How Don Chipp spoke up for the disenchanted

IT was the thousands of letters from disenchanted voters across the country that stopped Don Chipp walking away from politics in March 1977 and paved the way for the creation of the Australian Democrats.

IT was the thousands of letters from disenchanted voters across the country that stopped Don Chipp walking away from politics in March 1977 and paved the way for the creation of the Australian Democrats.

The self-described "small-l liberal" had just quit his party of 17 years after being dumped from cabinet by prime minister Malcolm Fraser. He had grown more and more dissatisfied with the "autocratic" governance of his Liberal Party colleagues.

"When he left the Liberal Party, he intended to quit politics altogether," said his daughter, Laura Chipp. "But he literally got thousands of letters from people crying out for a third voice in politics so he changed his mind."

The Victorian politician spent the next eight weeks finding out just how disgruntled Australian voters had become with the two-party political system when he addressed crowded meetings across the country. By May, the Democrats were born.

His party's slogan - "Keep the bastards honest" - has stood the test of time even if the Democrats are all but dead.

"From day one, the principles of the party were honesty, tolerance and compassion," Ms Chipp, 22, told The Australian.

"But the basic principle of the party was that its policies should be based on common sense and fairness and it also allowed members an option to have a conscience vote, which is very unique."

A more democratic and progressive party was one of Chipp's key reasons for founding the Democrats.

"Dad felt stuck down in the Liberal Party," Ms Chipp said. "He felt he wasn't allowed to voice his opinion on issues. He thought Australia was not democratic if an MP could not voice their opinion."

Chipp's decision to launch the Democrats met a mixed response in Canberra. Some MPs said it wouldn't last - Fraser even called it "Don Chipp's unborn child" - but opinion polls showed Chipp was more liked than the PM or the Opposition leader.

In an attempt to stem the growing popularity of the Democrats, Fraser called a premature election in December and many had high hopes for the newest party on the political landscape, with some even predicting Chipp would be in The Lodge by 1982.

But the Democrats managed only 11 per cent of the vote and two senate seats.

Despite its disappointing performance, the party's key role in the Senate - to "keep the bastards honest" - was established and by 1980 it had secured the balance of power. "We are here to stay," Chipp had said the day after the 1977 election.

The Democrats were considered socially progressive, being a voice for Aboriginal reconciliation, human rights and refugees as well as championing the environment long before it was fashionable to do so. "The party was always screaming out for minority groups like refugees and Dad campaigned a lot for the environment," Ms Chipp said.

"Climate change is just becoming a major issue now, but the Democrats were talking about it 30 years ago."

Nevertheless, three decades is a long time in politics and most have declared the Democrats dead after the party scored a dismal 1.29 per cent of votes in the recent election and lost the last of their Senate seats.

The party has only one MP left in the country: South Australian upper house MP Sandra Kanck.

"I don't call that an annihilation entirely," protested Democrats leader Lynn Allison of their election wipeout.

Ms Chipp, who also unsuccessfully stood at the November election, insists her Dad, who died in August last year, would still be proud of the party and not consider it a spent force.

"As long as there are bastards in parliament, there will always be a role for the Australian Democrats," she said.

"This is not the end."