Gerard Rennick People First
People First Party Gerard Rennick People First | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | PFP |
| Leader | Gerard Rennick |
| Founder | Gerard Rennick |
| Founded | 10 September 2024 |
| Registered | 5 December 2024[1] |
| Split from | Liberal National |
| Headquarters | 1024 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, South East Queensland[1] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Right-wing[3][4] to far-right[5] |
| Colours | Teal blue |
| House of Representatives | 0 / 30 (Queensland seats)
|
| Senate | 1 / 12 (Queensland seats)
|
| Website | |
| peoplefirstparty | |
Gerard Rennick People First is an Australian political party. Created by Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick in August 2024, the party was officially registered by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on 5 December 2024.[1]
Background
[edit]Beginning in 2021, Liberal National Senator for Queensland Gerard Rennick began to receive criticism for his social media posts and his stance toward both federal and state government measures taken around the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[6][7] This included Rennick's alleged criticism of state border closures[8] and state vaccine mandates as well as an exemption for children's vaccination, and the MPs desire to end travel restrictions.[9] Rennick's critical stance toward government policy continued throughout 2021–2022, and was labelled a "rebel" right-wing MP.[3][5] By early July 2023 Rennick narrowly lost pre-selection for the Liberal National Party's Senate ticket at the next federal election (2025).[5][10]
In August 2024 Rennick quit the Liberal National party to sit as an Independent on the crossbench and announced a new political party to contest the 2025 federal election.[11][12] Months later in December 2024, the party was officially registered by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).[1]
Beliefs and policies
[edit]Gerard Rennick is a right-wing[3][4] to far-right politician.[5] He describes himself as a protectionist[13][14] and on economic policy said he favoured a "protectionist nationalist" form of capitalism.[2]
Rennick, an accountant by trade,[15] has claimed Australia's current rate of withholding tax provided an incentive for multinational firms to "ship their profits offshore", and called for lowering the company tax rate to 12%, more than half its current rate (2019).[16] He also cited Australia's system of corporate revenue collection was "why I really want to run" for Parliament.[16] Rennick has also called for scrapping franking credits, stating: "So, if you really wanted to reform the tax system... you should get rid of franking credits altogether and just have a lower, flatter company tax rate."[17]
Policies
[edit]Created, and led, by Senator Gerard Rennick, the People First party's ideals are not widely known. Published on its website, the party's key policies are:
- Raise the tax-free threshold from $18,200 to $40,000.[18]
- Giving childcare subsidy payments directly to parents (subject to welfare checks).[19]
- Advocate that superannuation be voluntary and use the savings to lift the pension.[20]
- Call a Federal Convention to streamline the duplication of roles and responsibilities of State and Federal Governments.[21]
- Advocate to means-test the gold-plated pensions of retired white-collared public servants.[21]
- Abolish the Climate Change Department, the "Multicultural Department",[a] and subsides for renewables.[21]
- Reinstatement of a public bank (similar to the Commonwealth Bank between 1911 and 1991) and reintroduce a Government Insurance Office.[22]
- Establishing a "Infrastructure Bank", which would issue bonds to the Federal and State Governments for seven types of Infrastructure – Dams, Baseload Power Stations (not renewables), Roads, Rail, Ports, Airports and Telecommunications.[23]
Notes
[edit]- ^ There is no official "Multicultural Department" within the Australian Government. Responsibilities for matters relating to it are within the Department of Home Affairs.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Registration of a political party Gerard Rennick People First" (PDF). aec.gov.au. Australian Electoral Commission. 5 December 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 January 2025.
- ^ a b c Owens, Jared (26 September 2018). "Australia needs to develop nuclear weapons and stop 'vilifying' Russia, says Liberal candidate". The Australian. News Corp Australia.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c "Queensland rebel Liberal senator says he'll withhold vote over COVID issues". The Conversation. 1 November 2021. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021.
- ^ a b McKenna, Michael (29 April 2024). "Queensland senator Gerard Rennick launches legal action against LNP". The Australian. News Corp Australia.
Senator Rennick, an accountant, is seen as a right-wing renegade in the party ranks who, notably, withdrew his vote for the Morrison government in 2021 in protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d Elks, Sarah (7 July 2023). "Rebel Queensland Liberal senator Gerard Rennick booted off ticket". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024.
- ^ Coade, Melissa (3 August 2021). "Hunt queried over senator's 'false information' on COVID". The Mandarin. Private Media. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021.
- ^ McGowan, Michael; Knaus, Christopher (23 November 2021). "Liberal MP Gerard Rennick floods Facebook with vaccine posts he admits may not be '100% accurate'". Guardian Australia. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021.
- ^ Coorey, Phillip (24 November 2021). "Anti-vaccine rebel MPs claim partial victory, liken premiers to Stalin". Australian Financial Review. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021.
- ^ Martin, Sarah (1 November 2021). "Liberal senator Gerard Rennick to withhold vote in protest against Covid vaccine mandates". Guardian Australia. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021.
- ^ Sakkal, Paul (7 July 2023). "Anti-vax Coalition MP Gerard Rennick dumped". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023.
- ^ Wright, Shane (25 August 2024). "Queensland senator Gerard Rennick quits LNP for crossbench". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Gerard Rennick quits LNP and reveals plan to register 'People First' party". Guardian Australia. Guardian Media Group. 26 August 2024. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024.
- ^ "The Senate – Questions Without Notice: Take Note Of Answers – Budget Speech". aph.gov.au. Parliament of Australia. 10 May 2023 – via Hansard.
- ^ "The Senate – Questions Without Notice: Take Note Of Answers – Cost Of Living Speech". aph.gov.au. Parliament of Australia. 13 November 2023 – via Hansard.
I call myself a protectionist. The Liberal Party were the original party of that, before the free traders came in, and I like to remind my own party of that from time to time. We are here to protect the working-class people.
- ^ Workman, Alice (1 February 2022). "Hey, Abbott". The Australian. News Corp Australia.
- ^ a b Conifer, Daniel (22 April 2019). "Coalition candidate Gerard Rennick floats 12 per cent company tax rate, suggests early education a conspiracy". ABC News. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Look who doesn't have to pay tax". gerardrennick.com.au. 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Lower Income Tax". peoplefirstparty.au.
- ^ "Flexible Childcare". peoplefirstparty.au.
- ^ "Voluntary Superannuation". peoplefirstparty.au.
- ^ a b c "Streamline The Bureaucracy". peoplefirstparty.au.
- ^ "Public Bank & Insurance Office". peoplefirstparty.au.
- ^ "Infrastructure Bank". peoplefirstparty.au.