Success For LDP In Gippsland
The Gippsland by-election, in which the LDP gained 4.6% of the vote, has
confirmed the LDP is no longer just a micro party. It could now be correctly
referred to as a minor party. The difference is important.
“This is a really great result and I would like to thank the people of
Gippsland who put their faith in the LDP and Ben Buckley, with the "Give
Buckley a chance" campaign. I would also like to thank all our supporters
who helped at one quarter of the polling stations across the electorate,”
said LDP President Peter Whelan.
Whelan explained, "Ben worked tirelessly from the start, addressing
community forums from Yarrum, through Sale and Heyfield, to Omeo, as well as
numerous TV, radio and press interviews.
“We were able to get our message of small government, less red tape and
lower taxes across, through the many community forums, where Ben’s personal
following, commitment and sincerity shone through. He was not perturbed or
intimidated by the coziness between the “Three Old Parties” and certain
sections of the rural press.
"The LDP’s low cost TV campaign on free-to-air and YouTube.com was also
very well received as it did not engage in fear politics or denigrate the
other candidates. Gippslanders did not take kindly to this style of
campaigning by the old parties.
"This by-election result confirms that people who support our philosophy
of low taxes and less government interference will vote for us, as long as
they get to hear about us. We believe a lot of Australians are looking for
an alternative to Liberal and Labor but are not keen on left-wing options
like the Greens or social conservatives like Family First and the Christian
Democrats. The LDP offers that alternative.
"The Gippsland result shows we can achieve the figures of a minor party.
The preferences of minor parties determine the outcome in marginal seats and
sometimes entire elections. We are now in the same category as the Greens,
Family First and Nationals", Mr Whelan said.
“Already the flood of requests for membership details and unsolicited
feedback indicates that many of the 4000 Gippslanders who gave the LDP their
first preference vote are keen on our message.
The LDP intends to use its success to embark on a renewed membership
drive to achieve state registration as a political party in Victoria and
NSW.
"A lot of our policies are relevant to the State political environment.
Restrictions on commerce, petty taxes and interfering bureaucrats are
endemic to state governments", Mr Whelan said.
"Our aim is to run candidates in the next Victorian and NSW state
elections. It's pretty obvious Labor has peaked and is now in decline. As a
minor party our votes could be the key decider and will certainly give the
Liberals and Labor a reason to review their incessant nanny-state
interference."
LDP Wants Lower Fuel Tax And An Honest Debate
"The Liberal and Labor parties aren't being honest about the fuel price
debate. They are both offering to increase and decrease the fuel tax --
depending on who they are talking to," said LDP Vice-President John
Humphreys.
"Only the Greens and LDP are being honest about their positions. The
Greens argue for an increase in fuel tax. To their credit, they are
consistent and honest about their policy. The LDP is equally consistent and
honest, but we take the opposite view and would like tax on fuel to be
reduced.
The LDP is one of only five parties fielding a candidate in Saturday's
Gippsland by-election. Its candidate is local Councillor Ben Buckley. Of the
other parties, the Liberals, Nationals and Labor have given mixed signals
about fuel prices, while the Greens want higher fuel prices. Only Buckley
and the LDP have a clear policy of fuel tax cuts.
The LDP contested the federal election last year with a policy of 10
cents a litre reduction in the fuel tax, well before the Liberals picked up
the idea with their 5 cents a litre suggestion.
"The LDP is the only party not being caught up in the fear campaign of
global warm-mongering."
"The LDP accepts the basic science behind man-made global warming, and we
understand that this represents a potential risk for future generations.
However, in contrast to the other parties we do not believe in running an
exaggerated fear campaign to justify drastic large-scale government action.
"We believe that technological progress and human adaptability will help
us to adjust to the challenges and opportunities of climate change. Further,
we strongly reject the idea that the government should introduce bad policy
simply to look like they're doing something. The policies of the Greens,
Liberals and Labor include taxes, subsidies and regulations which would
provide little benefits and significant costs. The LDP will not join this
bidding war of bad policy.
"Last year I suggested a minimalist approach to climate change policy
that will help to encourage alternative energy sources, while having little
impact on the economy and actually reducing fuel taxes. The idea is to
replace the fuel tax with a lower but broader carbon tax which covers not
only fuel but also electricity-generation. The consequence would be slightly
higher electricity prices, and a 30c tax cut on fuel."
In October 2007 the Centre for Independent Studies released a monograph
entitled "Exploring a Carbon Tax for Australia", written by John Humphreys.
The monograph is available at:
http://www.cis.org.au/policy_monographs/pm80.pdf
"The carbon-fuel tax swap addresses two problems at the same time. The
most important area for climate change policy is addressing carbon emissions
from coal-fired power stations. At the same time, Australian families are
suffering considerably under the strain of an historically high fuel tax
which needs to be reduced. Both issues are addressed by shifting some of the
tax burden from fuel to electricity.
"The Liberals and Labor say they want to combat high fuel prices. They
are lying. Both parties are committed to drastic climate change policies
that will increase fuel prices. Only the LDP believes in taking a moderate,
measured, response to climate change and only the LDP believes in reducing
the fuel tax," concluded Mr Humphreys.
Save $60m with a $10m competition for a domestic
“green” vehicle
The government should abandon its $70 million donation to Toyota to
encourage local production of a hybrid car and hold a $10 million
competition for the best, most innovative plan for a “green” vehicle, claims
Ben Buckley, LDP candidate for the Gippsland by-election.
“In 1927, aviator Charles Lindbergh flew non-stop from New York to Paris
to claim a prize offered for innovation in flight. That led to aircraft
development and greater confidence in trans-Atlantic commercial flights.”
“In 2004 SpaceShipOne collected the $10 million prize aimed at making
space flight a commercial reality. That’s now been picked up by Richard
Branson as Virgin Galactic. Why can’t Australia offer a similarly inspiring
prize for a domestic, commercially-viable ‘green’ vehicle?” he asked.
Buckley continued, “Instead of handing over tens of millions that Toyota
didn’t ask for and doesn’t need, the Government should be encouraging
developments independently of the manufacturer. If Toyota has the best
innovation, that’s fine, but it shouldn’t be given first prize without
considering any other entries”, he said.
The LDP has an open policy on sources of energy and believes that the
market will decide what works best without government interference.
“We don’t think the government has any business spending our money on
something that the market will sort out. But since it seems determined to
throw money away, it should at least throw it somewhere that might have a
benefit.”
“Our plan would save $60 million that could go into tax cuts. The
remaining $10 million may possibly kick-start innovation in this area. With
the technical and engineering capabilities already present in Gippsland, a
local firm or TAFE college may benefit from such an open competition”,
explained Buckley.
LDP To Stand In ACT Election
The Liberal Democratic Party is intending to run in the upcoming ACT
election. This will be the third time the libertarian party has contested
ACT elections.
The party's campaign will focus on three themes:
1) Opposition to Jon Stanhopes plan to increase the size of the ACT
Legislative Assembly.
2) The introduction of a school voucher system to address funding
inequality for non government schools.
3) Implementation of an affordable housing strategy that embraces private
sector solutions including the sale of most public housing in the ACT.
Canberra businessman David McAlary has been confirmed as the party's lead
candidate in the seat of Molongolo, with other candidates to be announced
over coming weeks.
"In spite of the ACT having Australia's healthiest, youngest and most
affluent population, we have the highest percentage of public housing in
Australia. One in 10 residential dwellings in the ACT is owned by the
Government compared to the national average of around 4%," Mr McAlary said.
"The LDP will campaign on a platform of reducing the amount of public
housing stock in the ACT to bring it in line with the national average. With
the private sector in the ACT so willing and able to meet the high demand
for housing, there is little need for the local government to be involved."
"The high rate of public housing has done nothing to relieve the current
housing shortage. In fact the ACT has the nation's tightest and most
expensive rental market. The ACT Government should give the private sector
the freedom it needs to expand to meet the demand for accommodation."
"The LDP also believes in restoring to parents both the right and ability
to choose where to educate their children. Its policies are aimed at
ensuring schools compete with each other for students on the basis of
quality and cost."
"And we absolutely oppose any increase in the size of the ACT Legislative
Assembly. More pollies just means more waste and taxes. We have more than
enough of them already," he said.
RED TAPE AND TAXATION: "LESS IS BEST" SAYS
LDP CANDIDATE BEN BUCKLEY
“With a budget surplus of $22 billion, the Rudd government is not only
spending taxpayers’ hard earned money at unprecedented levels but also
stockpiling large sums in huge, government-controlled slush funds," Ben
Buckley, Gippsland candidate for the Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) said
today.
"The major parties have agreed to shuffle the tax brackets around and
drop rates by a few percentage points, but their plan will not ultimately
fix the mess.
"The LDP is the only political party contesting the Gippsland by-election
with a plan for fundamental tax reform. We are calling for a flat income tax
of 30% over a tax-free threshold of $30,000. Under this approach no
low-income Australian would pay tax, and other Australians would receive a
significant tax cut. This will help working families as well as other
Australians and lead to strong economic growth.
"We need to keep our hard earned dollars in Gippsland, not send them to
Canberra,” explained Buckley.
The current system is complex and inefficient and the level of taxation
is simply too high. Our top marginal tax rate is higher than the rate in
communist China, our income tax burden is one of the highest in the
developed world and Australians are currently suffering from the highest
level of taxes in our history. An estimated 80,000 people are employed to
interpret, minimise, monitor compliance or enforce our tax system.
"The LDP plans to eliminate much of that red tape for businesses and
individual taxpayers," claimed Buckley.
Unfortunately the Labor government has no plan to do anything differently
from its Coalition predecessor. It has offered small tax cuts, but prefers
to simply blame petrol companies and retailers for the cost of living. When
average people are paying so much to the government, that's totally
ridiculous", Mr Buckley said.
"Neither major party believes in reducing taxes any more. The LDP is the
only party contesting the Gippsland by-election that believes in reducing
the number of government employees, cutting red tape and bold tax reform.
"The LDP supports free markets, personal liberty and limits to government
intrusion. Until now voters that believe in small government have only been
able to choose between big and bigger. Now voters in Gippsland have a
meaningful choice", Mr Buckley said.
LDP AGAINST COMPULSORY VOTING AND TAXPAYER
FUNDING FOR POLITICAL PARTIES
Ben Buckley, the LDP (Liberty and Democracy Part) candidate for Gippsland,
claims the LDP is the only political party in Australia that believes voting
is a right.
“To force people to vote, under threat of prosecution, is not a right. It
is a legal obligation. Yet that is what every other party supports. Every
other political party wants to take away your right to choose by forcing you
to vote,” explained Ben.
The LDP is also against taxpayer funding of political parties. The
Australian Electoral Commission funds each political party to the tune of
$2.14 for each vote it receives, once it passes the 4% level.
“As a result of last November’s Federal Election, the Labor Party
received just over $22 million of taxpayers funds.”
“No wonder the major parties don’t want to introduce voluntary voting,”
Ben said. “It is a lucrative rort.”
“Compulsory voting takes away choice and also undermines our democracy.”
