Young Nationals (Australia)

Last updated

Young Nationals
PresidentAngus Webber
Founded1970
Headquarters Barton, Australian Capital Territory
Membership>1000
Ideology
Position Centre-right
Mother party National Party of Australia
International affiliation International Young Democrat Union
Website youngnationals.org
Young Nationals at 2015 Federal Conference in Canberra Federal Young Nationals at 2015 Conference in Canberra.jpg
Young Nationals at 2015 Federal Conference in Canberra

The Young Nationals is the youth division of the National Party of Australia, with membership open to those between 15 and 35 years of age. Young Nationals also have full party membership, and partake in state and federal conferences with equal rights to members of the senior party. They are active in National Party campaigning during all state and federal elections. It was first formed in Queensland in 1957, [1] with other states following in subsequent years.

Contents

The movement is predominantly organised on the state division level, with each state organising its own events and policy as well as electing its own executive. In 2007 the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia and the Queensland National Party merged to become the Liberal National Party of Queensland (A division of the Federal Liberal Party and an affiliate of the Federal National Party). As part of this merger process, the Queensland Young Liberals and the Queensland Young Nationals were merged to become the Young Liberal National Party (Young LNP). The Young LNP is effectively the Queensland division of both the federal Young Liberals and the federal Young Nationals, and is the largest division of each of these movements. The federal executive of the Young Nationals comprises members elected from delegations from each affiliated state Young Nationals organisation, and the President of each affiliate. Policy can also be adopted by the movement's federal body. These policies are often then advocated by the Federal Young Nationals on the floor of the Federal Council of the National Party of Australia, as well as in representations made directly to members of parliament.

Political impact

Politically, the Young Nationals have had an increasingly significant impact on overall National Party policy and machinations from the mid-2000s onwards. Young Nationals notably changed the party platform to oppose any form of mandatory ISP-level internet censorship in 2010 [2] [3] and have also expressed strong federalist sentiments, having spearheaded a push to abolish the national curriculum. [4] In 2015 the NSW division of the Young Nationals also voted on a motion to support same-sex marriage and free votes on the issue. [5] [6] The movement has also been one of the stronger elements in the National Party that has expressed support for voluntary student unionism (VSU), [7] [8] eventually persuading Senator Fiona Nash to ditch the parliamentary party's opposition to VSU. [9]

Current federal executive

PositionOffice-bearerState
PresidentAngus WebberNew South Wales
Vice-PresidentKurt TuckerQueensland (LNP)
SecretaryAlexander ScottVictoria
TreasurerHeather YorkNew South Wales
Policy OfficerLee PagottoNew South Wales
Campaigns OfficerAngus OlsenNew South Wales
Fundraising OfficerBeck AuldNew South Wales
Publicity OfficerKerrod GreamQueensland (LNP)
Immediate Past PresidentAlessia MarucaQueensland (LNP)
New South Wales ChairJayden Whaites
Victorian PresidentCallum Moscript
Northern Territory President (CLP)Joshua Cavanagh
Queensland President (LNP)Oscar Green
South Australian PresidentRyan Jellesma
Western Australian PresidentSebastien Schiano

[10]

