Australia's First Nations Political Party

Political party in Australia

Politics of Australia
Political parties
Elections

Australia's First Nations Political Party (AFNPP), also known as The First Nations Political Party, was an Australian political party founded in 2010 and federally registered with the Australian Electoral Commission from 6 January 2011 until 15 August 2015 when it failed to demonstrate evidence of the required 500 party members.^[5]^[6] The party was also formerly registered at a territory level.^[7]

The party was founded by former independent candidate Maurie Japarta Ryan, grandson of Aboriginal Australian activist Vincent Lingiari.^[4] The policies of the party focused on issues such as Northern Territory statehood and Aboriginal sovereignty.^[4]^[3]

In 2010, the party supported a number of independent candidates as they were not registered in time for the federal election. The unregistered Ecological, Social Justice, Aboriginal Party (ESJAP) also backed several independents, and the parties amalgamated in July 2010 in order to be registered.^[8]

The party ran candidates, including Warren H Williams, in 8 of the 25 unicameral Northern Territory Parliament seats at the 2012 territory election on 2.2 percent of the territory-wide vote. They performed best in the seat of Stuart on 16.4 percent of the vote.^[9]

The party ran two Northern Territory Senate candidates including Rosalie Kunoth-Monks at the 2013 federal election on 1.4 percent of the Northern Territory Senate vote.^[10]

The party changed their name in November 2013 from "Australian First Nations Political Party" to "Australia's First Nations Political Party".^[11]

References

^ "First Nations Maurie Ryan stands down". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
^ AEC redirection page – Australian Electoral Commission
^ ^a ^b "Official launch of Australia's first Aboriginal political party near the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
^ ^a ^b ^c "First Nations Political Party formed". The Adelaide Advertiser. 11 January 2011.
^ Notice of change to the Register of Political Parties
^ "Australia's First Nations Political Party". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
^ "Register of Political Parties in the Northern Territory: NTEC". Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
^ "Application for party registration approved – The First Nations Political Party". Australian Electoral Commission.
^ "Legislative Assembly General Election - 25 August 2012". Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
^ FIRST PREFERENCES BY GROUP - NT Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine, AEC, 10 October 2013.
^ Application to change party name approved - Australia’s First Nations Political Party, Australian Electoral Commission, 14 November 2013.