“Party supporters can be ignored because their vote is guaranteed, and
political parties can spend all of their time trying to buy the votes of the
20-30% of Australians who are swinging voters. Under voluntary voting,
Liberal supporters who opposed the direction of the Liberals could protest
by not voting at all. The same applies to Labor and the Nationals.
“The option of not voting also means that no electorate in the country is
ever truly safe, because a low turn-out of supporters could mean a major
upset.
“In addition, voter turnout is an important indicator of how well
politicians are engaging with the Australian people. It is the job of
politicians to earn respect and support, not simply be the least worst
candidate in a forced ballot.
“Some people in Australia value their vote and care deeply about the
democratic system. Every time an indifferent voter picks a random candidate
for no real reason except that they are forced to, they cancel out a serious
vote. If people don’t care and don’t want to vote, they should have the
right to stay at home,” he said.
LDP ANNOUNCES GIPPSLAND CANDIDATE
The Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP) will be contesting the June 28th
Gippsland by-election. The LDP’s candidate is well known Gippsland identity,
Ben Buckley.
Describing how the LDP will appeal to Gippsland voters, Ben said, “The LDP
stands for low taxes, small government and individual freedom. That's also
what I believe in, and I think a lot of Gippsland people do too."
“Australians pay far too much tax and both Coalition and Labor governments
try to bribe us with our own money. On average
people are paying 30% more tax than 10 years ago, even after adjusting for
inflation. Neither the Liberals, Nationals nor Labor have any real
commitment to restructure our taxation system to correct this. With all the
money being generated from GST, company tax, petrol tax, traffic fines etc,
we could be paying zero personal tax,” Ben explained.
The LDP has a well-developed policy to reduce taxes that involves a tax-free
threshold of $30,000 and a flat 30% tax rate above this. It is also
committed to reducing or removing other taxes such as land taxes and Council
rates, to significantly decrease the tax burden on all Australians.”
“Governments are also far too authoritarian and intrusive. None of the major
parties has any commitment to individual choice and responsibility. While
the proper role of government is to protect our lives, freedom and property,
our governments are transforming Australia into a place where every aspect
of life is controlled.
"The LDP stands for reduced government intrusion in the lives of ordinary
people. That includes things like voluntary voting, assisted suicide and
removing the petty rules and penalties that torment businesses. It would
restore to property owners the right to permit smoking on their property and
to cut down their own trees. Even when the choices that individuals make are
unwise and could harm them, so long as nobody else is forced to suffer harm,
‘It's your choice, not the government's’”, Mr. Buckley said.
The LDP is unlike most small political parties because it is not focused on
a narrow range of issues and does not reflect the views of a dominant
individual. It is also not pursuing a left or right wing political agenda.
It is a genuinely broad-based party, defining itself as anti-left,
anti-right and pro-liberty. Parties with a similar approach include ACT in
New Zealand and the Libertarian Party in the USA.
I DANCE ON JOHN HOWARD'S POLITICAL GRAVE -
SPORTING SHOOTER
On the day John Howard officially loses his seat of Bennelong, Liberty
and Democracy Party (LDP) candidate for the seat, David Leyonhjelm, has
claimed a victory for Australia’s sporting shooters.
The Australian Electoral Commission will be declaring the poll in
Bennelong at 3.30 pm today. Notwithstanding earlier claims of victory, the
result is not legal until the poll is declared.
“Australia’s sporting shooters were treated disgracefully by John Howard
in 1996 and in 2002 when he inflicted his personal aversion to guns on the
whole of Australia.”
“Although only one person was responsible for the Port Arthur massacre in
1996 and the Monash murders in 2002, John Howard used both tragedies to
punish three-quarters of a million law-abiding Australians,” he said.
“Ever since, sporting shooters have been carrying a baseball bat waiting
for the opportunity to retaliate against their tormentor. On the day he
loses his seat, I dance on his political grave,” Mr Leyonhjelm said.
The gun laws imposed on the States by John Howard resulted in:
1. Almost a billion dollars wasted on two compulsory surrender episodes,
euphemistically known as buybacks. A number of these guns were diverted into
the hands of criminals, yet the penalty for failure to surrender previously
legal firearms in NSW is 15 years jail.
2. No change in firearms crime. The recent murder of a man in a main
street of Melbourne is proof, if any was needed, that taking guns from the
law-abiding makes no difference to criminals. Even a decline in suicide by
firearms has been more than matched by the use of other methods.
3. Individual registration of rifles and shotguns. New Zealand abandoned
this years ago as wasteful and meaningless. Canada is about to do the same.
4. Meaningless bureaucracy and red tape. For example, in NSW, a permit to
acquire a tenth firearm is subject to the same 28-day delay as a permit for
the first. Also, the only place a firearm can be legally cleaned is inside a
safe.
5. Crippling of the shooting sports. The service rifle discipline,
internationally hugely popular, now barely exists because of the ban on
self-loading rifles. International IPSC pistol shooters can no longer
compete in Australia due to calibre restrictions.
6. Injustice and discrimination. Farmers can obtain a permit for a
self-loading rifle to kill injured stock and vermin, but their employees and
invited visitors cannot.
“With John Howard now gone, perhaps the Rudd Government can bring itself
to say sorry for the injustice inflicted on law-abiding sporting shooters,
and to the community for the massive waste of taxpayers funds. Imagine how
the mental health sector might have benefited if the funds had been used
there instead,” Mr Leyonhjelm said.
SMOKING CANDIDATE DYING TO QUIT
“Three weeks ago I announced that I would take up smoking for the
campaign to highlight the discrimination against smokers. With one day to go
before the election I am looking forward to giving up the habit and
returning to a smoke-free existence,” said John Humphreys, Queensland Senate
candidate for the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“It is easy to demonise smokers, and all political parties enjoy scoring
political points by attacking smokers. The LDP is the only party that will
defend the rights of smokers.
“We do not support smoker’s rights because we are smokers. Most of us
aren’t. We defend their rights because we believe in individual rights and
private property. The recent ban on smoking in pubs is an attack on
individual choice and private property rights. Only the LDP believes that
property owners should be able to set their own rules on their property.
“I took up smoking for the campaign because it is politically incorrect
and I wanted to offer a small gesture of support to smokers. But I don’t
really like smoking and after tomorrow I will be happy to stop.
“On a personal level, I don’t like the smoke or the smell. If you’re a
regular smoker I suggest stopping, at least for a month, so that you can
compare the two lifestyle choices. That is my personal preference and my
personal advice.
“But the difference between the LDP and other political parties is that
we don’t believe in forcing our personal preferences and advice on other
people. Ultimately, the best person to make your life decisions is not me or
any other politician. It’s you,” he concluded.
IT'S TIME TO RE-LEGALISE MARIJUANA
“The LDP is the only political party calling for the full re-legalisation
of marijuana,” declared John Humphreys, Queensland Senate candidate for the
Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“While some groups accuse the Greens of wanting drug legalisation, that
accusation should more accurately be aimed at the LDP. The Greens now agree
with the major parties that marijuana should remain illegal and that there
should be strict penalties for dealers.
“In contrast, the LDP wants to put drug dealers out of business by
legitimising and regulating the sale of marijuana to adults.
“The re-legalisation of marijuana would undermine organised crime by
taking away a huge amount of their revenue. Marijuana sales would come out
in the open. This would mean that quality could be assured, revenue would be
raised from sales tax and company tax, and strict regulations could be put
in place to discourage the sale to minors.
“Despite years of our so-called war on drugs, there is easy access to
marijuana in Australia and little change in usage rates. The only realistic
options we have are whether marijuana sales are controlled by underground
drug dealers or regulated and tax-paying businesses. The second option is
clearly the more sensible.
“Other parties want to waste millions of dollars having scarce police
resources run around chasing uni students for smoking a joint in their
backyard. Only the LDP believes that the police should concentrate on real
crime like murder, assault, rape and theft.
“It’s important to be clear about one thing. The LDP does not support
drug use and many people in the LDP are passionate in their hatred for all
drugs, including marijuana.
“We are not saying that marijuana is good or that people should try it.
We are saying that prohibition doesn’t work and when a government policy
doesn’t work it should be changed. Prohibition has contributed to organised
crime, wasted police resources, sent otherwise harmless Australians to jail,
and had no impact on drug use.
“It’s time to end marijuana prohibition,” concluded Mr Humphreys.
DRINK DRIVING LAWS SHOULD BE RELAXED
“Australia has the strictest drink driving laws in the English-speaking
world and we should consider shifting to a more liberal approach,” suggested
John Humphreys, Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and Democracy
Party (LDP).
The current blood alcohol content limit in Australia is 0.05% for open
drivers. This means a driver may not have more than 0.05 grams of alcohol
per 100 grams of blood.
“The LDP would like to see a temporary increase in the legal alcohol
limit from 0.05% to 0.08%. After a few years we could assess the impact of
the change and make a final decision about our drink-driving laws,” he said.
“This could be done in one or more States and we would be able to compare
the outcomes of the different approaches and the community reaction.
“The 0.08% limit is used in many parts of the world, including America,
Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland and the United
Kingdom. None of these countries are suffering significant costs from their
more liberal approach.
“It is appropriate for the government to set rules for driving that
protect other people, such as drink-driving restrictions and speed limits.
However, the government needs to set reasonable laws that give the right
balance between safety and convenience. The LDP fears that policy makers are
taking an excessively risk-averse approach to road rules that do not reflect
community standards," he said.
IT'S TIME TO RE-LEGALISE MARIJUANA
“The LDP is the only political party calling for the full re-legalisation
of marijuana,” declared John Humphreys, Queensland Senate candidate for the
Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“While some groups accuse the Greens of wanting drug legalisation, that
accusation should more accurately be aimed at the LDP. The Greens now agree
with the major parties that marijuana should remain illegal and that there
should be strict penalties for dealers.
“In contrast, the LDP wants to put drug dealers out of business by
legitimising and regulating the sale of marijuana to adults.
“The re-legalisation of marijuana would undermine organised crime by
taking away a huge amount of their revenue. Marijuana sales would come out
in the open. This would mean that quality could be assured, revenue would be
raised from sales tax and company tax, and strict regulations could be put
in place to discourage the sale to minors.
“Despite years of our so-called war on drugs, there is easy access to
marijuana in Australia and little change in usage rates. The only realistic
options we have are whether marijuana sales are controlled by underground
drug dealers or regulated and tax-paying businesses. The second option is
clearly the more sensible.
“Other parties want to waste millions of dollars having scarce police
resources run around chasing uni students for smoking a joint in their
backyard. Only the LDP believes that the police should concentrate on real
crime like murder, assault, rape and theft.
“It’s important to be clear about one thing. The LDP does not support
drug use and many people in the LDP are passionate in their hatred for all
drugs, including marijuana.
“We are not saying that marijuana is good or that people should try it.
We are saying that prohibition doesn’t work and when a government policy
doesn’t work it should be changed. Prohibition has contributed to organised
crime, wasted police resources, sent otherwise harmless Australians to jail,
and had no impact on drug use.
“It’s time to end marijuana prohibition,” concluded Mr Humphreys.
