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Seniors United Party of Australia

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Seniors United Party of Australia
PresidentBob Patrech
General SecretaryBob Burdett
SpokespersonBob Patrech
Founded2015; 9 years ago (2015)
Dissolved29 June 2022 (2022-06-29)
HeadquartersWollongong
IdeologyPensioners' interests
Colours  Grey
  Red
  Blue
Website
www.seniorsunitedparty.com.au

The Seniors United Party of Australia (SUPA) was an Australian political party.[1] It was known as Seniors United NSW until 3 March 2016.[2] The party was founded by Ray Morritt, Nick Agnew, Frank Fitzpatrick and Neil Smith who were dissatisfied with the NSW Government's legislation on retirement villages and other seniors issues.[3] The party was deregistered by the AEC on 29 June 2022.[4]

History

[edit]

Other parties have previously competed under a similar name in Australian elections. NSW MLC Beryl Evans formed The Seniors, the Seniors Party ran candidates in the 2001 Western Australian state election, and a group called 'Seniors' contested the 1999 New South Wales state election. None of them had any electoral success.[5][6]

The Seniors United Party's first three candidates were in the 2016 federal election to represent New South Wales in the Australian Senate. The candidates were Gillian Evans, Kerry Koliadis and Chris Osborne.[7] Evans was ranked as the 26th candidate out of 151 and the party ranked 17th out of 41 groups on the New South Wales Senate ballot paper, counting only first preferences.[8]

The party fielded a candidate in the 2017 New England by-election. Warwick Stacey polled 16th of the 17 candidates, with 0.39% of the vote.[9]

On 7 February 2018, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) issued a notice that it was considering deregistering the party on the grounds that it had ceased to have at least 500 members.[10] In May 2018 the AEC approved the party to continue its registration after the party requested and was granted a 2nd membership review which it passed.

In October 2018 the party merged with the Pensioners, Veterans & Seniors Party.[citation needed]

The party was de-registered in March 2021 for failing to have 500 members.[11] After an appeal, the party was reregistered in November 2021.

In 2022, New South Wales Legislative Councillor Fred Nile joined the party after the dissolution of the Christian Democratic Party, intending to become the party's first sitting member.[12] However, SUPA was not registered with NSWEC and Fred Nile left the party. The party was deregistered as a federal party less than two months later as a result of the federal Liberal and Labor parties passing a Bill to treble the necessary party membership required for federal registration of minor parties.[4]

The party, although unregistered continues today advocating for seniors without being compromised financially or politically.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Seniors United Party of Australia". Australian Electoral Commission. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Rename Seniors United NSW". Australian Electoral Commission. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. ^ Jane Hansen (20 February 2016). "Retirees form Seniors United Party of Australia to put spotlight on how retirement villages operate". The Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  4. ^ a b Reid, Joanne. "Notice under s 137(6A) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  5. ^ Green, Antony. "Western Australian state election, 2001" (PDF). ABC Election Archives. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  6. ^ Green, Antony. "New South Wales Legislative Council Elections 1999" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Candidates for the 2016 federal election". Australian Electoral Commission. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Senate Results (NSW)". Virtual tally Room. Australian Electoral Commission. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  9. ^ "New England, NSW: By-election". Australian Electoral Commission. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Notice of intention to deregister Seniors United Party of Australia" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Notice of deregistration Seniors United Party of Australia" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission.
  12. ^ "Fred Nile joins a new party, and introduces an Aboriginal rights bill - Eternity News". Eternity News. 19 May 2022.
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