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LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY FIGHTS LOBBY GROUP AND THE LIBERAL PARTY
Based on the experience of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Australian politics is
heavily weighted against newcomers and in favour of the main parties.
On 21 November last year the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI)
closed down the LDP’s stand at the Sydney Motorcycle Show. It claimed that
distributing political material and signing up members to the pro-biker party was a
nuisance to the public.
The party denies the claim and is suing the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
for breach of contract.
President of the LDP, Peter Whelan, said “In our opinion the FCAI acted to avoid
incurring the ire of the Rudd Labor Government.”
Media reports indicate the Chamber was out of favour with the Government at the
time. It has been reported that the Government was unhappy with the FCAI due to a
front-page story in The Australian newspaper on November 18 headlined "Labor's $2
billion bid to save car yards", which described the Rudd government's secret plans for
a special car dealer financing fund now known as Ozcar. The FCAI was blamed for
leaking the story.
"Evicting the LDP from the Sydney Motorbike Show was an attack on our right of
free expression as well as being profoundly anti-democratic,” Mr Whelan said.
“It was also a major set-back for the rights and freedoms dear to the hearts of
motorbike riders."
"It was made perfectly clear when we signed up for the Show that the purpose of
participation was to sign up new members and to promote our pro-bike policies.
Being evicted after the first day has deprived us of many hundreds of new members
and delayed the LDP's program of legal and electoral reform."
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party is seeking to have the Australian Electoral Office
reverse its December 2008 decision to approve the party’s name, which it has used in
the ACT since 2001. The Liberals recently took the AEC to the Australian
Administrative Tribunal to force it to divulge the legal advice it relied upon in making
the decision.
The review itself is still in progress and it is anticipated the matter will end up in
court.
Whelan explained, “The Liberals think they have copyright on the word ‘liberal’,
when it is a political philosophy that long preceded the change of name of the
‘Liberal’ Party from the UAP.”
“There are a lot of liberals in the US and Europe who would be pretty disgusted that
the Australian so-called Liberal “Conservative” Party has taken their name.
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The LDP is the true liberal party. It stands for individual liberty and opposes the
encroachment of government on personal freedoms, including so-called bikie laws. It
scored a stunning 4.2% of the vote in the mid-2008 Gippsland by-election.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
For further comment contact:
Peter Whelan National President
(02) 9652 0415 or 0416 275 850 (particularly re the FCAI matter)
David Leyonhjelm Registered Officer
0418 461431 (particularly re the party name)
Issued Sydney, August 14th, 2009
NEWS 