MAJOR UPSET IN NSW SENATE RACE: LDP COULD WIN
“To be honest, we didn’t expect to win at this election, but it turns out
that we have a decent chance of winning the last spot in the NSW Senate
race,” claimed John Humphreys, founder and Vice-President of the Liberty and
Democracy Party (LDP) – which promotes both economic liberalism and social
liberalism.
“We are getting a very good flow of preferences, which means that Terje
Petersen could get elected on as little as 0.5% of the vote.”
The LDP is running candidates in all Senate races except the Northern
Territory, as well as 47 candidates for the lower house. The lead NSW Senate
candidate is small businessman Terje Petersen.
The LDP is receiving preferences from Conservatives for Climate and
Environment, the Secular Party, Carers Alliance, Fishing Party, Hear our
Voice, Family First, Pauline’s United Australia, the Democrats and various
independents.
“If we can get over 0.5% then we should be able to pick up a range of
micro-party and independent preferences to take us ahead of Family First and
the Democrats. That should then take us ahead of the other right-wing
parties, who preference us before the major parties or the Greens.
“Ultimately, it might come down to a close race between us and the
Christian Democrats for the final NSW Senate spot.”
The Christian Democrats are getting preferences from One Nation, the
Shooters Party, Democratic Labour Party and Non-custodial Parents Party.
Antony Green (ABC) offers a Senate calculator that lets people input the
expected party votes and then calculates who will win the Senate seats.
“When I first used Antony Green’s Senate calculator I put in the LDP at
0.5% and I put in reasonable numbers for all other parties and the LDP wins.
I tried various other numbers and the LDP gets a Senate seat in more than
half the scenarios. Indeed, it is possible for the LDP to win even if our
primary vote is as low as 0.25%.
“There is now a very real chance that a small-l liberal might have
balance of power in this country,” concluded Humphreys.
TIME TO BAN SOCCER
“Politicians often call for a ban, tax or restrictions on activities that
cause harm. In that spirit, the LDP today calls for a ban on sports,
especially including the dangerous sport of soccer,” said John Humphreys,
Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“Smoking cigarettes, drinking too much alcohol, riding a bicycle without
a helmet, trying marijuana and eating fatty foods are all dangerous
activities. Luckily for us stupid citizens, there are intelligent, honest
and hard-working politicians to protect us from ourselves.
“The Greens are especially caring because they are willing to suspend
their core belief in free speech just to make sure that we don’t have to see
the evil advertisements about McDonalds or Carlton Draught.
“However, it seems that our wise political protectors have missed one
fairly important source of danger: soccer.
“The problem with soccer is that heading objects can cause brain damage.
A number of peer-reviewed studies have shown that soccer players are more
likely to have mild traumatic brain injury. In 1998, Dutch researchers
showed that professional soccer players suffered from deterioration in
memory, planning and visual-perceptual tasks.
“Obviously, this calls for government intervention. Initially we should
introduce heavy taxes on soccer, introduce regulation to limit the number of
times a person can head the ball, restrict soccer games to government
approved venues and require soccer players to register with a mental health
watch organisation. The long term plan should be to phase out and eventually
ban soccer.
“We understand that some people still hold on to out-dated notions about
individual freedoms, and would defend the right of people to make their own
decision about their life choices and the risks they take. But safety is
more important than freedom.
“Anybody who defends the freedom of soccer players is really just
promoting brain damage. This issue is no different from the issue of
smoking, drinking, eating fatty foods or riding a bicycle without a helmet.
Freedom should not extend to any of these dangerous activities. People
should only be free to do the things that the government approves. And if
the government really does want to protect its citizens from themselves,
then it should not allow soccer.”
.....................................................................................................................................
NOTE: This press release is a parody. The LDP does not really support a
ban on soccer. We support the freedom of Australians to make their own
decisions about soccer, smoking, drinking, fatty foods and riding a bicycle
without a helmet. This press release is intended to show that it is not
appropriate for the government to micro-manage the decisions of its
citizens.
SPEED LIMITS SHOULD GO UP
The LDP has called for a new system of setting speed limits that would
result in some speed limits being increased so they more closely match
community standards.
“Since the only way to eliminate road accidents is to eliminate cars and
roads, the real issue is who ought to decide the balance between speed and
road deaths – public servants or Australian drivers,” said LDP Secretary
David Leyonhjelm.
The LDP believes the setting speed limits in Australia is a classic
example of nanny-state thinking, with bureaucrats making decisions on behalf
of the rest of the community.
“The government should not be setting speed limits on a “we know best”
basis,” said Mr Leyonhjelm.
“Drivers are all adults and can make their own choices. If most drivers
exceed the speed limit, the limit should be raised. It’s not for the
government to tell everyone they are wrong.
“This is not about letting hoons race past schools at high speed. It’s
about ensuring the government is our servant, not our master.
“There is an internationally recognised method of matching speed limits
to community values via the 85th percentile rule. The Australian Transport
Council’s National Road Safety Strategy acknowledges this method, but quite
blatantly imposes its own version of acceptable risk instead,” he said.
Traffic engineers observe that the majority of drivers drive in a safe
and reasonable manner in the absence of speed limits, with the safest
vehicles travelling at or below the 85th to 90th percentiles. Vehicles
travelling over the 85th percentile (or faster than the flow of traffic)
have a significantly higher crash risk than vehicles travelling around or
modestly below this speed.
Law enforcement measures can be directed at this 15 percent, increasing
the law’s legitimacy to drivers and avoiding perceptions of revenue-raising.
The LDP’s policy calls for the setting of speed limits at, or slightly
above, the 85th percentile. It anticipates this would result in an increase
of 10-30 km/h in the limit on roads where drivers felt it was safe to drive
at such speeds, while perhaps leading to reductions on less safe roads.
GREENS AND LDP CALL FOR AN END TO ASIO ACT
The Australian Greens and the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP) are from
opposite sides of the political spectrum, but they have united today to call
for the repeal of the ASIO Act.
“It’s time that Australia stopped living in a climate of fear and
over-turned the Liberal’s authoritarian ASIO Act,” said John Humphreys,
Queensland Senate candidate for the LDP.
“The government has used the so-called ‘war on terror’ to justify taking
away the legitimate rights of Australians.
“In many ways this war is very different to other wars. The enemy is
undefined, the goals are unclear, the strategy is uncertain and there is no
way of determining when the war will be over. But in one way at least this
war is the same as all others. It will come at a high cost in terms of
dollars and liberty.
“While the Australian government has always been able to detain people
for questioning without charging them, the ASIO Act allows the government to
detain people when they are neither being charged nor questioned. This has
to end,” said Mr Humphreys.
The Greens and the LDP differ on many issues, especially regarding
economic policy. The Greens want to see more money put into government
services while the LDP would prefer to see substantial tax cuts. However on
the issue of civil liberties they agree that the government has gone too far
with their fear campaign and extra police powers.
Today both parties will call for a repeal of the ASIO Act and a
restoration of our civil liberties.
“Thomas Jefferson is often quoted as saying that the price of liberty is
eternal vigilance. The very thing that defenders of freedom must be vigilant
against is that people, with the best of intentions, will gradually reduce
our freedoms through the promise of safety,” concluded Mr Humphreys.
NEW PARTY DEFENDS BANK FEES
“It is politically popular to bash banks, especially among people who
don’t understand economics. The LDP is proud to be the party of economic
liberalism and defend the competitive and efficient banking sector,” said
John Humphreys, economics spokesperson and Queensland Senate Candidate for
the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“While it is true that bank fees went up after bank deregulation, it is
also true that the interest rate margin went down. The net effect of bank
deregulation has been lower interest rates and a more efficient banking
system.
“Family First and Stephen Mayne like to complain about bank fees, but the
reality is that it is fairly easy for an astute customer to find low fee
banking options. And savers and borrowers alike have benefited from the
increased efficiency of our banking system.
“Some fringe groups have even called for a government-owned bank, which
would make banking decisions for political, instead of economic reasons.
This is extremely poor policy and the LDP is glad that the major two parties
do not take these clowns seriously.
“We understand that banks are unpopular. But the LDP is not a populist
party. We are a party that stands for economic liberalism and social
liberalism, and we will defend the freedom of banks to compete without
excessive government regulation.”
WORKCHOICES DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH - ABOLISH THE
MINIMUM WAGE
“The Government’s industrial relations reforms are so watered-down and
moderate that they are almost meaningless,” insisted John Humphreys, the
economic spokesman and Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and
Democracy Party (LDP).
“It is true that Australia needs industrial relations reform, but
unfortunately the Liberal party hasn’t delivered. We still have a massively
over-regulated labour market that slows economic growth and prevents us from
reaching full employment.
“The minimum wage causes unemployment and should be abolished.
“It is a simple fact of economics that if a person can produce $10/hour
of benefit to an employer, and the minimum wage is above $10/hour, they will
simply not be employed. Instead of getting a job, building skills and
self-confidence and contributing to a growing economy, such people are
instead relegated to the dole-queue and poverty trap.
“Defenders of the minimum wage argue that the benefit of higher wages for
the employed is more important than jobs for low-skilled workers. This
argument is short-sighted and very unfair to families trapped in a cycle of
welfare and poverty.
“Further, Australian economist Peter Dawkins showed that only 10% of
minimum wage earners are from families in the bottom 10% of disposable
incomes, while 25% of minimum wage earners come from families in the top 30%
of disposable incomes . Not only does the minimum wage cause unemployment
and poverty, but it doesn’t even achieve its stated aim.
“The LDP is the only party in Australia offering real industrial
relations reform to fix the fundamental problems in our current system. We
argue for the removal of the minimum wage and instead the introduction of an
income supplement in the form of a ‘negative income tax’. This will allow
for a significant increase in employment while still providing a minimum
standard of living for low-income earners.
“The Liberals have failed to provide strong economic leadership. Besides
running a balanced budget, they have been a disappointment to economic
liberals who had hoped for significant tax cuts and real labour market
reform. Only the LDP offers a plan for further economic liberalisation.”
LDP CANDIDATES AVAILABLE IN TALLY ROOM
On election night at the National Tally Room the Liberty & Democracy
Party (LDP), Australia's only libertarian political party, will be present
with candidates and officials.
Please make yourself known to us at the rear right-hand side of the media
pit, just near the political party pens. Look for the blue and gold bunting
or LDP signs mounted on the computer terminals.
The major parties are penned-in, which limits media access. The LDP is
free range, so we can move and accommodate the media more readily.
The LDP has endorsed 47 HoR and 14 Senate candidates. We understand this
makes it the largest inaugural micro party launch since federation. Our
candidates are nearly all in marginal seats so our preferences could be
vital. Details of preference recommendations are available on the party's
website: www.ldp.org.au
THERE'S A REAL CHOICE OUTSIDE THE KEV AND JOHN
SHOW
A photo taken in the seat of Wentworth sharply illustrates the fact that
voters have a clear choice in this election once they get past the Kev and
John 'me-too' contest.
The Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) has released the attached photo for
use by the media.
It shows the LDP and Greens offering Australians genuinely alternate
visions even as the major parties track closer and closer to each other.
http://www.kelu.net/images/SignVsGreen.jpg
"Clearly not all micro parties are built the same. And clearly we are not
all beating the same drum" said LDP NSW senate candidate Terje Petersen.
