New_Liberals_(Australia)
TNL (political party)
Political party in Australia
TNL, formerly registered as The New Liberals, is an Australian political party formed in 2019. Victor Kline, a barrister from Sydney, was the founder and party leader. As of June 2022[update], the party president is Katharine Kline and the party leader is Bess Brennan.[1]
TNL The New Liberals | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | TNL |
| Leader | Bess Brennan |
| General Secretary | Steve Hopley |
| President | Katharine Kline[1] |
| Founder | Victor Kline |
| Founded | 2019; 5 years ago (2019) |
| Registered | 3 June 2021 |
| Dissolved | 28 November 2023 |
| Headquarters | 53 Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre to centre-left |
| Colors | Teal |
| Slogan | "Economically responsible. Socially progressive." |
| Website | |
| tnl | |
The party believes in Modern Monetary Theory,[2] and publishes declarations of political donations they receive.[3]
Victor Kline and three friends founded TNL in response to what they saw as “a government that had apparently mastered the art of bare-faced corruption and an opposition that seemed incapable of calling them out”. Initially, the party was named “The New Liberals”. Kline claimed that the word “liberal” has twisted into a misnomer by the Liberal Party of Australia, and that many moderate disaffected Liberal and ex-Liberal voters are attracted to TNL.[citation needed]
The party's registration was approved by the Australian Electoral Commission on 3 June 2021.[4] The Liberal Party of Australia objected to the registration, due to the similarity in party names and the potential to cause confusion among electors.[5][6] Due to changes to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 regarding party names, this decision overturned by the Australian Electoral Commission and the party's registration was revoked on 7 December 2021.[7] The party was re-registered again as TNL on 17 March 2022.[8]
The party was de-registered on 28 November 2023.[9]
Some of the party's key policies include:[2]
- A federal anti corruption commission.[10]
- A climate policy with the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.[11]
- A full employment and job guarantee scheme (JGS).[12][13]
- Support for Housing First.[14]
- Placing a Bill of Rights into the Constitution.[15]
In the 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election, Karen Porter ran as an Independent under the party banner.[18] Porter received 1.28% of votes, placing 7th out of 14 candidates.[19]
In the 2022 Federal Election, the party endorsed eight candidates for the House of Representatives, in four states. None were successful. The party also endorsed a total of eight candidates for the Senate, two in New South Wales and six in Queensland.[20]
In June 2021, Kline announced that he, along with party candidate and former prosecutor Vania Holt, would be pursuing a private criminal case against Christian Porter over rape allegations he is facing.[21][22]
- "The National Executive". TNL. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- "Policies". New Liberals. 3 June 2021.
- "Real Time Donation Declarations | The New Liberals". Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- "Party registration decisions and changes". aec.gov.au. Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- Karp, Paul (3 June 2021). "New Liberals' registration approved despite Liberal party objection over 'voter confusion'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- Yosufzai, Rachida (16 April 2021). "Why the Liberal Party is scrambling to block the progressive New Liberals". SBS Australia. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- "Review of decision under s 141(4) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 – notice of decision under s 141(7)" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission.
- "Notice under s 133(1A)(a) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- Kline, Victor. "Federal Independent Commission against Crime" (PDF). New Liberals.
- "Register for Job Guarantee Scheme | The New Liberals". Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- "Victor Kline – LinkedIn". au.linkedin.com. LinkedIn. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- "The National Executive". thenewliberals.net.au. New Liberals.
- Smyth, Ben (20 May 2020). "New Liberals candidate Karen Porter steps up for Eden-Monaro by-election". Yass Tribune.
- "Eden-Monaro, NSW". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- "Candidates A-Z". abc.net.au. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- Karp, Paul (30 June 2021). "Statement given to NSW police raises questions over Christian Porter's denial of sex with accuser". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- Neilson, Naomi (1 July 2021). "New Liberals, ex-prosecutors assemble legal team to launch private criminal case against Christian Porter". Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
