YOU ASKED FOR A NEW PARTY!
IS THIS THE END OF FORD V. HOLDEN POLITICS IN AUSTRALIA?
By Graham Higgins and Peter Pyke TUESDAY 22 JUNE 2010
Concerned about Australian politics? Thinking about donkey-voting, or voting Green or Independent in the federal election? Wishing someone would start a new party to give you real choice?
Seems someone has been listening to all those calls on talkback radio and letters to the editor.
From the democracy-addicted state that gave us the principal author of our nation’s Constitution, the Labor Party, One Nation and our nation’s first vote for women, two Queenslanders from either side of the political tracks announce a new party they think can become an important third force in Australian politics just in the nick of time to rescue the federal election.
Named the ‘Republican Democrats’, the new party is unashamedly modelled on the successful Liberal Democrat centre party which only recently captured the balance of power in the UK elections.
The party’s co-founders say they have heard the public crying out for something new and now unveil a model they believe will capture the imagination of Australians from all walks of life and provide the platform to elect a new breed of no-nonsense political representatives.
Former Queensland Labor MP Peter Pyke is national CEO of the new party and his deputy is Graham Higgins, a former-media advisor to a Liberal Federal Minister and Party President. The diverse but balanced backgrounds of the founders of the party heralds the spirit of the Republican Democrats.
Currently a small business person but one with a labour-movement background, Pyke is sympathetic to a broad range of views. “For too long,” Pyke says, “both the Coalition and Labor have arrogantly taken their support bases for granted while Australian politics has degenerated into a race to the bottom awash in spin punctuated by back-flips!”
“No wonder voters no longer know what the major parties stand for,” Pyke says. “Never before have I seen our country so ready to reject both sides and voters from all backgrounds keen to consider alternatives.”
Pyke says that anecdotally, the evidence is everywhere. He says a lack of faith and trust in the leaders of both parties means more people now disapprove of the performances of both Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott than approve.
“I share that distrust,” says Pyke. “But the Greens aren’t the answer.”
“We expect the emergence of the Republican Democrats in Australia to dramatically change the dynamics of Australian politics,” says Pyke.
“The Rep Dems offer voters a safe alternative to the major parties where their votes will count and our country need not risk radical Greens’ policies,” he says.
Of the direction the new party intends to take, co-founder Graham Higgins says, “The Republican Democrats constitute a moderate party with appeal to people in the broad centre, including Australians on the intelligent left and the compassionate right. We constitute a party for thinking voters who take their politics seriously as well as those of us who no longer see value in former affiliations.”
Deputy CEO Higgins says, ”The Rep Dems are a party for small ‘l’ Liberal and Labor people, for small ‘g’ Greens, and for small ‘n’ Nats; all of us who want more for ourselves, our families and our country and can see it makes sense to unite to establish an exciting new political movement in Australian politics.”
Peter Pyke says the Republican Democrats bring a new narrative of optimism and visionary politics for our states, territories and our nation. “We can work together. Our clever country deserves soooo much better,” he says.
“Want to see what we stand for? Have a look at us at:
www.republicandemocrats.org.au,” Rep Dems CEO Pyke says. “If you like what you see, help us get established before the federal election.”
“As a centre party, only the Republican Democrats can claim to be truly unfettered by the outdated left-right models of the past. Only the Rep Dems offer real change, unconstrained by anachronistic class-warfare Coalition or Labor politics, or a scary, single-issue focus,” Pyke says,
“We are here to work together with all reasonable aspects of politics and society,” says Pyke. “With us in a position of influence in the Australian Parliament for example, the Resource Super Profits Tax debacle would never have occurred.”
“Neither big business nor unions, nor other interests in between will be rejected by the Republican Democrats as important partners to work with for the betterment of our states’, territories’ and nation’s futures,” he says. “The Republican Democrats stand for commonsense and have a clear vision of our nation working together as: ‘our clever country’.”
“We see a future where our clever country shows the world the lead in agriculture and food production, clean energy technologies, communications, democracy, education, ethics, finance, industrial and international relations, law, niche manufacturing, sustainable mining, transport and tourism,” both Higgins and Pyke say.
Asked about whether the Rep Dems will adopt a similar motto as the former-Democrats, which was: ‘Keep the bastards honest,’ Pyke laughs and says, “What we really want to do is to keep the bastards out!”
www.republicandemocrats.org.au Peter Pyke CEO 0427 388 598 Party HQ: 1300 29 11 29