The LDP supports left leaning policies like euthanasia and legalised
marijuana but is also a staunch advocate of traditionally right-wing
policies such as lower taxes, free trade and shooters rights. The party
philosophy is libertarianism.
The Greens support high taxes and merely disagree with Liberal and Labor
about how the money should be spent. It's a lot different.
LDP CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF NUCLEAR PROHIBITION
The Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) today called for the removal of
legislation banning a nuclear power industry within Australia.
LDP candidate for the House of Representatives seat of Page, Benj Beatty,
said, “For too many years now, successive Governments have unnecessarily
interfered with the power generation industry, resulting in the grossly
distorted energy market we are lumbered with today.”
“It’s time to let the Australian people actually make the decision on
nuclear power, by removing legislative blocks and allowing a properly
functioning market to return.”
“The widespread fear of nuclear power has been carefully cultivated by
the Greens and Labor, but those fears bear little resemblance to the actual
dangers. The Chernobyl or Three Mile Island disasters are often flagged as
the inevitable result of a nuclear industry, but these occurred 21 and 28
years ago respectively. Technology and safety systems have improved
dramatically over the intervening years, and the risks associated with a
modern nuclear plant are comparable to all other major energy generators.”
“Other falsehoods continually perpetuated are that a nuclear plant would
somehow contaminate the local community surrounding it, or that waste
products maintain their radioactivity for billions of years. In fact,
studies by the USA National Cancer Institute have shown that there is no
general increase in the risk of cancer among those living near a functioning
plant, and even high level nuclear waste will only have 0.1% of its original
radioactivity levels after a period of only 40-50 years.”
“It’s time the Australian people are told the truth – despite what Kevin
Rudd, Bob Brown or Homer Simpson would have you believe, nuclear power is
safe and environmentally friendly. It’s time to remove the unnecessary
regulatory blocks, and allow the Australian people to decide for
themselves.”
The LDP is one of Australia’s newest federal parties, but unlike most new
parties it is not focused on a narrow range of issues. It is a genuinely
broad-based party, defining itself as anti-left, anti-right and pro-liberty.
LDP PROMOTES FUN POLITICAL QUIZ
The Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) today announced that its new
political quiz is up and running on the Internet. For those interested in
Australian politics the quiz offers a unique and interesting alternative to
the traditional left-wing, right-wing classification of political views.
http://www.ldp.org.au/quiz/index.html
"Australia is trapped within the left-wing, right-wing political paradigm
that has its origins in the French revolution. It is time we moved beyond
the rigid constraints of this old French tradition and reconsider how we
classify political positions," said LDP senate candidate Terje Petersen.
"Of course the LDP online quiz also offers a little bit of quick fun."
LDP BACKS LEGALISED PROSTITUTION AND
PORNOGRAPHY
“Every other political party has an unhealthy interest in our sex lives.
The LDP is committed to getting John Howard and Kevin Rudd out of our
bedrooms,” claims John Humphreys, the Queensland Senate candidate for the
Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“It is already legal for buy X-rated videos in Australia. However, in one
of our more stupid laws, it is illegal to sell X-rated videos everywhere
except the ACT.
"The Eros Foundation has quite rightly mocked the current system.
“The current laws against prostitution are also absurd. The sex live s of
Australians should be no business of the government. Prostitution is still
illegal in several jurisdictions in Australia and heavily regulated in
others. NSW has the most progressive laws which the LDP applauds, and we
call on the other State governments to stop their perverted fascination with
their citizen’s sex lives,” he said.
New South Wales is the only jurisdiction that allows prostitutes to work
on the streets, though they may not work near a dwelling, school, church or
hospital. All States strictly regulate the advertising of prostitution.
“We are calling for the legalisation of prostitution in all States of
Australia and the relaxation of restrictions on the sale of pornographic
material," Mr Humphreys said.
“We understand that pornography and prostitution go against the moral and
religious beliefs of some Australians. However, we do not generally believe
that it is appropriate to enforce religious views on other people. So long
as nobody is hurt, people should be left relatively free to live their own
lives.”
LDP'S SIMPLE PLAN FOR CHEAPER HOUSING
“The major parties have caused the so-called ‘housing crisis’ and now
they are promising to waste more taxpayers' money trying to fix it," claimed
John Humphreys, Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and Democracy
Party (LDP).
"The solution is actually very simple. The government needs to get out of
the way," he said.
“High house prices are caused by the government holding down supply
through high taxes and overly strict planning laws. If the government simply
got out of the way there would be significantly more supply and that would
put downward pressure on house prices.
“This is very simple economics and a very simple solution. But sometimes
the simple solutions are the best.
“The First Home Owners Scheme was bad public policy and a waste of money.
It drove up demand, which drove up prices further. The government needs to
stop addressing the demand side of the equation and start fixing the supply
side.
“Supply can be addressed in part by releasing more land to developers.
But more importantly, the government needs to allow more freedom for
landowners to sub-divide properties, and decrease the taxes and restrictions
on property developers.
"The LDP is proud to be a pro-development party,” he concluded.
LDP OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN LAUNCH 22 NOVEMBER
The Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP) will officially launch its election
campaign on Thursday 22 November at 7.30 pm at the Drummoyne Sports Club,
Hythe St, Drummoyne.
As this is the first time the LDP has contested a federal election, it
will be emulating many of the practices of the major parties for the launch.
The launch speech, to be delivered by the party’s NSW Senate candidate,
Terje Petersen, will be interrupted every few words by dozens of cheering
LDP supporters.
There will be streamers and balloons, but just two of each in keeping
with the party’s size and campaign budget.
The timing of the launch, close to the actual election, is intended to
maximise legal use of electorate allowances. Although the LDP has no members
in parliament, it understands this is standard practice.
Drinks will be provided for the media until our electorate allowances run
out.
Many of the party’s candidates will be present including ACT Senate
candidate, Lisa Milat. Lisa’s preferences are expected to decide whether the
seat is held by the Liberals or Greens.
“All media, with the exception of A Current Affair, are warmly invited to
the launch,” said Ms Milat.
The party’s Tasmanian Senate candidate Bede Ireland, said “I can’t be
present as I will be visiting relatives.”
As is major party practice, certain aspects of the launch will be
symbolic of the party’s policies.
The venue is a registered club, where smokers can choose to smoke but
only outdoors, gamblers can choose to ignore pokies and drinkers can choose
not to drink excessively. A choice of both healthy and unhealthy food will
be available.
The car park has room for motorcycles and hotted up cars (although a
speed camera is often set up nearby), and a mobile air rifle range will be
available subject to the approval of various bureaucrats including the
“that’s how we do things now in NSW” Police Commissioner.
Unfortunately the Swedish volunteer masseuse team is unable to attend
because of possible violations of the Workchoices Fairness Test.
Described during the campaign as droll, eccentric, quirky and wacky by
people who don’t understand what libertarian means, the LDP supports low
taxes, small government and personal responsibility. (See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian)
Next election, when it has members in parliament, the LDP will launch its
campaign as soon as the election is called so that taxpayers do not
subsidise its electioneering.
LDP BACKS VOLUNTARY VOTING
Monday 19 November 2007
The LDP is the only political party in Australia that supports the right
to vote.
“Every other party believes voting is an obligation. Every other
political party wants to take away your right to choose and force you to
vote,” insisted John Humphreys, Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty
and Democracy Party (LDP).
“If the government forces us to do something, it is not a right. Nobody
refers to the ‘right to pay tax’ or the ‘right to obey the law’. These
things are requirements. But voting in a free society should not be a
legally enforced obligation, it should be a right. That is the LDP position.
“Compulsory voting takes away choice and also undermines our democracy.
“Party supporters can be ignored because their vote is guaranteed, and
political parties can spend all of their time trying to buy the votes of the
20-30% of Australians who are swing voters. Under voluntary voting, Liberal
supporters who opposed the direction of the Liberals could protest by not
voting at all.
“The option of not voting also means that no electorate in the country is
ever truly safe, because a low turn-out of supporters could mean a major
upset.
“In addition, voter turnout is an important indicator of how well
politicians are engaging with the Australian people. It is the job of
politicians to earn support, not simply be the least worst candidate in a
forced ballot.
“Some people in Australia prize their vote and care deeply about the
democratic system. Every time an indifferent voter picks a random candidate
for no real reason except that they are forced to, they cancel out a serious
vote. If people don’t care and don’t want to vote, they should have the
right to stay at home,” he said.
TIME TO STOP THE GLOBAL WARM-MONGERING
“All the major parties want you to be scared of global warming so that
they can sell their snake-oil solution. The LDP doesn’t believe in basing
policy on fear campaigns and would prefer Australia to take a more
calculated approach to climate change policy,” said John Humphreys,
Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“Fear is the life blood of governments. Nothing builds public support for
government programs more effectively than the idea that life is not safe.
“The usefulness of fear has been well understood by politicians for a
long time. We fear second hand smoke, so we give up the rights of private
property owners to make their own rules. The fear of head injuries was used
to make bicycle helmets compulsory. The fear of guns led to excessively
strict gun laws. The fear of terrorism was used to justify the authoritarian
ASIO Act.
“And now we have the new grand fear campaign: the fear of carbon," Mr
Humphreys said.
The LDP does not deny the science behind global warming. However,
predictions of imminent doom are just as absurd as denying global warming.
Some groups are trying to build public fear and panic to justify the need
for urgent action against coal-fired energy. The LDP believes that public
policy should be based on careful and dispassionate assessment of the
benefits and costs of government action.
“I have previously suggested that a revenue-neutral carbon tax of about
$30/tonne CO2-e is a better option than the current raft of subsidies,
regulations and carbon trading schemes. Before we rush into a policy that we
may later regret, Australia should take a step back and carefully assess all
of the options,” Mr Humphreys said.
Last week the Centre for Independent Studies released a paper by John
Humphreys called ‘Exploring a Carbon Tax for Australia’. The paper explores
various options, including the idea of replacing the current fuel taxes with
a $30/tonne carbon tax. This would lead to higher electricity prices and
lower petrol prices and would have little negative impact on the economy.
“The other parties need to keep you scared and in a state of crisis to
convince you that you need them. The LDP totally rejects the politics of
fear. We oppose the commitments of the Liberals and Labor for fixed
renewable energy targets. We oppose money being thrown away as corporate
welfare to alternative energy companies. We oppose the introduction of any
climate change policy until it has passed a rigorous cost-benefit analysis.
Only the LDP wants to take an economically responsible approach to climate
change,” concluded Mr Humphreys.
END EXCESSIVE TAXI REGULATION
The Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) today agreed with Sydney Morning
Herald columnist Miranda Devine in her recent call for an end to excessive
taxi regulation.
http://tinyurl.com/ysoljs
"Miranda Devine has offered a timely reminder that the taxi industry is
over-regulated. It is totally ridiculous that a licence to operate a taxi
can only be obtained by handing over $300,000. This is a massive barrier to
entry in what ought to be a freely operating market," said Terje Petersen of
the LDP today.
