Join the new world

Many men and women dream of one day taking up residence in their dream home. I for one have always imagined myself and my beautiful wife retreating into the country to a small stone cottage where we could raise our children together and live freely off the land. Yet for my dreams to ever truly be fulfilled, a foundation must first be laid. Without the right foundation then my grand designs and the goals I have set myself will never be accomplished. It is only once the foundation has been laid that the real work can begin.

It is the duty and responsibility of the Australian Independents Party (AIP) to establish a sure and unmoving foundation, upon which the people of eAustralia might build, and though the structures erected may fall the foundation should always remain strong. The foundation that has been laid by the AIP is one upon which the dreamer might build. Having not found a place within the political sphere one should be able to take refuge and see their dreams fulfilled through our party. The cornerstone that has been laid is that oft quoted phrase “Keep the bastards honest”, and this should remain the driving motivation from which the party is built. Simply by providing this foundation the AIP has taken a step forward in that mission. Any and all that desire to see their political dreams flourish should be encouraged to build upon the foundation laid by the AIP.

Whether elected or not to the role of Part President, concepts that I would like to see introduced to the party include:

1. Open elections: Many of the parties that currently exist, work to ensure that they are well represented in the senate by internally publicising the progress of elections. This in turn leads to voter sniping and less deserving candidates gaining seats in the eAustralian senate. Little can be done to cease these activities; however work can be done to level the playing field. By publicly advertising election updates, all eAustralian citizens will have the same opportunity to vote with knowledge of how their vote will impact the outcome of the elections.

2. Campaign advice: One of the clearest means of ensuring public support is to lay a comprehensible platform that the public can deliberate on. Many come to the AIP seeking an opportunity to gain a medal rather than looking to make an impact on the country, and so candidates should be encouraged to publish their position on critical issues present at the time of elections. It should be the responsibility of the Party President and encouraged of the current AIP senators to advise party candidates on matters of campaign process, to ensure that their representation is equal to that of anyone else.

3. Consistency and flexibility: All elected AIP senators should be encouraged to express their opinion freely within the senate according to proper procedures. They should likewise be encouraged to hold to their election promises and serve those that have elected them. Our elected officials do not represent the AIP but rather the people that elected them, and they should thus be held accountable by the Party President to ensure they remain consistent to the oaths upon which they were elected.

I have stated before and will again “My hope is that we can rebuild the AIP not as a party but rather a platform upon which the minority can rise and be seen.” If elected as Party President my duty will not be to ensure the building up of the party, this is the task of the people, instead my obligation will be to ensure that the foundation never falters.

Whether it is Alex Australis or myself that takes on the duty of overseeing the work done in the AIP, the citizens of eAustralia should know that the AIP will always remain as a foundation for their dreams to be built upon and a platform upon which they can rise and be seen.

Melchizedek Smith,
AIP Queensland Senator