Australian election mini and micro party guide: how to avoid a vote you might regret in the Senate

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in The Guardian

Behind unassuming names lurk parties with some hair-raising and eccentric views. And others that are pretty much what they say they are.

The most recent federal election proved politics is no longer a two-horse race, with a record 16 independents and minor parties elected to the crossbench, as well as 10 in the Senate.

This time around the teals are no longer unknowns, and there are plenty more independents hoping to make a mark in lower house contests.

But the Senate ballot paper remains the true home of the most optimistic, idiosyncratic and, in some cases, extreme parties. From Clive Palmer’s rebrand to a party pushing for legal cannabis, there’s something for everyone.

Here’s a quick rundown of the lesser-known parties running candidates in the 2025 Australian federal election on 3 May, and what they stand for.

Animal Justice Party

With state representatives in New South Wales and Victoria, including the high-profile Georgie Purcell, the party says it is the only one dedicated to “ensure laws are created and enforced to achieve genuine justice for animals”, including representing the “needs, capabilities and interests” of farm animals, native wildlife and pets.

They are campaigning for a federal animal protection body, the prevention of animal poisoning and protection of native species, as well as the declaration of a climate emergency.

Running in: the Senate in all states besides the Northern Territory, as well as lower house seats in most states.

Australian Christians

A socially conservative and Christian-conservative party that wants to “defend life, faith, family and freedom”. It campaigns on an anti-abortion platform, opposes euthanasia and “coercive vaccine mandates” and wants to “protect religious freedom in schools”. It also wants to reverse same-sex marriage and ban puberty blockers for minors.

Running in: the Senate in NSW and Western Australia, as well as 10 lower house seats in WA.

Australian Citizens party

Founded in 1988 as the Citizens Electoral Council, the party is associated with the movement founded by the controversial US campaigner Lyndon LaRouche. It says its stands for “restoring Australia’s national and economic sovereignty” through a return to protectionist policies. It says “corporations, banks and other lackeys of the City of London and Wall Street” have profited from exploiting Australia’s natural resources. It is anti-Aukus and wants to end “foreign policy subservience to the USA and UK”, become a republic and repeal the prohibition on nuclear power, as well as returning electricity to state ownership.

Running in: the Senate in every state and territory, as well as 19 lower house seats.

Australian Democrats

Formed by the former Liberal politician Don Chipp to “keep the bastards honest”, it was once a major player in the Senate, but the party’s presence has faded almost entirely. It describes itself as the “people’s watchdog”, pursuing a small-l liberal platform of “evidence based governance”, ending rorts and political accountability.

Running in: the Senate in Queensland, Victoria and WA and one lower house seat in NSW.

Australia’s Voice

The party was founded last year after Senator Fatima Payman resigned from the Labor party to become an independent due to a rupture over Palestine policy. A ceasefire in Gaza is a major pillar of its platform, as well as addressing the housing crisis, becoming a republic, establishing a “Public Bank of Australia” and introducing supermarket divestiture laws.

Running in: the Senate in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and WA.

Family First party Australia

The conservative party was founded in South Australia in the early 2000s on a Judeo-Christian-right platform, to fight against “radical anti-family attitudes” and for families, which it says are “under threat from a radical left and libertarian right”. It is anti-abortion and wants to remove LGBTQ+ content from schools, ban gender affirmation surgery and make it “attractive” for “married couples” to have children.

Running in: the Senate and lower house in NSW, Queensland, SA and Victoria.

FUSION | Planet Rescue | Whistleblower Protection | Innovation

Commonly known simply as Fusion, the party was formed in 2021 through a merger of the Science party, Pirate party, Secular party, Vote Planet and Climate Change Justice party. It wants to address the climate emergency, invest in public education, healthcare and scientific research, and promote societal equity and liberty.

Running in: the Senate in NSW, Queensland, SA, Victoria and WA and 13 lower house seats.

Gerard Rennick People First

A new party founded, as the name suggests, by the former LNP Queensland senator Gerard Rennick. People First wants to reduce income tax, make superannuation voluntary and pay childcare subsidy payments directly to parents. It is also advocating for the reinstatement of a public bank and for a federal infrastructure bank.

Running in: the Senate in NSW, SA, Queensland, Victoria and WA and 19 lower house seats.