"Australians already pay massive taxes whichever way they turn. The taxi
industry is just one more example of how excessive government interference
is making ordinary people's lives more expensive. The NSW Treasury should
immediately release to the public any report on this issue they are sitting
on. Consumers deserve to know why the government continues to impose such
outdated and draconian regulations and how much it costs them."
The LDP is fielding 47 lower house candidates in the federal election as
well as 14 Senate candidates.
The LDP believes in lower taxes, less regulation and greater personal
liberty.
MICRO PARTIES GIVE THEIR PREFERENCE TO A CARBON
TAX
[This press release is being issued jointly today by the Liberty and
Democracy Party (LDP) and by Conservatives for Climate and Environment (CFCE).
Both parties are standing candidates at this federal election.]
CFCE believes that man made global warming is a settled scientific fact
and the time for action has now come.
“Global Warming has become a prominent feature of debate during this
federal election, and rightly so” said Richard McNeall of the CFCE today.
“CFCE urges the government to take positive and urgent action. However we
also believe that in promoting such action we need to be mindful of its
impact on the broader economy. Some policy initiatives are clearly better
than others”.
The LDP is less convinced about the role of government in addressing the
threat of global warming.
“In so far as there are any risks associated with the emission of CO2 we
are technological optimists over the long term and we are sceptical about
the idea that government has a big role to play in providing an effective
solution. However we also acknowledge that the political debate has largely
moved on and government action has now become highly likely,” said Terje
Petersen of the LDP.
Despite their different views about the role of government in offering a
solution the two federal senate candidates for NSW broadly agree on the key
economics relating to the issue.
“Obviously we prefer a policy that gets the job done with the least
disruption to the economy” said Richard.
“The goal should be to reduce emissions and encourage investment in
alternate energy sources. The goal should not be to unnecessarily hamper the
broader economy. In fact a strong economy will be essential if renewable
energy investment is going to occur. We think that a carbon tax should be a
centre piece of any reform because relative to a carbon trading scheme it
entails more certainty for investors and it can be implemented faster, and
it will reduce the need for a market-distorting web of regulations and
subsidies.”
The LDP has a different emphasis but agrees with the conclusion.
“The LDP has no policy in favour of carbon taxes. In fact we generally
advocate lower taxes across the board and as a low tax party we are not much
in favour of new taxes,” said Terje.
“However a carbon tax would be a better approach than a carbon trading
scheme. A carbon trading scheme creates a whole class of carbon credit
rent-seeking businesses keen to endlessly lobby government. A carbon tax is
more transparent and creates greater certainty for investors. However,
whilst we think that a carbon tax is a better option compared to carbon
trading, we would only support a carbon tax if it was revenue neutral. Any
move to impose a carbon tax on electricity production should include an
increase in the tax free threshold on income tax or else reductions in fuel
taxes. In fact if a broad based carbon tax replaced the existing fuel tax
completely then it may even be a worthwhile tax reform in its own right,”
concluded Terje.
Queensland LDP senate candidate and economist John Humphreys recently
published a paper with the Centre for Independent Studies detailing the
relative merits of a carbon tax.
http://www.cis.org.au/policy_monographs/pm80.pdf
CFCE does not support reducing or removing fuel taxes.
LDP SUPPORTS NATIONAL BUY A GUN DAY
Australia's only libertarian political party applauds the initiative of
the Coalition of Law Abiding Sporting Shooters (CLASS) in fighting for the
rights of shooters through National Buy A Gun Day.
In its fourth year, National Buy A Gun Day is being celebrated this year
on November 17 (ie tomorrow).
"Owning a gun teaches responsibility, promotes freedom and improves
safety," claimed David Leyonhjelm, Secretary of the Liberty and Democracy
Party (LDP).
"Shooting is one of the oldest Olympic sports, in which our
representatives have made their fellow Australians justly proud in recent
years.
"Guns are also an important tool in the fight against feral animals.
Hunters and farmers kill tens of thousands of rabbits, foxes and wild pigs
every year.
"And as with coins, stamps and art, private gun collections are superior
to anything in public ownership and have the benefit of not costing
taxpayers any money.
"Perhaps most importantly, guns could be used for self defence by
vulnerable people including women and the elderly, if that right hadn't been
taken away by John Howard in 1996," said Mr Leyonhjelm.
The harsh gun laws forced on the states and territories in 1996 and 2002,
which affected sporting shootings, hunters, collectors and those in fear for
their safety, are typical of the excessive government regulation the LDP
opposes.
"It is clear such laws have had no effect on criminal activity," Mr
Leyonhjelm said.
"That's consistent with international experience. In Great Britain,
firearm crime increased four-fold since 1997 when pistols were banned there.
In the USA, the states with the toughest gun laws (eg New York and
Washington DC) have the highest gun crime, while those with the most liberal
laws (eg Vermont) have less gun crime than Australia or the UK.
"Restrictions on our liberty, whether it is gays choosing to marry each
other or sporting shooters engaging in their sport, require a compelling
justification and there should always be a presumption in favour of liberty.
In neither case, plus many other situations in which the government has
intruded on our liberty, is there such justification.
"In economic terms the laws represent bad policy as well. Close to a
billion dollars were spend on two gun buybacks, while the bureaucracies
required to administer the complex registration system are very costly. If
the money had been invested in tax cuts or even the medical system, the
whole community would have been a lot better off.
The LDP's policy on firearms calls for the scrapping of longarms
registration with a return to the emphasis on licensees, similar to New
Zealand and Canada, with strong penalties for misuse of guns.
GREENS WANT TO BAN ADS, LDP WANTS TO BAN GREENS
“The Greens have called for a ban on fast food advertising to protect the
health of our children. If banning things really was the answer to our
problems then we would be better off banning the Greens,” said John
Humphreys, Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and Democracy Party
(LDP).
“Banning things is not the solution. The LDP does not believe in
censorship or government control over advertising and we absolutely support
free speech in all its forms.
“The Greens advocate policies that would harm millions of Australians,
create unemployment and lower incomes. But we would never seriously call for
them to be banned. Perhaps their policies should come with a health warning,
but in a free country people should be free to say whatever they like, even
if it is wrong, rude or stupid.
“The same rationale applies to fast food adverts on television. We
understand that some people may not like fast food ads, but we must not
start going down the road of banning speech that we don’t like.
“It is easy to be tolerant of things that we agree with. Even in the most
oppressive dictatorships, people have always been free to do exactly as they
were told. True respect for free speech means that we tolerate speech that
we disagree with. For the Greens, that means learning to tolerate adverts
that promote evil multinationals and powerful overlords like Ronald
McDonald. For capitalists, that means learning to tolerate the Greens.
“The Greens worry about the impact of adverts on children. This is an
understandable concern. However, the LDP has a different approach. We take
the radical position that it is the parent’s responsibility to bring up
their children, not the government’s.
“The LDP is the only party with an absolute commitment to free speech and
we are the only party that believes in letting parents bring up their
children without excessive government interference,” Mr Humphreys said.
GREENS JOIN THE SECRETS CLUB
The Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) today criticised the Greens for their
hypocrisy on government transparency .
The Greens have joined with the NSW Labor Government to suppress the
release of documents that could reveal whether Mr Newhouse's candidacy for
the Labor party in the seat of Wentworth was invalid.
"This proves the Greens can't be trusted to hold the balance of power
under a Labor government. They are simply too cosy with Labor. They swap
preferences and cover each other's backs," said Terje Petersen of the LDP
today.
"It seems that government transparency, for the Greens, is just a catch
cry designed to win them more power. Transparency is not something they
apply to their friends and clearly they are pretty cosy with the Labor
party.
"The Greens have shown a complete lack of integrity in this matter.
Greens in the senate would not achieve any form of accountability for a
Labor government because they are both so keen to protect each others
secrets," he concluded.
The LDP is the only party running this election with both socially
liberal as well as economically liberal policies.
GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME A POKER MACHINE
The Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) today criticised the pork barrelling
being conducted by the major parties during this election.
"The federal government is carrying on like a great big poker machine. We
put in our taxes week in, week out and every few years we hope to hit the
jackpot and all this gold might come tumbling our way. And just like a poker
machine we all lose over the long haul. The only real difference is that you
have a choice about whether you put your money into a real poker machine but
you don't have any choice when it comes to filling the government coffers
with cash" said Terje Petersen of the LDP.
"Perhaps governments should come with health warnings attached. The
process certainly seems unhealthy and somewhat addictive," concluded Terje
only half joking.
The LDP is the only political party contesting this federal election that
advocates more economic freedom through lower taxes as well as more personal
freedom and liberty in terms of social policy. The party is based on a
libertarian philosophy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism
THE TAX CUT THAT WASN'T
“The tax cuts offered by Liberal and Labor at this election are not tax
cuts. Half of the supposed tax cut is actually a welfare increase and the
other half does nothing more than compensate for bracket creep,” said John
Humphreys, economics spokesperson and Queensland Senate candidate for the
Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“The media has reported a $34 billion tax cut by the Liberals, but this
is over three years. It is more honest to report tax changes on a yearly
basis, so they should be referred to as tax cuts averaging about $11 billion
per year.
“A significant amount of this is made up of an increase in the Low Income
Tax Offset (LITO) which is more like a welfare payment than a tax cut.
Workers will still see high effective marginal tax rates, but then they will
receive a LITO welfare check from the government at the end of the year.
“This policy increases the complexity of our tax system, increases the
amount of churning, increases the bureaucracy and because LITO is later
withdrawn it also increases the effective marginal tax rates.
“The remainder of the tax cuts comes to only a few billion each year. But
tax revenue increases by more than this each year. This year’s expected tax
take is $10.6 billion higher than last year, and tax is expected to increase
by $13 billion next year.
“Over the next three years the government tax is expected to increase by
$37.2 billion, which is more than their tax & LITO package.
“The LDP is calling for real tax cuts. Our policy proposes shifting to a
flat income tax of 30% above a tax-free threshold of $30,000. This approach
would be more efficient and simple and would address the biggest problems of
our current tax system – high effective marginal tax rates, excessive
churning and large administrative and compliance costs.”
John Humphreys previously worked for the Commonwealth Treasury as a
policy analyst in the Tax Analysis Division.
INTERNET FREEDOM UNDER THREAT
Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) President David McAlary today sought to
remind the electorate of the promises of the Liberal and Labor parties to
enact legislation to censor the internet if elected into government.
"The current coalition government has already spent hundreds of thousands
of dollars in advertising on a scare campaign trying to convince the public
that internet filtering is an important and pressing issue. The Labor
Party has promised to go even further and impose unworkable filtering
schemes on internet service providers," Mr McAlary said.
"The fact is that Australians have had access to an unregulated internet
for over ten years now and the sky has not yet fallen.
"The question of content filtering should be one for individual families,
not the government. The money spent recently by the federal government on
"free" internet filtering was an expensive waste of taxpayers money. We
don't need more of that - we need none of it.
"At best, internet filtering will be an expensive failure. If left
unchallenged, it could develop into a serious infringement of free
expression," he said.
The LDP is Australia's only political party based on the libertarian
principles of low tax, small government and individual responsibility.
