The Alliance for Progress (AFP), also known simply as the Alliance, was an alliance of small Australian political parties. It was composed of nine parties with progressive ideologies as part of an effort to work together on campaigns, share resources, and negotiate preference recommendations.
History.
The 2013 federal election resulted in a number of minor parties being elected to the Senate, after the Minor Party Alliance (MPA) organised and negotiated preference flows through the group voting ticket (GVT) system. The MPA was organised by Glenn Druery and included both progressive and non-progressive political parties, with those elected in 2013 including the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, Family First Party, and the Liberal Democratic Party.
In 2015, a number of parties that had worked with Druery split from the MPA to form the Alliance for Progress, in time for the Canning by-election. Two members of the newly-formed Alliance − the Animal Justice Party and the Pirate Party − as well as the Sustainable Population Party, which was participating in Alliance meetings, contested the by-election.
The Alliance for Progress was critical of changes to the Senate electoral system, which included the removal of GVTs, and instead favoured the introduction of optional preferential voting below-the-line. The removal of GVTs was supported by the Greens, and the Alliance for Progress chose to contest Greens-targeted seats at the 2016 federal election in response.
Members.
Official members.
Nine parties were official members of the Alliance for Progress.
Affiliated members.
Eleven parties attended Alliance for Progress meetings, but were not officially members.