Federal Election 2025: Be an Informed and Strategic Voter

7 Comments

1. Careful what you wish for, one point, on 7. and ‘progressive’ parties, Sustainable Australian Party is not progressive, but a far right astroturf greenwashing eugenics, immigration restrictions, population control and ‘the great replacement’.

   Linked to SPA Sustainable Population Australian, based on a local outlet of the US Rockefeller Bros. (Exxon) ’70s ZPG Zero Population Growth with Paul Ehrlich’s ‘Population Bomb’, now known in the US as Tanton Network.

   Latter is based on Ehrlich ZPG colleague and peer, the deceased white nationalist John ‘passive eugenics’ Tanton, described by Reagan staffer Linda Chavez in NYT as ‘the most influential unknown man in America’ and by SPLC as ‘the racist architect of the modern anti-immigration movement’.

   Tanton admired the white Australia policy, visited in late ’80s or ’90s and was hosted by Sustainable Population Australia’s then head (which is acknowledged); preceded by Ehrlich who lived Sydney late ’60s in the twilight of the white Australia policy.

   SPA works with TAPRI The Australian Population Research Institute which informs SkyNews After Dark, NewsCorp, far right MacroBusiness, RW FIRE MSM and our political elites, bipartisan (US Dems & UK Labour avoid Tanton’s mob).

   In US Tanton Network shares donors with fossil fuel Koch Network, informs FoxNews editorial, RW MSM, alt right and Trump’s MAGA GOP, manifested in Steve ‘great replacement’ Bannon, Border Czar Homan, Stephen Miller et al and Project 2025.

   Not only do they have influence on media and politics, their dog whistling on demography (using Koch climate science denial tactics & ‘jazzed up stats’) gives a psychological floor to house market by faux demand, ie. mislabelling international students as ‘immigrants’, but then also suggested to be a cost on the nation eg. rents, employment, infrastructure etc. (without any evidence).

   Related, since Howard’s rise, is how any policy initiatives on climate, environment and renewables can be so easily stymied by greenwashed dog whistles for a ‘sustainable population’; we lazily blame immigrants, but neither US fossil fuel subisidiaries nor policy makers?

   One is also a bit sceptical of Australia’s Voice due to some names, including a faux anti-imperialist tankie of the left promoted in indie media, opposed to Ukraine and Europe, but nada on Putin and Trump?

   Do you homework on preferencing to make sure the multitude of micro parties in or around QLD and regions are valid; some may appear centrist, but preferences could advantage LNP or far worse, and far right….

2. Hi Andrew, this comment contains some misleading and unsubstantiated claims. Here’s a breakdown based on publicly available policy and positioning of the Sustainable Australia Party (SAP):

   ✅ What’s True or Partially Accurate:
   1. Immigration and Population Focus:
   o SAP strongly advocates for reduced immigration levels, citing sustainability and urban congestion.
   o This stance has drawn criticism from progressive groups, who argue that it can echo far-right talking points.

   Environmental Branding (“Greenwashing”):
   o SAP brands itself as environmentally focused, but some critics argue this serves to make their immigration stance more palatable to progressive audiences.
   o Their climate policy is less ambitious than those of the Greens or Socialist Alliance, which leads to accusations of “greenwashing.”

   ❌ What’s Misleading or Unfounded:
   1. Far-Right Allegation:
   o SAP is not affiliated with far-right movements or white nationalist groups. It positions itself as centrist.
   o No official SAP materials support the “The Great Replacement” theory claims.

   Eugenics Accusation:
   o There is no evidence that SAP supports or advocates for eugenics.

   🟢 Balanced Assessment:
   • SAP is not a progressive party in the traditional sense (e.g., social justice, pro-diversity, or redistributive economic policies).
   • It sits more in the centrist-to-conservative environmentalist niche, similar to “eco-nationalist” movements in some European countries.
   • Including them in lists of progressive parties may be misleading unless clarified.