PRE-ELECTION SPENDING SPREE
“Many commentators have noticed that the Government and Opposition are on
a spending spree during this election campaign. But even before the election
had started the Liberals had already been throwing taxpayer money around,
and had spent $3.5 billion in the last five months,” claimed John Humphreys,
economics spokesperson and Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and
Democracy Party (LDP).
“The Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) gives the full sorry
details about how the Howard government can’t help but spend taxpayers
money.
“Agriculture spending went up $844 million, community services got an
extra $561 million, industry welfare increased by $40 million, IR spending
shot up by $237 million and even the Treasury got an extra $79 million,”
said Humphreys.
Other spending increases included communications ($45m), defence ($139m),
education ($232m), employment ($237m), environment ( $145m), foreign affairs
($47), health($336m), transport ($56m), veterans ($52m), prime minister’s
department ($27m), immigration ($14m), human services ($33m) and
attorney-general ($44m).
“The government is throwing around our money like confetti, and meanwhile
total income taxes have just reached over $200 billion. This is the sort of
behaviour we would expect in a Welfare State and it is most certainly not
economically responsible. And now they are adding to the mess by promising
billions of dollars more spending in an attempt to buy your votes.
“The LDP is committed to putting the brakes on government spending and we
are the only party fighting for less government spending and a smaller
government.”
END ABORIGINAL WELFARE - LDP
The Liberty and Democracy Party today called for the abolition of
Australia's race-based laws.
"Race-based laws are bad in principle and bad in practice," said LDP
Secretary David Leyonhjelm.
"Many people of good will genuinely think it is a new and good idea to
have special race-based laws," he said
"But in fact people of good will in Australia have supported race-based
laws since 1788, and they have been a disaster for Aboriginal people.
"Race-based laws either assume that Aboriginal people are necessarily
inferior because of their race and unable to deal on equal terms with other
human beings. Or they must assume that Aboriginal people are somehow
intrinsically superior - like a natural aristocracy - and entitled to
endless support from the output of other people. Both of these are wrong.
"Policies targeting special needs, such as glaucoma or low literacy,
should target those needs regardless of race. But it is not legitimate to
confer advantages or impose disadvantages on the basis of a person's race,"
Mr Leyonhjelm said.
"Today's well-intentioned but misguided racist laws will be condemned in
the future in exactly the same way that we today condemn the
well-intentioned but misguided racist laws of the past, such as removing
Aboriginal children, and the so-called Aborigines Protection Boards.
"It is time for all Australians to recognise that welfare bureaucracies
are colonising and destroying Aboriginal society, at the same time as they
promote racial divisiveness. It has now reached the stage where many
Aboriginal people identify Aboriginal culture with special welfare status.
The results are there for all to see. These laws have failed because they
are fundamentally mistaken.
"The LDP supports the abolition of Australia's racial laws and policies
at all levels of government," he concluded.
GREEN TOTALITARIANISM A THREAT TO THE
ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
"With friends like the Greens, the environment doesn’t need enemies,"
said Tim Quilty, the Eden-Monaro candidate for the Liberty and Democracy
Party (LDP), yesterday.
"The problem with the Greens is that all their policies involve big
government bureaucracies getting bigger. The Greens intend to ban, control,
licence, regulate and monitor almost every aspect of Australian life. Their
party platform reads like a totalitarian’s fantasy.
"The government’s record of environmental management is very poor, both
here and overseas. History has shown over and over that the worst possible
way to manage natural resources is to put them under the control of people
who pay no price for getting it wrong. The Greens may have good intentions,
but by far the greatest risk to the environment is control by big government
bureaucracies.
"Government is the single biggest polluter and big government schemes and
agencies have seriously damaged our forests, rivers, water resources and
rural lands, as well as causing unnecessary human death and destruction of
property.
"You only need to look at the National Parks to see what happens when the
government has control over land. Weeds, feral animals, neglect and
mismanagement, and then incineration."
"Societies with more individual freedom and smaller government have
consistently produced better environmental quality and a better and fairer
outcome for all members of society, including the poor.
"Yet the Greens’ love affair with total government control cuts against
all this. They are demanding control over all aspects of the environment,
and most aspects of human life as well - and all backed up by the state’s
powers and police to punish people for disobedience. Do it the Greens’ way –
or go to prison.
"This an ideology that treats people as noxious pests: they literally
think that it's better for humans to die than for their big government
control of people and the environment to be reduced. It is undeniable: yet
they want more power to control much more of what you do."
"The good news is, you don’t have to sacrifice human freedom, private
property, and a decent society in order to have a better environment," he
concluded.
The LDP values a free society in a clean environment. We recognise that
the best protection for the environment is usually ending the control of it
by big government bureaucracies and ensuring secure property rights. We
reject government confiscation of private property rights without
compensation. We reject the anti-humanist Green propaganda that leads to
people being beaten to death for watering their lawns.
FREEDOM MEANS TOLERANCE, AGREEMENT OR NOT
“The principle of freedom of speech, values and belief are supposedly
defining characteristic of a free society. However, these freedoms can be
subtly eroded, distorted and ultimately lost unless vigilantly protected by
the population. Our freedoms are especially at risk from interest groups and
political parties determined to enforce their particular moral agenda upon
the entire population,” LDP candidate for Gilmore Kevin Ramsey said today.
The LDP (Liberty and Democracy Party) supports individual freedom,
personal responsibility and small government.
“We believe that all people have the right to say, think and believe what
they want even though it may cause another offence. Living in a free society
requires tolerance. Tolerance does not mean agreeing with or even liking
what someone else does or says, it simply means tolerating it without
reverting to the use of coercion to silence others. The more we try and use
the law to silence or enforce our beliefs and values upon others, the more
we are open to having the law used against us in the same way,” Mr Ramsey
said.
The LDP is fundamentally opposed to, and will seek to do away with,
government programs and policies that impose particular moral values upon
society - regardless of whether they are conservative in nature or are
derived from liberal ideas like political correctness. That includes
affirmative action policies, which are patronising and ineffective.
“We believe all Australians deserve to be treated equally well by the
Government and that no ethnic, religious or gender groups should be favoured.
All Australians should be equal before the law and we should all be held
responsible for our individual choices and actions,” he said.
The LDP would also move towards removing the power of all bodies except
courts to issue binding decisions on matters such as discrimination, unfair
dismissal and vilification.
“By voting for the LDP at the next election you will be sending a clear
message to whoever gains power that our individual freedoms are not
negotiable and that it’s inappropriate for Governments to favour particular
groups or for moral values to be imposed upon the population."
LDP SEEKS VOTES OF TOLERANT SHOOTERS
The LDP (Liberty and Democracy Party) is calling on tolerant sporting
shooters to join other groups who suffer from a similar loss of rights and
freedoms and vote LDP in the election.
"The LDP believes the problems faced by sporting shooters, of excessive
government regulation and intrusion, are the same problems faced by other
groups in Australia, such as the gay and lesbian community, smokers, those
seeking the right to die and even farmers wanting to clear their own land.
These groups may all disagree with each other, but they all agree that they
should be free of government persecution," said LDP Secretary David
Leyonhjelm.
"The LDP has a live and let live philosophy based on tolerance of others,
even when we don't necessarily agree with them. We don't endorse any
particular lifestyle, nor do we seek to encourage smoking, drug taking or
tree removal. We just believe these are matters of personal choice and
should not attract government interference," he said.
By contrast, the Shooters Party has confirmed in a press release (9 Nov)
that it is directing its Senate preferences to the Christian Democrats. The
CDP is not renowned for its tolerance; indeed CDP leader Fred Nile is
infamous for his opposition to Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras.
This is reinforced by comments by Shooters Party officials on the party's
website confirming its opposition to gay marriage and legalisation of
marijuana.
http://www.shootersparty.org.au/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=50&topic=381.0
"We recognise that some shooters believe it is possible to fight for
their own rights while denying the rights of others. To them, we are happy
to recommend a vote for the Shooters Party," Mr Leyonhjelm said.
"For all the others, we ask that they vote LDP. While it has an equally
strong pro-shooting policy, it is also willing to fight for the rights of
others who suffer from the heavy hand of government.
"We consider Abraham Lincoln was right when he said: Those who would deny
freedom to others deserve it not for themselves," he concluded.
NEW PARTY CALLS FOR 30% FLAT TAX
“It’s time for Australia to consider fundamental tax reform instead of
incremental changes. Our current system is too complex, inefficient and
discriminatory and Australia would be better off with a flat income tax,”
said John Humphreys, economics spokesperson and Queensland Senate candidate
for the LDP (Liberty and Democracy Party).
Humphreys has an economics (honours) degree from the University of
Queensland and has previously worked as a policy analyst for the
Commonwealth Treasury.
“The major parties have promised to shuffle the tax brackets around and
drop a few tax rates by a few percentage points, but their plan does not
ultimately fix our current tax mess.
“The LDP is the only political party at this election with a plan for
fundamental tax reform. We are calling for a flat income tax of 30% over a
tax-free threshold of $30,000. Under this approach, no low-income Australia
would pay tax, and all Australians would receive a significant tax cut. This
will help working families and lead to strong economic growth.
“The current system is complex, arbitrary, inefficient, wasteful and the
level of taxation is simply too high. Our top marginal tax rate is higher
than the rate in communist China, our income tax burden is one of the
highest in the developed world and Australians are currently suffering from
the highest level of tax in our history. An estimated 80,000 people are
employed to avoid or enforce taxes, and those taxes result in about $30
billion of lost efficiency every year.”
The LDP tax policy is based on “Reform 30/30: Rebuilding Australia’s Tax
and Welfare System” as published by the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS)
in 2005. This paper is available for download at:
http://www.cis.org.au/policy_monographs/pm70.pdf
“The Liberals try to make a big deal out of their tax cuts, but the
reality is that they have increased tax significantly and now they’re just
handing a small part of that back. The Liberals have increased tax by 34%
per person in real terms since 1996. They are a big-taxing government and
only the LDP is calling for smaller government.
“As part of our tax reform we also call for the removal of most tax
expenditures, the end of middle-class welfare and corporate handouts, the
reduction of Fringe Benefits and Capital Gains tax to 30% and the removal of
the Medicare levy.
"These reforms are very affordable for Australia right now and it would
lead to a significant benefit to the economy, wages and jobs. The Liberals
have given up the title of the economically liberal party. That title now
belongs with the LDP.”
NO WELFARE FOR CAR COMPANIES
The Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP) urges the major parties not to heed
the call from Toyota for a freeze on automotive tariff cuts.
"Toyota is asking the Australian people to pay significantly more for
their cars in order to prop up the industry," said LDP spokesman and
economist Joseph Clark.
"We are in the midst of a severe labour shortage. Many businesses are
desperate to find skilled workers, particularly in manufacturing. There is
no reason to keep these workers making products that could be more cheaply
produced overseas. Their skills and their time are being wasted."
"The Australian automotive industry has historically enjoyed massive
tariffs and subsidies. It is now apparent that the industry is not viable
without government support. We are collectively pouring money into the
pockets of car companies in exchange for overpriced cars. We don't blame
Toyota for trying this on, but it is clearly not in the interests of
Australian motorists or Australian taxpayers," he said.
