This transparent attempt to suggest that Labor are at fault for any poor performance as government glosses over the fact the LNP have governed for 21 of the past 30 years and only the past three years have been under a Labor government.
The Nationals argue that regional life has got harder since Labor came to government, using the same “back on track” slogan as the Libs. They stand in some states on their own rather than as a coalition, but their aims remain similar, if more focused to regional areas. More healthcare workers, reducing costs of living, increasing productivity.
It was LNP Coalition that suspended the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northen Territory and instigated The Intervention. It was the Coalition that introduced trials for the Cashless Debit Card, found to make the lives of those people forced to use it even harder.
Australia’s electoral system has us vote for parties, not people, but there can be no ignoring the maxim “As one leads, so shall others follow” otherwise called “A fish rots from the head”. The questions to ask yourself – is the fish fresh?
One Nation Party
Established in 1997 by Pauline Hanson, One Nation is hard to ignore. From Hansons’s needling of Fatima Payman’s heritage to her fierce support of her son’s reputation under parliamentary privilege in the Senate, She speaks here mind and choses her own candidates. Concerningly, the defence of her son is not an isolated matter. One Nation accepts convicted domestic violence offenders as candidates. In a country with an acknowledged appalling domestic violence record, where one woman was killed every 3.5 days in 2024 and one child every 3 weeks, and in a nation where Indigenous women are so highly represented in domestic violence statistics, One Nation should be low on the list for anyone genuinely interested in the welfare of Indigenous people.
Shooters, Fishers & Farmers
Viewing the ALP and the Coalition as a self-serving duopoly focused more on government than the community, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers make it clear that they consider the Federal Government prioritises urban communities over regional people. Their policies are broad, with a clear regional and rural agenda that makes notes of the particular challenges faced by First Nations people.
Civil liberties underpin their ethos, from protection of individual privacy and data retention to health initiatives that enable regional people to remain in their communities. They raise the shortened lifespan of Indigenous people and acknowledge preventable deaths. Many of the aims in their health policy would benefit Indigenous people.
Asserting firearms legislation unfairly targets law-abiding citizens, the SFF oppose the Commonwealth interference via a firearms registry in what they see as a state matter. As one would expect they want greater production, import and access to firearms.
Similarly, they opine that fishers and farmers are victimised via green initiatives and want an increase in fishing sites. They are against super trawlers and oppose foreign owned or multi-national access to Australian waterways and land. Of note, the fishers want more fish farming, a hot topic given the recent news regarding salmon farming in Tasmania.
The party advocates for addressing homelessness and all its causes, as well as expansion of recreational areas including for four-wheel drives and hunters. Advocating for measures to improve educational support among Indigenous people, in particular address youth literacy, the party also supports the inclusion of Indigenous culture in the curriculum. One could do worse that to consider at the Shooters, Fishers & Farmers for a seat in the senate.
Socialist Alliance
First Nations Rights are listed immediately following the introduction on the Socialist Alliance policy page. Their aims include maintaining the family unit and communities, Indigenous self-determination and practice of culture and notably, closing the gap. The party advocates for a democracy under a new constitution, the abolition of laws implemented since 9/11 that impede civil liberties, support for international aid and the rejection of war, protection of labour and human rights and public ownership of critical services. Their view extends beyond the urban, to include regional and rural communities, supporting them in growth and security. The portfolio of policies is extensive and intends to include everyone, ambitious perhaps, but at least they don’t exclude anyone.
Socialist Equality Party (unregistered)
Running a number of independent candidates in ungrouped categories in Victoria and New South Wales, the unregistered Socialist Equality Party may be difficult to identify, falling under Group B (NSW) or G (VIC) on the ballot. The party website is clearly out of date with the last election listed as 2019. A number of articles on various local and international issues can be found, but in the absence of recent policy of position statements and with an international focus that seems to miss the local concerns of voters, it’s impossible to make any further statement of their current political aims in the Australian context.
Sustainable Australia Party
As the name indicates, SAP are focused on a sustainable future. The party website does have Indigenous-specific policies regarding health and culture. They do make reference closing the gap and acknowledge the need for a stronger First Nations voice in strengthening our democracy. They support a treaty, noting that it would require some form of vote.
The alignment of Indigenous land management methods will hold some synergies with a party focusing on sustainability. The party demonstrates its awareness of the correlation between climate, the environment, health and jobs. Whilst not as high profile as some others, they do present a well-considered series of policies that are sympathetic to improving Indigenous quality of life. Importantly the SAP advocate for improved diversity and funding of media, including in regional areas. They are keen to reduce anonymous commentary on social media, not a policy that sits well with all, especially in a political environment so antagonistic to whistleblowers. Notably their pages end with an acknowledgement of the traditional custodians.
Trumpet of Patriots
Ignoring the fact that the statement “Honour above all” and the Latin “Honor omnia” are not stating the same thing, the newly minted Trumpet of Patriots party could well team up with the Liberal’s Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and her Department of Government Efficient. Arguing almost identical points about Welcome to Country ceremonies of $450,000 over two years, an amount roughly equivalent to the base salary paid to an Australian senator in 2024 over the same period, seems rather churlish. One less senator and we could save that money. Add on a senator’s allowances and the Welcome Country is significantly better value. The party argues for lower rates of immigration and asserts the need to focus on migration of people with values aligned with Australia. This tap into “Australian values” and a single population with a solitary flag is a talking point not unlike that of Dutton. More housing, ditch the Paris Agreement, etc, etc, etc. Much of it sounds quite LNP. Trumpet does exhort the need for freedom of speech, the primacy of Australian manufacturing and sovereignty and a tax on iron ore exports to address national debt. There’s not a single positive word or allusion to anything Indigenous.
Victorian Socialists
Just seven years old. The Victorian Socialists want to address economic inequality between the classes. Disillusioned in the performance of the ALP, LNP and The Greens, this new young party advocates for improvements in workers’ rights in the less affluent parts of the state whom they argue the Greens in particular prefer to ignore.
The VS believe that addressing racism is also important. Arguing that as a wealthy nation, Australia should be able to do better, they want to increase safe and affordable housing, see more funding for education and health care and want corporations and extremely wealthy taxed more. They do not believe that essential services or resources should be in private hands as this disadvantages Australians.
They acknowledge the traditional owners, with sympathetic and open policy statements regarding the racism faced by First Nations people. With a broad range of intentions to address everything from wage theft to improving health outcomes, they pledge to advocate for all the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Bringing them Home Report to be implemented.