Australian Federal Election 2025 - Highlighting Some Minor Parties and Independents

While I am all for voting for minor parties and independent candidates, it can be concerning if too many of them win their seats. When independents hold the balance of power it gives them a lot of leverage to get their own policy ideas inserted into the mix.

This is not necessarily a good or bad thing but it can slow everything down, and even sabotage policies and promises, that the government won the election with. It requires the government to work harder, and possibly make compromises, to get their policies implemented.

Essentially they do what Australian pollical legend, and founder of The Australian Democrats, Senator Don Chipp, expounded in such simple terms, "keep the bastards honest."

While I can't list and write about every independent and minor party candidate I can highlight a few, who already hold seats in parliament, and will no doubt be looking to hold onto them in 2025.

The Conservatives

Bob Katter - Katter's Australian Party

There's a joke in the movie Deadpool and Wolverine, where Deadpool says Disney are going to make Hugh Jackman play Wolverine until he's 90! Similarly, Bob Katter, Australia's second longest serving MP, is probably going to keep going until he just can't. '...'til he's 90!'

Officially Bob represents Katter's Australian Party but most of the time he's the only member who has actually won a seat in Federal parliament. The party does have a few seats in parliament in his home state of Queensland.

Honestly, I have some respect for Bob, still going at age 79, but he's always leaned conservative, and generally represents more regional and rural issues. There aren't too many parties with a policy on 'crocodile management'.

His party is leading their campaign with the proposed introduction of 'Castle Law', a policy to allow people more flexibility when defending their home and property against criminals. On the surface it sounds like a good idea, but potentially could put people at more risk by emboldening them when attempting to defend their home and property.

In any case, his party is pro nuclear power, which is weird to me, because it's very likely his constituents could be in the frontline for having a nuclear waste storage facility built in their back garden. (In case you haven't read this blog before I'm anti-nuclear power... it's a hard NO WAY! from me until it's safe to sprinkle nuclear waste on your rice crispies).

One Nation - Pauline Hanson

There is no doubt Pauline Hanson is something of a pioneer in Australian politics, with an ability to grab headlines like no one else. Known for expressing views that most aren't prepared to say out loud, she's somehow survived nearly three decades with her One Nation Party.

Currently the party holds two seats at the Federal level with Pauline, and Malcolm Roberts both making the most of their time and position. Malcolm Roberts is equally vocal and very capable of grabbing a headline as well.

One Nation is about as conservative as they come. Some would say they're extreme right but I wouldn't go quite that far. For instance they're pro medical cannabis and want to lower the cost of  access to medical cannabis (though I'm not entirely sure medical cannabis is legal in all/any states?), and they want to remove the tax on beer and other spirits at venues to make going out more affordable.

They do have other policies that aren't too far removed from the mainstream, they just tend to grab headlines with more polarizing issues, like COVID Vaccine injury, and stopping rorts in various government departments and agencies such as Centrelink and Medicare.

Unfortunately One Nation also supports the introduction of nuclear power in this country. Which I suspect, for all of these parties and candidates that do, is more about developing a new industry and jobs than considering the impact of producing greater amounts of nuclear waste, or even lowering the cost of power (which it won't).

United Australia Party - Clive Palmer

Clive Palmer's United Australia Party (rebranded as the Trumpet of Patriots for 2025) is possibly one of the newest minor parties in recent times - though they have co-opted the history of earlier incarnations of parties using the name so they can claim three Prime Ministers were former members. Palmer is a highly successful, and sometimes eccentric business man and billionaire, that wants to get a better deal for businesses... and all Australians too... I guess?

The party seems to align itself with the ideologies of the Trump Administration, right down to co-opting their 'MAGA' branding, though obviously it means 'Make Australia Great Again' in this context. Hey it worked for Trump.

I'm not going to entertain the notion that any party aligned with Trump's policies, and supports the introduction of nuclear power into Australia is worth anyone's serious consideration. Trump is a moron, sorry, imbecile, and we don't need his style of leadership with his sycophantic ass kissers anywhere near Australian politics.

Family First

I don't have a lot to say about Family First other than I think their name is deceiving for a party that represents Christian and religious values. Not that they hide this, but on a ballot paper, the name Family First sounds really great to a lot of Australians.

While I, generally, don't oppose Christian and religious values I don't want them influencing government decisions on certain issues. 

For example, if your religion is against same sex marriages, that's fine, have at it, just don't impose that on the rest of us through law. (Note: Same sex marriage is currently legal in Australia since 2017, but Family First uses language like "Encourage and incentivise monogamous, heterosexual marriage," within their current policies, making it clear it's a law they would happily revisit).

The fact they're a Christian lobby group means I'll never vote for them before a major party but all that is moot, since they're also a supporter of nuclear power in Australia.

The Less Conservatives

The Teals

The Teals are not really a party as such. It's a nickname given to a group of independents, who currently hold seats in Federal parliament, that often vote together, with their policies falling somewhere between the Liberal party and the Greens.

Zali Steggall is the original 'Teal' first winning her seat in 2019. She was joined by six other teal senators at the election in 2022. They all have varying policies but they've become a bit of a thorn in the government's side now there's seven of them.

Honestly, I don't know anything about any of the teals (why would I, they're all independents in seats I can't vote for), but I did see Zali interview bomb a senator on national TV and I was so impressed, if you had handed me a Zali for PM card right then, I'd would've said, can we get her in the job now.

Although Zali is fairly clearly aligned with the Greens on climate change, you do need to do some digging to discover her stance on Nuclear Power, which she is firmly against according to this media response to the Coalition's Nuclear Power plan.

The Progressives

I'm not familiar with of any left leaning independents outside of the Greens and the Australian Democrats, both parties of which I've already covered in my previous article.

There are two left leaning independents who currently hold seats in Federal Parliament, Lidia Thorpe (formerly from the Greens), and Fatima Payman (formerly from Labor). Both left their parties due to differing opinions on a very specific issue relating to their cultural backgrounds.

It's not lost on me that most independents tend to lean more towards the right. I suspect it's because conservatives tend to be more rigid in their views making it challenging to find common ground with fellow conservatives.

Progressives, by their very nature, tend to value being more inclusive, and open to compromise, making it less challenging to fit in with a party like the Greens or Labor.

---o ---o--- o---

This is the last of my posts on the Australian Federal Election, other than I may write something on who won, post election.

To date these articles represent the most research I've ever done prior to an election. Largely because I know my political leanings, and which party aligns most with them. Plus I've always been a woke leftist decades before conservatives discovered the term 'woke' and started using it as a slur.

That said, there was that one election where I voted Liberal because that was the only candidate in my electorate that actually showed up in person, on the campaign trail. He seemed like a nice enough bloke so I thought I'd give him my vote.

Often, to win a seat, all you need to do is show up for the people in your electorate. Not just at your campaign events but also ask to attend and speak to any significant community group at their meetings. It can go a long way with undecided or disillusioned voters.