John Ruddick is New South Wales’ sole state-level Libertarian MP, and his party has big plans.
Formerly known as the Liberal Democrats Party, the now Libertarian Party lives by the concepts of small government, lower taxes or council rates, and free markets.
“We’re a radically small government party, so we distrust the government, we think big government is dangerous. The smaller the government, the better,” Ruddick told The Epoch Times.
The party is coming off the back of a political success high following New South Wales (NSW) local government elections which saw the Libertarians gain 15 seats in councils across the state.
He acknowledges an element of luck due to the major centre-right Liberal Party’s administrative bungle that saw it fail to nominate candidates for the election before the deadline.
But Ruddick says NSW voters still did their research.
“A lot of people like what they saw and hopefully they'll remain Libertarian voters going forward,” he said.
Having a Crack at the ‘Teals’
The “teals” voting bloc is square in the sights of the Libertarians.Teals were elected on a platform of dissatisfaction with the major parties and enthusiasm for more aggressive action on climate change.
They were elected by Australia’s wealthiest and most educated electorates—concentrated in the capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. Teal candidates did not contest electorates in Brisbane, which led to the Greens scooping up inner city seats instead.
Ruddick says to compete with the teals, his party will confront them “head-on.”
“We are sceptical of the global warming orthodoxy and we will be making that point very vigorously in the federal election,” he said.
“(The major parties) they’ve got too much in common. They don’t disagree about enough, that’s why I think people are looking at alternatives now in Parliament.
“We are like a purist version of the Liberal Party, what the Liberal Party used to be,” he says.
The party is interested in all government tiers and has hopes for a federal senator, and state-level upper house representatives.
“We are pro-free markets and we are hoping to become sort of like the ‘right-wing’ version of the Greens,” he said.
At the recent Sydney council elections, the Greens fortunes were split with the protest party picking up votes in the west, but losing votes in the affluent inner-city councils of Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick, and Inner West.
But Does Libertarianism Resonate Down Under?
While the Libertarians might not trust big government, Australians generally do, says Griffith Associate Professor Paul Williams.It comes from a history different to that of the United States, where libertarian values are a deeply woven into the fabric of the nation—forged from consistent war and bloodshed.
Australia’s founding is the polar opposite with governments providing schools, hospitals, and institutions.
“Australians have never been afraid of big government,” Williams told The Epoch Times.
Tough Times Means More Votes for Majors: Expert
Further, in times of crisis, Williams says the numbers tended to favour the major parties as voters seek a sense of stability and comfort.At the height of the pandemic, anxious voters leaned in to voting for Labor or Liberal—in Queensland, many voters who otherwise would not have supported Labor, threw their support behind the government.
Hardship is a powerful factor in how the Australian public votes.
“It was as if voters were saying, ‘We need the grown-ups in the room to address this,’” Williams said.
He said similar patterns were emerging at the moment, with voters worn down by high interest rates and inflation.
Australia is likely set for a “material” election, where people are so consumed by trying to survive, that other issues will take a back seat.
And while Williams says it’s unlikely the Libertarians would rise to the same level of popularity as the Greens, there is a likelihood they could contribute to keeping the Liberal Party closer to the political right.