Past presidents

OrdinalYearPresidentStateNotes
11968The Hon. Mike Ahern AO , FTSE QueenslandSubsequently the Member for Landsborough and Premier of Queensland
21975–1976Gary PikeQueensland
31976–1977 Garry West New South WalesSubsequently the Member for Orange and Minister in the Greiner and Fahey coalition governments
41977–1979The Hon. Pat McNamara VictoriaSubsequently the Member for Benalla and Deputy Premier of Victoria in the Kennett coalition government
51979–1981Michael BehanQueensland
61981–1983Nigel SmithNew South Wales
71983–1985Gerard WalshQueensland
81985–1987Julian AndersonQueensland
91987–1988Judy BrewerVictoriaNationals candidate for the seat of Benambra in the 1988 Victorian State election. Later the wife of former Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Tim Fischer and appointed Life Member of the Young National Party of Australia in 1994.
101988–1989Aldo BorguQueensland
111989–1991Angus CalderNew South Wales
121991-1993Duncan AndersonWestern Australia
131993-1994Daniel KelliherVictoria
141994–1996Meredith DickieVictoriaLater the State Director of the Victorian Nationals 2002-2005
151996–1997Donald BurnettQueensland
161997–1998Douglas DoyleNew South Wales
171998–1999Robert MacaulayNew South Wales
181999–2000 Stuart Copeland QueenslandSubsequently the Member for Cunningham and State Director of the Victorian National Party [11]
192001–2002Scott MitchellVictoriaSubsequently the Federal Director of the National Party
202002–2004Tim DixonNew South Wales
212004–2006Chris KahlerQueensland
222006–2008Damian CallachorNew South WalesSubsequently the Chief of Staff to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack
232008–2009The Hon. Martin Aldridge MLCWestern AustraliaSubsequently a Member for the Agricultural region
242009–2011The Hon. Sarah Mitchell MLCNew South WalesSubsequently a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council and Minister in the Berejiklian coalition government
252011–2014Cr Cameron O'NeilQueenslandSubsequently Vice President of the LNP and elected to the Maranoa Regional Council [12]
262014–2018Ruby CameronVictoriaNationals Candidate for Western Victoria Region in the 2010 Victorian State Election
272018–2019Daniel BanksNorthern Territory
272019–2022Alessia MarucaQueensland

Criticism and Controversy

Whilst serving as NSW Young Nationals chairman, Jessica Price-Purnell and two other NSW Young Nationals staffers reportedly embarked on an 'emotional' rampage inflicting substantial damage on the party's Orange campaign office during the 2016 Orange state by-election, which included a hole being punctured in the wall, with party state director Nathan Quigley expressing concern for the mental health of the three women, all of whom admitted responsibility for the vandalism and paid compensation for the damage. [13]

In 2018, it was revealed that the NSW Young Nationals had been infiltrated by a number of neo-Nazis and other far-right extremists. Senior Party figures, including Federal Leader Michael McCormack denounced these attempts, stating that "The Nationals will not tolerate extremism or the politics of hate. People found to engage with such radicalism are not welcome in our party". The leader of the NSW Nationals, John Barilaro, also denounced racism and fascism within the party. [14] [15] [16] [17]

As a result of these revelations, the NSW National Party terminated the memberships of 19 members. [14] The expelled members were found to have held links to a number of far-right organisations including the New Guard (not to be confused with the New Guard of the 1930s), the Lads Society, Antipodean Resistance, Squadron 88, and the Dingoes. [18] [19] [14]

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References

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  2. "Latest topics". ZDNet. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  3. "National Party members vote against internet filter". Delimiter. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  4. "Nationals seek to axe single curriculum". The Australian .
  5. Hunter, Fergus (31 August 2015). "NSW Young Nationals support same-sex marriage and condemn party leaders". The Sydney Morning Herald .
  6. "Young Nationals back gay marriage". news.com.au.
  7. "Nats call for changes to VSU". The Sydney Morning Herald . 17 September 2005.
  8. "Nationals vow to defeat emissions laws". The Sydney Morning Herald . 22 August 2009.
  9. "Nationals still oppose compulsory student union fees". ABC News . Australia. 24 July 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010.
  10. "The Young Nationals".
  11. "Copeland returns to politics". The Chronicle. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011.
  12. "LNP Executive".
  13. "Nationals' office damaged in by-election brouhaha". The Australian . 5 December 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 "'These guys are crazy': Barnaby Joyce backs 'Nazi' expulsions after backtrack". Guardian Australia . 2 November 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  15. "Nationals clear man accused of leading alleged neo-Nazi branch stacking". Guardian Australia . 31 October 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  16. Hutchins, Gareth (29 October 2018). "Far right extremists 'not welcome' in Nationals, leader says amid investigation". Guardian Australia . Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  17. Michael, McGowen (15 October 2018). "NSW Young Nationals expel and suspend members over far-right links". Guardian Australia . Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  18. Mann, Alex; Nguyen, Kevin (2 April 2021). "Former New Guard insider reveals neo-Nazi group's recruitment tactics". ABC News. Background Briefing. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  19. Mann, Alex (12 October 2018). "Manifesto reveals alt-right's plans to go mainstream after 'infiltration' of NSW Young Nationals". ABC News. Background Briefing. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 April 2021.