Health Environment Accountability Rights Transparency (Heart)

First registered as the Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) party in 2016, Heart campaigns on a pseudoscientific platform against mandatory vaccination, water fluoridation, Australia’s membership of the World Health Organization and the UN. It promotes allied health practitioners using “holistic and natural treatment alternatives” and wants to increase the consumption of organic food.

Running in: the Senate in the ACT, NSW, Queensland and Victoria and the lower house in Canberra and three NSW seats.

Indigenous – Aboriginal party of Australia

Featuring all-Indigenous candidates, the grassroots party was formed in 2020 by Barkandji and Malyangapa man Uncle Owen Whyman to place First Nations voices in parliament. It wants to address Indigenous incarceration rates and the forced removal of children, and take Indigenous control of Indigenous school education. It is also lobbying for the protection of sacred sites including the Baaka river.

Running in: the Senate in NSW, Queensland and Victoria and the lower house in Durack (WA), Lingiari (NT) and Parkes (NSW).

Jacqui Lambie Network

The Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie wants to “give a leg up to the little guy” and improve her representation in parliament. The party is lobbying to “clean out Canberra corruption”, boost local manufacturing to “Make Australia Make Again”, start an inquiry into Chinese foreign interference and enact the findings of the royal commission into veteran suicide.

Running in: the Senate in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.

Katter’s Australian party

Queensland senator Bob Katter says his party is the only one “with the guts to fight for what really matters”. His election platform this year is heavy on crime, including tougher youth crime laws and the introduction of “Castle Law” so homeowners have the right to use lethal force in self-defence without legal repercussions. He also wants to loosen firearm laws, reduce crocodile numbers and cull flying foxes.

Running in: Queensland.

Legalise Cannabis party

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You guessed it – the party wants to legalise, tax and regulate cannabis, treating it in a similar way to alcohol and tobacco. It wants a moratorium on arresting users and allowing consumers to grow cannabis at home. It also advocates for civil liberties, privacy and anti-discrimination protections. You may remember its lead Senate candidate for Victoria, Fiona Patten, as the founder of Victoria’s Reason party.

Running in: all states and territories.

Libertarian party

Formerly known as the Liberal Democrats, the party supports civil liberties and minimum government intervention. Its policy platform is to “prioritise prosperity, protect families, and defend freedom”, including raising the income tax-free threshold, abolishing the education department and enshrining free speech into the constitution.

Running in: NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania and Victoria.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

The rightwing populist party famously founded by Hanson in the 1990s wants to abolish various government departments as well as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, reverse abortion laws and drastically reduce immigration.

Running in: all states and territories.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party

The broadly conservative party is a backer of mining, manufacturing and agriculture. It wants more self-reliance in defence, increased funding for remote and regional schools, expanded recreational fishing and federal legislation enshrining the rights of law-abiding hunters and fishers. It also holds “rational skepticism” towards climate change.

Running in: NSW.

Socialist Alliance

Wanting to “give a voice to working-class struggle”, the party is campaigning to “create a democratic socialist society focused on meeting the needs of people and the planet”. It wants to place immediate sanctions on Israel and end arms exports, withdraw from Aukus, reach net zero by 2030 and give permanent protection to all refugees. It is also calling for First Nations treaties, the abolition of all anti-union laws and a wealth tax for the “super rich”.

Running in: the Senate in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and WA and six lower house seats.

Sustainable Australia party – Universal Basic Income

Formed in 2010 in opposition to a large population, it advocates “sustainable solutions” to address Australia’s economic, environmental and social issues, including a universal basic income for all, the slowing of immigration, ending the housing crisis and diversifying the economy. It also wants to offer free university and Tafe and end multinational tax avoidance.

Running in: all states and territories.

Trumpet of Patriots

The successor to the United Australia party (UAP), Clive Palmer’s pet project is back, blanketing the country with yellow ads upholding “democracy, individual freedoms, free speech [and] reducing government intrusion”. It wants to introduce a Trump-like Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), cut immigration, impose “one culture, the Australian culture” and get the “woke agenda” out of schools.

Running in: all states and territories in the Senate and almost 100 lower house seats.

Victorian Socialists

Running on a similar “revolutionary” platform to the national Socialist Alliance, the party has gained widespread media attention thanks to its Victorian Senate candidate Jordan van den Lamb, AKA purplepingers, who has campaigned hard on the housing crisis. It wants to “stand for renters”, tax large corporations and the wealthy, and reverse privatisation. It is also anti-war and pro-climate action and union rights.

Running in: Victoria.

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