Libertarians pry away disillusioned Liberals amid Greens’ playbook path

A rebranded and increasingly professional Libertarian Party – buoyed by recent council results – is looking at the Greens’ success gaining a federal foothold as it rolls out discounts to defecting Liberal members.

The right-wing Libertarian Party rolled out its ‘ex-Liberal membership’ push in late November.

Once the Coalition’s odd younger cousin, a rebranded and increasingly professional Libertarian Party – buoyed by recent council results and overseas elections – is looking at the Greens’ success gaining a federal foothold as it rolls out discounts to defecting Liberal Party members.

The party, which is targeting at least two Senate seats, this week welcomed controversial former One Nation MP Craig Kelly into the fray, who will vie for its NSW Senate ticket top spot.

Libertarian leaders, disillusioned with the Liberals’ direction – even with Peter Dutton at the helm – have sought to outflank the party on the right, collecting disenfranchised members and voters as it does so.

On Friday, after the Coalition backed Anthony Albanese’s social media ban for under-16s, the Libertarians rolled out its “ex-­Liberal membership”, offering defecting members six months free to join the party ahead of next year’s federal poll.

The Libertarian’s lead Senate candidate for Victoria, Jordan Dittloff, said the scheme was designed to attract disillusioned Liberals and showcase to that party that there was an alternative.

“The Achilles heel they have is a vulnerability of their membership … it’s dawning on the Liberals that the days are over when they can take its base for granted,” former Young Liberal Mr Dittloff said.

Declining to release the full number of former Liberals who had taken up the offer, Mr Dittloff said “hundreds” had since signed up and more had taken out full party membership.

Craig Kelly has joined the party. Picture: Martin Ollman

Members are fans of right-wing Argentinian President Javier Milei. Picture: Getty Images

“We emailed Liberal leaders and said if they didn’t change course (on the social media ban) that this (the membership discount) is what we’d do,” Mr Dittloff said.

The Libertarians have previously been mired by factional fighting, with outspoken members or candidates also going off script – like one who gave a speech about the best ways to spank a parent’s children.

Mr Dittloff is a convicted thief and spent time in jail over a decade ago, but has not shied away from his past, describing himself as an “ex-offender and rehabilitant”, vowing to pay back what he owes.

Now the party has professionalised and expanded, buoyed by state and council results.

Its one NSW MP, upper house member John Ruddick, was elected at the 2023 state election and amid the state Liberals’ council election debacle it picked up 10 councillors in September while running a small slate of candidates, receiving more than 22 per cent of votes at the MidCoast Council, the most of any party.

Mr Ruddick has said the party is “radically pro-capitalism”, and it has been critical of Smart Cities, advocated for smaller government and a “laissez-faire” approach to town planning, and rallied against the “woke agenda”.

The party, which has changed its name from the Liberal Democrats and rolled out new branding in June, has been enthused by Javier Milei’s success in Argentina and Donald Trump’s election in November. Mr Milei’s camp even invited Mr Ruddick to his inauguration.

Jordan Dittloff is hoping to make his way into the Senate.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has been “watching the Libertarians closely” and said he had seen a “growing movement” toward the party and its political views.

“I think they’re going to become a bigger presence,” he said in September.

“I don’t think (the party’s recent success) is a flash in the pan.”

The party hopes to “chart the same path” as the Greens, which turned local government success and support into state and federal representation, and invest in its grassroots to turn council wins into a “consistent Senate showing”, before going after targeted lower house seats.

At next year’s poll, it will look to run candidates in as many divisions as it can, and where its support is strongest, with a view to snare Senate seats.

Senator Ralph Babet was elected in 2022 with 4 per cent of first-preference votes in Victoria, something the Libertarians believe they can match or surpass.

“Momentum” overseas and a “mood” in the Australian electorate, Mr Dittloff said, had convinced the party there was a bloc of voters on the right “looking for a principled alternative”.

“Many Australians want to see a change of government (to the Coalition), but also want to see a Senate holding it to account,” he said.

“There are certainly signs of momentum shifting (toward the party).”