HOWARD AND THE WELFARE STATE
“John Howard says we’re no longer a Welfare State, but under his
leadership we have the largest Welfare State in Australia’s history,” said
John Humphreys, economics spokesperson for the Liberty and Democracy Party
(LDP) and Senate candidate for Queensland.
“Under Howard, tax has increased 34% per person, adjusted for inflation.
And that excludes the impact of the GST. So this is definitely a high taxing
government. But is it also a big welfare government.
“Adjusted for inflation, welfare spending has gone from $75.7 billion in
1996/97 to an estimated $96.5 billion in 2007/08. Next year it is projected
to top $100 billion. That is $100,000,000,000 of taxpayer’s money going on
welfare.
“Real welfare spending per person has increased by over 10% under Howard,
from about $4100 per person to $4600 per person. Howard and the Liberals
have unambiguously increased the size of the Welfare State. There is
absolutely no excuse for this reckless spending, as unemployment has gone
down.
“In Australia today, unemployment is low and wages are high. Welfare
spending should be going down. It is a disgrace that this government has
allowed tax to go up by 34% and kept pumping more and more money into
welfare.
“If tax and spending are measures of how capitalist or socialist our
government is, then this is the most socialist government in Australia’s
history and certainly more socialist than Hawke, Keating or even Whitlam.
“Under Whitlam, tax per person was about $7000. Under Howard, tax per
person is well over $10,000. People who believe in low tax have been utterly
betrayed by the Liberals.”
All the numbers cited above are real (ie adjusted for inflation). Welfare
spending in 1996/96 was recorded at $57.6 billion. When adjusted for
inflation the 1996/97 welfare spending is equivalent to $75.7 billion in
2007 dollars. The population in 1996 was about 18.3 million people. The
population today is about 21.1 million people. Data taken from government
sources:
http://www.budget.gov.au/1999-00/bp1/bs5/bs5.html#Part%20III:%20Statistical%20Appendix
http://www.budget.gov.au/2007-08/bp1/html/bp1_bst6-02.htm#TopOfPage
http://www.abs.gov.au and
http://www.rba.gov.au
LDP IS THE ONLY ECONOMICALLY LIBERAL POLITICAL
PARTY
“There has been a lot of discussion in this election about being an
economic conservative. But there is only one party at this election that can
rightly claim to be economic liberals, and that is the LDP,” claimed John
Humphreys, economics spokesperson and Queensland Senate candidate for the
Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“The major parties claim to be economic conservatives because of their
macroeconomic policy. The LDP endorses their macro policies of a balanced
budget and an independent Reserve Bank. However, good economic management is
about much more than macroeconomics and the LDP is the only party promoting
continued microeconomic reform.
“Australia needs a new round of productivity reforms and deregulations,
following the lead of the National Competition Council. The Productivity
Commission should be tasked with the job of testing government regulation to
make sure that it doesn’t harm productivity or economic efficiency.
“We also need another round of privatisations. Australia made good
progress in the late 1980s and early 1990s towards returning assets to
private citizens, but now both major parties have run out of puff. The LDP
wants to renew the debate about privatisations, starting with the ABC and
Australia Post.
“Perhaps the most important piece of microeconomic reform needed in
Australia is substantial tax reform to fix our inefficient, complex and
discriminatory income tax system. The LDP is promoting the introduction of a
flat 30% income tax over a tax-free threshold of $30,000.
“Finally, the LDP calls on both major parties to speed up our transition
to completely free trade. The World Trade Organisation is now too slow and
bureaucratic to rely on, and free trade agreements are distortionary.
Australia should pursue unilateral trade liberalisation.
“The LDP is the only free-market party in this election. We are the only
party calling for privatisations, real tax cuts, free trade and
deregulation. The two major parties can fight over the title of ‘economic
conservative’, but the LDP is the only party promoting an agenda of
economical liberalisation.”
John Humphreys has an economics (honours) degree from the University of
Queensland and has worked previously as a policy analyst with the
Commonwealth Treasury, as a university tutor and international consultant.
Other members of the LDP economic team include PhD students Joseph Clark
(who has lectured at UQ) and Mark Hill.
LDP KING-MAKERS IN THE ACT SENATE
“The race for the second Senate spot in the ACT is very close and it now
looks like LDP preferences might make the difference between a Liberal and a
Green Senator,” said John Humphreys, a spokesperson for the Liberty and
Democracy Party (LDP).
The ACT Senate race has historically returned one Liberal and one Labor
Senator, with minor parties having little chance. This year the Greens are
polling very well and the Liberal Senator (Gary Humphries) is currently
polling less than the necessary 33.3%.
“If the Liberals get less than 33.3% then they will need preferences to
win the ACT Senate seat. However, every other minor party is directing
preferences to the Green candidate, Kerry Tucker.
“It was a very difficult decision for the LDP to choose between the
Liberals and Greens as both parties believe in big government, high taxes
and a bloated public service. But ultimately we decided to preference the
Liberals as we do not want to see the Greens get the balance of power in the
Senate.
“We have some sympathy with the Greens policy on social issues, such as
gay marriage and voluntary euthanasia. But we are very worried about their
economic policies and their consistent preference for government spending
instead of tax cuts,” Humphreys said.
The other parties in the race for the ACT Senate include the Democrats,
What (some) Women Want, Climate Change Coalition and the Nuclear Disarmament
Party. All of these parties will preference the Greens before the Liberals.
The ALP will also give its excess vote to the Greens.
The LDP stands for small government, lower taxes and individual
responsibility.
ANTI-TAX CANDIDATE CALLS FOR CARBON TAX
“Climate change policy is going in the wrong direction. If we need to
control carbon, the best solution is a carbon tax,” claimed John Humphreys,
a Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
The free-market Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) today launched a new
Policy Monograph by Humphreys called “Exploring a Carbon Tax for Australia”.
It is available for download at:
http://www.cis.org.au/policy_monographs/pm80.pdf
“As a free-market economist with a passionate belief in low tax and small
government, it pains me to say this, but Australia should introduce a modest
revenue-neutral carbon tax.”
The LDP is a libertarian political party that calls for a significant
reduction in tax and an increase in personal liberties. The party has
previously called for the privatisation of the ABC and the legalisation of
gay marriage.
“The other parties all call for drastic action on climate change --
billions of dollars of tax-payer subsidies and a complex and costly trading
system. These policies produce high costs and few benefits.
“A better solution is to introduce a low carbon tax of about $30/tonne of
CO2-e (carbon dioxide or equivalent) as a replacement for our current range
of fuel taxes.
“In effect we already have a high environment tax called the fuel tax.
However, the transport sector only contributes ¼ of our greenhouse
emissions. It would make more sense to have a lower tax on a broader base.
This would simply be good tax policy.
“This would mean an increase in electricity prices and a decrease in
petrol prices of about 30 cents per litre. The impact of this change would
have little or no net economic cost. It would also be roughly neutral on the
government budget and neutral on most household budgets, as the changed cost
of electricity and petrol offset each other.
“And it would introduce a price on the use of high emission energy, such
as ‘dirty’ coal. This will make alternative energy comparatively more
attractive and increase the amount of investment that goes into new
technology.”
LDP SUPPORTS INTEREST RATES RISE
“The interest rate rise today hurts people with a mortgage, but it is the
right thing to do for our economy,” says John Humphreys, economics
spokesperson for the Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) and Queensland Senate
candidate.
“Like many other Australians I have a mortgage and this rate rise is
going to hurt my budget. But the Reserve Bank has done the right thing in
following proper inflation-targeting strategy and not letting the election
campaign distract them from good policy.”
The Reserve Bank today increased official interest rates by 0.25 basis
points. The official interest rates are now at an 11 year high of 6.75%.
“The role of the Reserve Bank is clear. Their job is to manage money
supply so that inflation doesn’t get out of control. Inflation is very
damaging to an economy and it is important to maintain a monetary policy
that is focussed on controlling inflation and doesn’t get distracted by
other concerns such as growth, employment or exchange rates.
“With underlying inflation increasing, the right thing to do is to
decrease money supply growth. Under our current monetary system, that is
done by increasing the official cash rate.”
Inflation is caused by excessive money supply growth. The Reserve Bank
cannot directly control the effective money supply because it cannot control
the credit multiplier or the velocity of money. It also cannot control the
demand for money. The only mechanism it has for controlling money supply is
by watching inflation and adjusting interest rates. This approach to money
supply (called “inflation-targetting) has succeeded in most of the developed
world in controlling inflation.
“The LDP understands that many working families are struggling. The
solution is not to bastardise our monetary policy by abandoning
inflation-targeting, but to provide significant income tax cuts so that we
have more disposable income,” said Humphreys.
The Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP) are the only economically literate
minor party in Australia, and the only minor party that supports
conservative monetary and fiscal policy.
LDP DOES NOT SUPPORT LEGALISED INCEST
“The ABC has today run a story saying that the LDP supports the
legalisation of incest. This is simply not true,” said John Humphreys,
Queensland Senate candidate for the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“The LDP does believe that the police should concentrate on victim crimes
instead of victimless crimes. The police should put a priority on stopping
murder, rape, theft and assault instead of chasing people who smoke
marijuana or ride a bicycle without a helmet. However, we have never called
for the legalisation of incest.”
In an interview with the ABC, Bede Ireland (LDP Senate candidate for
Tasmania) was quoted as standing by the LDP policy of legalising voluntary
euthanasia and incest. The party policy does call for the legalisation of
voluntary euthanasia, but it does not call for the legalisation of incest.
“Bede is a good bloke, but he got this one wrong,” said Humphreys.
“Look, Bede is a bit of a loose cannon. All the parties have them. The
Liberals have Bill Heffernan, Labor has Peter Garrett, and the LDP has Bede
Ireland.
“He remains a good candidate and the best choice for Tasmanians, but it
is important for the LDP to go on the record and correct him on this issue –
we do not support the legalisation of incest.
“We are not backing away from this issue because we are scared of
controversy. On the contrary, the LDP is happy to defend our controversial
policies of legalising voluntary euthanasia, marijuana and prostitution. We
are happy to defend our policies of a low flat income tax and abolishing the
minimum wage and introducing school vouchers. We are happy to defend our
policies of allowing gay marriage and relaxing overly-strict gun laws. These
are all controversial policies that the LDP defends.
“But we aren’t going to defend policies that we don’t have”, he
concluded.
PRIVATISE THE ABC WITH A SHARE GIVEAWAY, SAYS
LDP
The Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) supports the privatisation policies
of the ALP and Coalition governments over the last 20 years and believes the
process should continue, with the ABC top of the list.
"The privatisation of the telecommunications industry and government
owned airlines and banks led to greater consumer choice, better services and
cheaper prices", said LDP Secretary David Leyonhjelm.
"However, there are still plenty of Government-owned businesses that
continue to distort markets and unnecessarily drain taxpayers' money. The
money tied up in Government-owned business would be far more useful in the
hands of the taxpayers to whom it actually belongs. The Government does not
operate on business principles and should not supply services using taxpayer
funds when the private sector can provide the same services more efficiently
and with greater benefits to the population.
