It has been said a week is a long time in politics so you can only imagine what a year is like – and today marks one year since the Australian Conservatives launched as a political party.
The twelve months has passed so quickly and yet so much has been achieved. Thanks to the support of so many Australians, we have laid the foundations for a sustainable and formidable political movement that will deliver a better way for our nation.
Our membership numbers in the tens of thousands and our registered supporters are many multiples of that.
We have led the charge on important policy initiatives built around our founding principles. On many occasions the government (and others) have followed our lead proving once again that, in the long run, principle trumps personality or populist politics.
Of course our political opponents won’t acknowledge that fact but the rest of us know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
One notable success was our disallowance of the government’s extradition agreement with China. How anyone thought sending suspects to a foreign nation – without a credible rule of law (and a 99% conviction rate) – was good policy beggars belief but, thanks to our efforts it was stopped.
Similarly, we championed the way on foreign influence in our body politic, highlighting how compromised the major political parties were over Chinese donations.
We championed opposition to the Orwellian “Safe Schools” program, held the high moral ground on the citizenship saga whilst speaking fearlessly in support of our national values, culture and heritage.
There is so much more but absolutely none of this would have been possible without your support and encouragement. I am just one cog in the conservative wheel, working with all of you trying to rescue our country for the sake of our children.
It is heartening that so many have enlisted to join us on this task. To be our most effective we need many voices speaking up for common sense to unite our nation.
On our anniversary it is also good to let you know that Lyle Shelton has joined the Australian Conservatives team as our Federal Communications Director. Lyle has lived our values in his personal and professional life and is now adding his talents to strengthen our movement.
For many, getting involved in politics isn’t high on their agenda. It can be a gruelling battle in the face of great adversity but we simply cannot afford to vacate the field to those who want to radically change our way of life. It begs the question “If not us, then who?’
Once again, I am so grateful for your support of our political movement and humbled by the efforts of so many. So thank you and I hope you are as proud of our first twelve months as I am.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
