Australian Better Families
Australian Better Families | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | ABF |
| Founder | Leith Erikson[1] |
| Founded | 31 August 2018 |
| Headquarters | Robina, Queensland |
| Ideology | Anti-feminism[2] Men's rights[2] |
| National affiliation | Australian Brotherhood of Fathers |
| Slogan | Better families for a Better Nation |
| Website | |
| www | |
Australian Better Families (ABF) was an Australian political party registered on 31 August 2018 and deregistered by the Australian Electoral Commission on 13 October 2021 after failing to have 500 members.[3][4]The party's focus was the rights and welfare of men within the Family Court of Australia system.[5] The party was a branch of the Australian Brotherhood of Fathers organisation.[6]
Introduction
[edit]The Australian Better Families party was established in 2018 by Leith Erikson as a political arm of the Australian Brotherhood of Fathers.
Seven party members were candidates in the 2019 Australian federal election. Jewell Drury and Peter Moujalli were senate candidates for New South Wales; Darren Cauldfield, Adam Finch and Rodney Fox for Queensland; and Gregory Beck for Tasmania. Graham McFarland contested the Division of Greenway. None succeeded.[7][8]
Between 2018 to 2020, party member, Paul Gleeson was a member of the Redland City Council.[9]
Pauline Hanson's One Nation party supported the Australian Better Families party by hosting party events and providing the party founders with a social media connection to One Nation party members.[10][11]
Policy
[edit]The party proposed that there be a federal government portfolio called Minister for Men.[12][13] In 2020, Pauline Hanson expressed support for an Australian Minister for Men.[14] A Minister for Men would complement the Minister for Women's remit.[15]
While rejecting the classification of domestic violence as a gendered issue the party sought changes to family law in Australia in favour of the rights of men. For example, in 2020, the party suggested that there be a category of crime for "low-risk domestic violence" and the issue of women filing false domestic violence claims. [16][17][18] [19][20]
Through raising awareness, the party encouraged men to refuse to attend court to respond to domestic violence, apprehended violence, violence restraining orders and matters of instant offense unless they proceed to trial. Although such orders are produced in the civil court, to not attend as a respondent is a criminal offense.[21]
The party opined that family court proceedings were biased towards victims (predominantly women) of domestic violence and that male victims of domestic violence should be recognised. [22][23]
Leith Erikson
[edit]The party's founder, Leith Erikson, is a men's rights activist.[24] Erikson began a "#21fathers" movement, based on the discredited claim by Barry Williams and Sue Price that 21 men Australian commit suicide each week because of family law issues such as child support and domestic violence orders.[25][26]
At a 2017 International Women's Day event at the Gold Coast, Queensland, Erikson contested the existence of a gender pay gap in Australia, suggesting that the unequal numbers of men and women in high positions of business and government was due to merit and not gender bias.[27]
Erikson registered a small charity called End all Domestic Violence (Endalldv) with 11 volunteers (and no employees) which provided an Australian Government annual information statement in 2022.[28]
References
[edit]- ^ Paten, Gabrielle. "NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AS A POLITICAL PARTY" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ a b Clatterbaugh, Kenneth C. (8 October 2018). Contemporary perspectives on masculinity : men, women, and politics in modern society (Second ed.). New York. ISBN 978-0-429-97496-0. OCLC 1041706966.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Registration of a political party Australian Better Families" (PDF). Notice under s 133(1A)(a) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. Australian Electoral Commission. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Deregistered parties". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Walker, Carlie. "Support group for separated dads to start in M'boro". Fraser Coast Chronicle. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ "Australian Better Families". Australian Brotherhood of Fathers. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Better Candidates". Australian Better Families Party. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ Bradley, Penelope (28 November 2018). "Family issues first". Blacktown Advocate.
- ^ "How political is your council? We asked every southeast Queensland councillor their political affiliation". The Courier Mail.
- ^ Korner, Andrew. "Union boss responds to 'pedophile' taunt at One Nation BBQ". Queensland Times. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Malcolm Roberts says family courts driving men to lash out and 'hurt the other person'". www.abc.net.au. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ "Minister for Men". www.facebook.com. Australian Better Families Party.
- ^ "Your cheat sheet to every party running in the Senate in today's federal election". ABC News. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ Hanson, Office Of Senator (1 October 2020). "Time For A Minister For Men". Senator Pauline Hanson. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Dent, Georgie (6 March 2018). "Finally! A minister for women who is a feminist & willing to fight for change". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Misleading political campaigns? No thanks, we've had enough". Women's Agenda. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ "Better Families". Australian Better Families Party. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ Worthington, Jackson (25 July 2020). "Concerns raised over 'low-risk' domestic violence suggestion". The Examiner. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Malcolm Roberts criticised after claiming 'many' domestic violence allegations made up". the Guardian. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Pauline Hanson accuses son's ex of false sexual abuse claims". The New Daily. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Our Campaigns". Australian Brotherhood Of Fathers. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "The Australian Better Families Party Constitution" (PDF). 2 May 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Better Policy". Australian Better Families Party. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Medhora, James Purtill and Shalailah (24 November 2017). "Brothers & Blokes: The men behind One Nation's domestic violence policy". triple j.
- ^ Moody, Sherele (24 June 2017). "Beware the dubious claims of this men's rights group". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ McPhedran, Samara. "FactCheck: are 'up to 21 fathers' dying by suicide every week?". The Conversation. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "The men protesting Women's Day". NewsComAu. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ "End all Domestic Violence Ltd". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits commission. 14 November 2019.