   ✅ Suggested Replacement Text for Your Guide:
   ⚠️ Note: Sustainable Australia Party promotes environmental sustainability but holds restrictive views on immigration that may not align with broader progressive or social justice values.

3. Sorry, but a few links are not showing in the article. Here are the links now:

   Raise awareness in groups and MP pages:

   How to share without a share button: https://youtu.be/6g4APNZLXC4

   List of MPs and their Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/378405463586935/permalink/55139386962142

   Additional sharing groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/378405463586935/permalink/55139530962128

4. I know who they are and ignore their public statements, can be nasty and aggressive. One has tracked them since noughties when they were misrepresenting immigration and population data, clearly connected to John Tanton who believed in white minority rule.

   For example Tanton’s Brit friends included Tucker Carlson and white nationalist Peter Brimelow who was reporting directly to Fox News proprietors, as explained by Gertz in Media Matters US ’22 ‘If you are in business with Fox News you are on the hook for its white nationalism’.

   For the latest US media reporting on Tanton and familiar talking points, see ProPublica’s (October 2024) ‘Environment: The Ghosts of John Tanton

   Reporting Highlights

   Tanton’s Network: Today’s contentious immigration debate is the construct of one man’s effort to halt overpopulation, brace for climate change and preserve “European” culture.
   Green Hate: Now climate change is amplifying environmental concerns that have always run through the white supremacy and the anti-immigration movements.
   Eco-Fascism: Experts warn that extremists who seize on global warming to justify violence are part of a far right trend to reclaim environmentalism as their own.’

   https://www.propublica.org/article/john-tanton-far-right-extremism-environmentalism-climate-change

5. Hi Andrew,
   I will explore this further and make changes to the article if necessary.

6. As the founder of Sustainable Australia Party (SAP) I can categorically reject all of the conspiracy theories and disinformation from this “Andrew Smith”.

   I and SAP have always explicitly been pro-immigration – but simply support returning annual immigration to the more normal level under 100,000pa – and always rejected discrimination of immigrants based on race (ethnicity) or religion.

   I and SAP have no idea who this “John Tanton” is and SAP is not linked to ANY other people or groups mentioned. I am aware of the Sustainable Population Australia group in Australia, but their activities are unrelated to SAP and they can speak for themselves.

   Another fact is that SAP is a COMPLETELY independent Australian community movement with a science and evidence-based approach to policy – not left- or right-wing ideology.

   Get more facts:
   https://www.sustainableaustralia.org.au

   The real questions are: who is this Andrew Smith, what is his real agenda and who is behind his ongoing disinformation campaign and conspiracy theories?

7. Doing further research into SAP, this is what I have found:

   Is the Sustainable Australia Party Far-Right? A Factual Assessment
   1. The Party’s Stated Position

   The Sustainable Australia Party (SAP) is a centrist, independent party focused on environmental sustainability, political integrity, and economic fairness.
   They explicitly reject far-right ideologies and state that their immigration policies are non-discriminatory and evidence-based, aimed at protecting Australia’s environment and infrastructure.

   Immigration Policy Controversy

   SAP advocates reducing Australia’s permanent immigration intake to 70,000 per year, citing pressures on housing, infrastructure, and the environment.
   Critics argue that this position echoes talking points often associated with far-right or eco-nationalist movements, where environmental concerns are used to justify tighter immigration controls. However, SAP maintains its stance is purely environmental and economic, not cultural or racial.

   Accusations vs. Reality

   While some commentators link their rhetoric to the John Tanton network (notably covered in ProPublica, 2024), there is no direct evidence that SAP espouses white nationalist, eugenicist, or far-right ideology.
   SAP has publicly distanced itself from any such affiliations and affirms its commitment to social inclusion and anti-discrimination.

   Conclusion

   The Sustainable Australia Party does not define itself as far-right, and it has no direct link to extremist groups. However, critics may perceive some of its immigration messaging as overlapping with far-right narratives.

   Evaluating parties based on their official platforms and actions is essential, rather than relying solely on interpretations or associations.