Libertarians emerge from the fringe in NSW council upset

In 2025 the Libertarians will run a fraudster, a ‘carnivore’ fitness instructor and a climate sceptic for the Senate, after a council election landslide they might be in with a chance.

Libertarian Senate candidates for Queesnland Lachlan Lade and Jim Willmott. Picture: Nancy Jayde Photography

Fresh from a surging vote in NSW local government elections, the newly rebranded Libertarian party is looking at Victorian councils and a Senate push, but analysts are sceptical it can overcome the divisiveness of its message on climate denial and vaccine scepticism.

While votes are still being counted across NSW, as many as 15 of the 32 Libertarian candidates are tipped to find seats on councils, profiting from the Liberal pr­e­selection debacle.

Confirmed so far are two seats in Camden and the Mid Coast, ­single seats in Canterbury-­Bankstown, Penrith and the Upper Lachlan, with an extra seat potentially in reach for candidates in Penrith and the Mid Coast.

No Liberal candidates were left to split the vote in Camden, Penrith or Canterbury-Bankstown, but it was the Mid Coast where spirits were highest, with the party coming first in the primary vote and eyeing the possibility of a ­Libertarian mayor.

Previously known as the Liberal Democrat Party, the party rebranded in 2023 under court mandate when the Liberal Party argued it was profiting from its image. Taking the challenge to the High Court, the Libertarians eventually acquiesced and changed their name. Many argued it was a blessing in disguise as the party began a rebrand.

NSW MP John Ruddick.

Jordan Dittloff.

Courting a voter base frustrated by vaccine mandates and Covid pandemic lockdowns, the party has since pivoted to climate scepticism. Also lashing out at “woke” social policies, it took particular issue with local council candidates introducing international issues like the war in Gaza to local government, despite touting ­images of Argentine President Javier Milei through its party advertising. “Take a chainsaw to woke agendas, smart cities and council rates,” the slogan for the NSW branch reads.

The party’s sole representative in the NSW parliament, MLC John Ruddick, said the party intended to parlay its recent success into the triple blue ribbon by-election set for the state seats of Hornsby, Epping and Pittwater.

“It has been a hard slog. A lot of people have been in this party for 20 years or more, but we do believe that we are gaining momentum,” Mr Ruddick said. “We’ve got a foothold here in the NSW parliament, the local council results were very good.”

Mr Ruddick told The Australian the party had preselected Marc Hendrickx for Hornsby, a man most known for being the first person fined for climbing the Wollumbin-Mount Warning sum­mit trail after it was designated a sacred Indigenous site.

It would not contest in Epping out of fear of splitting the Liberal vote but had determined Pittwater was so marginal it would take the chance and field a candidate. Preselection is ongoing.

The party’s main ambition is securing a Senate seat in the next federal election. It intends to field anti-renewables advocate Jim Willmott and self-described carnivore fitness influencer Lachlan Lade in Queensland, convicted fraudster Jordan Dittloff in Victoria and an unconfirmed candidate in NSW. Redbridge pollster Kos Samaras said he “wouldn’t rule out” the party snaring a Senate spot in Victoria or NSW.