"A good example is the ABC, which not only costs about $800 million per
year of taxpayers' money but is much less popular than commercial
alternatives. Old arguments in favour of the institution are no longer
valid. In our present age credible news and information are easily
accessible via the internet and other media and there is no need for a
publicly funded institution like the ABC to remain.
"The ABC should have to compete for ratings and advertising dollars like
other stations and not rely on taxpayers for funds.
However, the LDP does not support privatisation as simply a means of
raising revenue for the government. In the 90s, Federal and State
governments earned over $61 billion in profit from privatisations that
mostly went to paying off Government debt.
"The LDP does not believe privatisation of the ABC, or any other
government business, should be about making 'a quick buck' for the
government, but to improve the efficiency of the economy, reduce taxes and
to benefit all Australians through increased competition and service
quality", said Mr Leyonhjelm.
"Therefore, instead of the proceeds going to the government, the LDP
advocates giving shares to all adult Australians. That would not only ensure
the ABC really did belong to the people, but give them real choice about
whether they wanted to own it. If they didn't want to own a broadcasting
company, they could sell their shares. At the moment they have no choice",
he concluded.
Other Government-owned businesses the LDP believes ought to be
immediately privatised include SBS, Australia Post, Medibank Private and
electricity generation corporations.
SHOOTERS PARTY PREFERENCES FAIL TO MAXIMISE
SHOOTERS VOTE
The voting strength of sporting shooters will not be maximised in the
election because of the failure of the Shooters Party to exchange
preferences with the Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) in the Senate.
"The LDP was under the impression the Shooters Party would be willing to
exchange preferences with the LDP. The Shooters Party is a single issue
party and the LDP is the only other party in the election with a strong
policy in support of gun ownership for sport, hunting, collecting and self
defence", said LDP Secretary David Leyonhjelm.
"But that's not the case. In every State in which the Shooters Party is
running candidates (NSW, Qld, Victoria and SA), its preferences are going to
a host of other parties as well as the Liberal and Labor parties, before
they go to the LDP.
"A number of the parties will receive Shooters Party preferences ahead of
the LDP that are no friends of shooters", he said.
The Shooters Party has two members in the NSW Parliament but has not
contested a federal election for many years. It was automatically
deregistered by the Australian Electoral Commission just prior to the 2004
election because it had not contested an election for over four years.
"When it finally enters the federal arena, long overdue, it splits the
vote by refusing to preference the only other openly pro-shooting party",
said Mr Leyonhjelm.
"By contrast, the LDP has ensured its preferences go to the Shooters
Party prior to the major parties in every State. In the unlikely event we
are knocked out before the Shooters Party, our preferences stand a good
chance of flowing on to the Shooters Party.
" We are not a single issue party and we negotiated preference deals with
other minor parties based on common interests and mutual benefit across a
whole spectrum of issues. The Shooters Party refused to negotiate with us
but we still gave them a favorable position on our ticket in every State. In
Queensland, our preferences go first to the Fishing Party and then the
Shooters Party. In South Australia they go to the Shooters Party immediately
after the Fishing and Lifestyle Party. In Victoria and NSW they go to the
Shooters Party well before the major parties.
"About the only thing the Shooters Party did for us was place us ahead of
the Greens.
"I realise some Shooters Party officials do not agree with our policies
on areas such as gay rights and voluntary euthanasia, but this is
ridiculous. They have effectively abandoned any chance of making a
difference for shooters in this election. They won't get elected and their
votes won't make a difference.
"We urge all sporting shooters who believe in reducing the intrusiveness
of the government in our lives, from our social activities to sports such as
shooting, to vote LDP.
" I am personally standing in the seat of Bennelong and directing my
preferences away from John "I hate guns" Howard. That's likely to do more
for shooters rights than anything the Shooters Party is doing in this
election", he concluded.
LDP DEFENDS CHRISTIANS
The LDP today moved to defend its preference deal with Family First in
response to claims by the Christian Democrats that it is an "anti-Christian"
party.
"The LDP is neither an anti-Christian nor an anti-family party," LDP NSW
Senate candidate Terje Petersen said.
"Many members of our party are committed Christians. Our Victorian Senate
candidate, Steve Clancy, is a practising Christian and obvious proof that we
are not anti-Christian.
"However, the LDP is opposed to the nanny state that some people promote
under the guise of Christianity. It is not opposed to personal
responsibility and does not endorse risky behaviour, but it also does not
support using the law to impose the moral values of a section of the
community on everyone.
"We were happy to preference Family First because we have a number of
policies in common. For example, FF calls for a cut in fuel tax because it
will help families and commuters in outer suburbs. We agree with them.
"And before anyone accepts Fred Nile's attack on Family First and the LDP
they should take a close look at where Fred put his preferences. The
Christian Democrats gave the LDP their preferences ahead of the major
parties in NSW", Mr Petersen said.
CANDIDATE TO TAKE UP SMOKING FOR THE ELECTION
CAMPAIGN
“I don’t normally smoke and after the election I don’t plan on smoking.
However, for the remainder of the election campaign I will take up smoking
to highlight the need for Australians to throw off the nanny state and
reclaim their freedom to choose,” said John Humphreys, Queensland Senate
candidate for the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP).
“It seems like every time a politician talks in Australia another freedom
is removed. Politicians and bureaucrats have taken to treating citizens like
naughty children who need Uncle Howard to protect us from the evils of
tobacco, alcohol & gambling.
“Personally, I am able to make my own decisions and run my own life.
Further, I think the vast majority of Australians are also perfectly capable
of running their own lives without big brother looking over our shoulders
and telling us our hobbies, habits and preferences aren’t optimal.
“I already enjoy drinking and playing poker and make no apologies. While
I’m not a smoker, I certainly stand up for the right of people to smoke
without being hassled or made into a pariah. To show my support for smoker’s
rights I will smoke every day for the remainder of the campaign.”
The LDP is the only political party in Australia that is committed to
defending individual choices, even when those choices are unpopular or
politically incorrect. The LDP believes that property owners should be able
to set the smoking rules on their own property, so that some pubs and clubs
may choose to allow smoking and other pubs and clubs may choose to ban
smoking.
Under this policy, people who want to avoid smoking are free to go to
non-smoking pubs or the non-smoking areas in pubs. Likewise, people who
prefer to go to a smoking pub also have that option available.
“We believe strongly in low tax, private property rights, diversity and
individual choice and we don’t believe it is the responsibility of
government to tell us how to manage our property or how to live our lives.
“I recognise that most Australians don’t smoke and that many Australians
don’t want to go to a smoking pub. That’s fine. Diversity is a good thing.
People are free to make their own decisions about where they go, and set
their own rules on their own property. Indeed, smoking in not allowed in my
house. But none of us should force our choices onto others”, Mr Humphreys
said
ABOLISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Shem Bennett, a spokesperson for the Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP),
today called for an end to government schools.
Mr. Bennett criticised moves by both major parties to increase the
federal government’s control over education.
“If there’s one thing I can agree with the major parties on it’s that
education is our future and the foundation of a strong society.
Technological advancements like curing cancer and putting man on Mars will
only be made possible through a strong education system,” Mr. Bennett said.
“But what I reject is the notion that Canberra should impose a
one-size-fits-all model onto our children through the public school system.
“A strong education does not mean everyone should have an identical
education. That is why the LDP proposes a voucher scheme, where the
government continues funding schools, but decisions on curriculum, staffing
and teacher salaries are made by schools themselves.
“Under the LDP’s scheme parents would be allocated a funding voucher for
each child. Whichever school they chose to send their children to would
receive funding. That way successful, competitive schools that attract
students would be rewarded and unsuccessful school would be eliminated.
“Initially some public schools would remain. But under the LDP’s plan,
schools would slowly privatise and diversify as there’d be no need for
government ownership.
“Schools could be founded as religious or secular schools; traditional or
new-age schools; military or civilian schools; single-sex or co-educational
schools. Some students wouldn’t be suited to particular school models, but
they and their parents would have the choice. Children would receive the
education that’s right for them, rather than being forced into Mr. Howard or
Mr. Rudd’s vision of a good education.
“The Liberty and Democracy Party stands for smaller government and
individual choice. That includes the rights of students and parents to make
their own decisions on education,” he said.
The school voucher proposal was first outlined by Milton Freidman in the
1950s. School voucher variants have been used successfully in countries such
as Sweden, The Netherlands and Ireland.
CITIZENS INITIATED REFERENDUMS TO IMPOSE NEW
DISCIPLINE ON CANBERRA
The Liberty & Democracy Party (LDP) seeks to bring a further level of
discipline into the area of law making with Citizens Initiated Referendums.
"We believe that if there is majority support to strike down any law on
the books in this country, the people should have their will," said LDP
spokesman Daniel Farmilo.
"The Government should be a servant, not a master.
"Citizens Initiated Referendums would allow for greater direct
participation by the people of Australia into our democratic process. After
all, there are far more general citizens than there are politicians.
"This would allow the people of Australia to act as the 'third House of
Parliament' or the 'second house of review'," said Farmilo.
The Liberty & Democracy party is running candidates for the lower house
and the Senate across Australia on a platform of low taxes, limited
government, and personal responsibility.
GAY CANDIDATE SAYS "HATE ME IF YOU WANT: JUST
LET ME LIVE MY LIFE"
"There is a difference between tolerating and personally endorsing other
people. I don't expect all Australians to endorse my lifestyle, but I do
think in a free society my personal decisions should be tolerated," said
Shem Bennett, spokesperson for the newly registered Liberty and Democracy
Party (LDP).
“I understand that some religions and groups in society do not approve of
same-sex relationships. That is fine. But the role of government should not
be to impose a particular moral viewpoint on the rest of society,” Mr.
Bennett said.
“I hate smoking. I think it is disgusting and I refuse to be around
smokers. Similarly, some people may prefer not to be around gays or
lesbians. Some people may even be openly critical of same-sex relationships.
They should have that right- it’s called free speech. But they should not be
able to restrict my right to commit, under law, to a person I love.
“There’s a difference between endorsing a lifestyle and tolerating it.
The LDP does not endorse smoking, gambling or same-sex relationships. But we
believe that informed adults should be free to make their own choices. Even
if you think someone’s choices are wrong, it is not your right to restrict
their lifestyle.
“Australia has proved it universally rejects the government controlling
what happens in our bedrooms by decriminalising gay sex. But why should the
government control what happens in our relationships? The LDP does not
endorse or condemn gay marriage and we make no comment on what is or isn't
normal. We simply regard marriage as a serious decision to be made by
committed couples of any sexuality.
“Sometimes political correctness goes too far, I don’t think anyone
should ever be forced into accepting gay marriage as ‘right’. An individual
has the right to their own definition of normal, as long as they don’t
impose their version of normal on others. All I’m asking is to feel legally
free and safe to make my own life choices,” he said.
'PREDATORY' PRICING IS GOOD FOR CONSUMERS
The Liberty and Democracy party (LDP) opposes the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission's drive to prosecute companies for "predatory"
pricing.
"The ACCC is making discounting a crime" said LDP spokesman and
Queensland Senate candidate Joseph Clark.
"The freedom for a business to charge as much or as little as they want
for their products is the basis of a free economy," he said.
Current legislatio
