Unite Australia Party
Encyclopedia
The Unite Australia Party (UAP) was a short-lived Australian political party that existed in the late 1980s.
In December 1986, Senator John Siddons
, former deputy leader of the Australian Democrats
, quit the Democrats to form the UAP, arguing that the Democrats under leader Janine Haines
had moved too far to the left on key issues and was no longer representative of small 'l' liberal values. Initially composed of disaffected Democrats, the UAP gained a boost when two other minor parties, the Advance Australia Party
and the Australia Party
agreed to amalgamate with the UAP, raising its national membership to around 5000. The UAP was registered as a political party on 21 January 1987 with Siddons claiming the party would become the new third force of Australian politics.
Siddons pledged that the UAP would lower taxes, stimulate the economy, protect small shop-owners from unfair competition, abolish compulsory unionism and would be an anti-uranium, pro-environment party. The party received another boost when Senator David Vigor
(who had lost a pre-selection battle) also defected from the Democrats to the UAP, giving the UAP two sitting federal parliamentarians.
The party's first electoral test, the by-elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
districts of Bankstown and Heathcote
in January 1987, provided concern for the party, producing less than 1% of the vote in both cases.
Undaunted, the UAP ran Senate candidates at the 1987 federal election in each of the mainland states as well as several lower house seats. The party performed worse than expected, polling 0.6% in South Australia
, 0.5% in Victoria and 0.2% in New South Wales
. In the 1988 Adelaide by-election
, the UAP candidate polled only 0.4% of the vote.
Party support dwindled after the 1987 election and the UAP was deregistered on 25 May 1990.
Despite the similarity of the names, the Unite Australia Party was not connected to the United Australia Party
, which was the forerunner to the Liberal Party of Australia
.
In December 1986, Senator John Siddons
John Siddons
John Royston Siddons was an Australian politician. He was a businessman and the executive chairman of Siddons Industries Ltd. before entering politics. In 1980, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Democrats senator for Victoria...
, former deputy leader of the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
, quit the Democrats to form the UAP, arguing that the Democrats under leader Janine Haines
Janine Haines
Janine Haines, AM , Australian politician, was the first female federal parliamentary leader of an Australian political party. An Australian Democrat, she was also the first member of that party to enter the federal parliament after the party's formation...
had moved too far to the left on key issues and was no longer representative of small 'l' liberal values. Initially composed of disaffected Democrats, the UAP gained a boost when two other minor parties, the Advance Australia Party
Advance Australia Party
The Advance Australia Party , originally known as the Rex Connor Labor Party, is a minor political party in Australia, formed in an attempt to provide an alternative for those voters disillusioned with the free-market "economic rationalist" policies pursued by both the Liberal and Labor parties...
and the Australia Party
Australia Party
The Australia Party was the name of a minor political party in Australia ....
agreed to amalgamate with the UAP, raising its national membership to around 5000. The UAP was registered as a political party on 21 January 1987 with Siddons claiming the party would become the new third force of Australian politics.
Siddons pledged that the UAP would lower taxes, stimulate the economy, protect small shop-owners from unfair competition, abolish compulsory unionism and would be an anti-uranium, pro-environment party. The party received another boost when Senator David Vigor
David Vigor
David Bernard Vigor was a member of the Australian Senate, representing the Australian Democrats and the Unite Australia Party....
(who had lost a pre-selection battle) also defected from the Democrats to the UAP, giving the UAP two sitting federal parliamentarians.
The party's first electoral test, the by-elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
districts of Bankstown and Heathcote
Electoral district of Heathcote
Heathcote is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Lee Evans of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Heathcote:-Election results:...
in January 1987, provided concern for the party, producing less than 1% of the vote in both cases.
Undaunted, the UAP ran Senate candidates at the 1987 federal election in each of the mainland states as well as several lower house seats. The party performed worse than expected, polling 0.6% in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, 0.5% in Victoria and 0.2% in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. In the 1988 Adelaide by-election
Adelaide by-election, 1988
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Adelaide on 6 February 1988. This was triggered by the resignation of Labor Party MP Chris Hurford to become Australia's Consul-General in New York....
, the UAP candidate polled only 0.4% of the vote.
Party support dwindled after the 1987 election and the UAP was deregistered on 25 May 1990.
Despite the similarity of the names, the Unite Australia Party was not connected to the United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
, which was the forerunner to the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
.