CountryMinded
| CountryMinded | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairman | Peter Mailler |
| Founded | December 2014 |
| Ideology | Agrarianism |
| Website | |
| www.yourcountryparty.info | |
|
Politics of Australia Political parties Elections | |
CountryMinded is an Australian political party that claims to represent the interests of regional Australians whose livelihoods depend either directly or indirectly on agricultural production. The party was founded by two brothers from New South Wales, David and Peter Mailler as the "Country Party of Australia",[1] and changed its name to CountryMinded in September 2015.[2][3]Peter Mailler is the founding chairman of the Country Party, having stood as lead Australian Senate candidate for Katter's Australian Party in New South Wales at the 2013 Australian election. He is also the former chair of Grain Producers Australia.[4]
CountryMinded was formed (initially as The Country Party) in response to perceived lack of attention to rural issues in the Australian political process, and dissatisfaction with how the National Party represents regional Australians.[5][6] The party describes itself as non-aligned, rural, and independent.[7]
CountryMinded's ideology closely resembles that of the Australian Country Party (which was known as the Australian Country Alliance between 2004 and 2015), a party based in Victoria. The Australian Country Alliance had originally considered organizing under the Country Party name, but chose the different name to avoid antagonizing the National Party, which was known as the Country Party from 1920 to 1975,[8] however it officially registered under the name Australian Country Party in 2015.
The party proposes to be registered in time to contest the next Australian federal election, due before the end of 2016, as it reached the required 500 members in January 2016.[9] It did not contest the 2015 Queensland state election.[7][10] It endorsed several independent candidates in the 2015 NSW state election.
New South Wales election, 2015
In February 2015 the party, though still unregistered, announced Ron Pike, a former National Party member, would run as a Country Party candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Council in the 2015 NSW state election.[11] Three other candidates endorsed by the party are standing for the Legislative Assembly, although they will be listed as independents on the ballot paper. David Mailler is contesting the seat of Northern Tablelands,[12] Helen Dalton is standing in the seat of Murray,[13][14] and Paul Funnell, a City of Wagga Wagga councillor, is contesting the seat of Wagga Wagga.[15] Pike plus 13 others have formed a group for the Legislative Council, however a group of 15 is required to have a box for voters to vote "above the line". The candidate descriptions do not claim to represent the Country Party of Australia, but three of the candidates in "Group V" (Ron Pike, Pete Mailler, and Julie Pike) nominated the www.yourcountryparty.info website.[16]
Results
None of the candidates endorsed by the Country Party were elected. Helen Dalton placed second in Murray with 18.48% of votes to Adrian Piccoli (who had been the member for Murrumbidgee before the redistribution).[17] Piccoli had beaten Dalton for National Party of Australia preselection in May 2014,[18] before Dalton ran as an independent. Paul Funnell was third in Wagga Wagga behind Liberal and Country Labor party candidates.[19] David Mailler was beaten by both the Nationals and Country Labor candidates in Northern Tablelands as well.[20]
See also
References
- ↑ McOwan, Johannah (25 January 2015). "Country Party member to run as Independent in Northern Tablelands". ABC News. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ↑ "Party Constitution". CountryMinded. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "CountryMinded takes shape". The Land (Fairfax Media). 20 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ Bettles, Colin (24 December 2014). "New political voice for country voters". The Land.
- ↑ McOwan, Johannah (13 January 2015). "Farmer setting up new country party, to rival Nationals". ABC News. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ↑ Peter Mailler (10 January 2015). "Let's get the party started". The Land. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- 1 2 Labinsky, Melody (15 January 2015). "CPA eyes federal election". Queensland Country Life (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ Bettles, Colin (20 January 2015). "Country Party branding battle brews". Farm Weekly. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ↑ Steve Green (26 January 2016). "Countryminded president Peter Mailler confirms conservative party can formally register". The Inverell Times. Fairfax Regional Media. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ Bettles, Colin (15 January 2015). "Nats on notice: A new voice for rural voters". The Land (Fairfax Media). pp. 1 & 8.
- ↑ Makim, Roderick (11 February 2015). "CP contests NSW Upper House". The Land. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ↑ McOwan, Johannah (26 January 2015). "Country Party member to run as Independent in Northern Tablelands" – ABC News. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ (13 February 2015). "Country Party moves on Murray" – The Land (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ Peter Mailler. "Candidates - Country Party of Australia". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ (5 March 2015). "Independent candidate Paul Funnell apologises for "swearing on a stack of bibles"" – The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ "NSW Grouped and Ungrouped". Electoral Commission New South Wales. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ Trent Horneman (30 March 2015). "Piccoli wins Murray".
- ↑ Jack Bartlett (26 May 2014). "Piccoli wins preselection". The Area News (Fairfax Regional Media). Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ↑ "State Electoral District of Wagga Wagga - First Preference Votes for each Candidate - Initial Count". New South Wales Electoral Commission. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ↑ "State Electoral District of Northern Tablelands - First Preference Votes for each Candidate - Initial Count". New South Wales Electoral Commission. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
