Single sex women’s issues political party in Australia

What Women Want Australia intends to contest in Australian Federal politics. Under the Australian system, this isn’t a no-winner. Smaller parties can, and do, affect the balance of power in the Senate. Despite the two party system, they work.

The party intends to put some realism into politics, and cites the rather bland, occasional references by major parties to their issues and women's rights generally as a reason for its existence. They do have a point. Women’s issues do tend to be more press release than practical action, at least 90% of the time, in Australian politics. The decade or so of pledges to address women’s participation in politics has been equally lame, despite a few notable standout female politicians, including the deputy leader of the Federal opposition, Julia Gillard. Niche parties have a long record in Federal and State politics, and their usual result, a branding of issues, is often followed by a tendency to be seen as one platform parties. In the Federal and state spheres, that often works against them, because they're seen as too narrowly focused. It is sometimes a legitimate criticism, too, because they just don't address anything but their own platforms. The Shooters Party in New South Wales has one member in the upper house of the state government. One Nation, the notorious redneck party, had various single members during its existence. Family First, the Christian party, has a member who at one point was holding the balance of power in the Senate. A women's issues party, by definition, isn't a one trick wonder, but it's a tough road ahead. What Women Want Australia also intends some representation in the lower House of Representatives, which historically doesn't work too well for the smaller parties. It’s a matter of opinion if Australia or its electoral system can really support high levels of representation of a new political party. The two party system is well entrenched, and only the preferential voting system gives them any real clout. Where there are existing majorities for either of those two parties, the politics is purely partisan. Stranger things have happened, though. At one point, the arch-conservative, Sir Robert Menzies, only got back in to power because of communist preferences… If nothing else, some entertainment will be gathered from the inevitable attempts to woo preferences from the new party. That’s a really shameless process.