Well, this is exciting.  We’re having a double dissolution, which means twice the Senators and thus twice the fun!

The election will be held on July 2, 2016.

Below is a list of every political party currently registered with the Australian Electoral Commission (at May 8, 2016), along with their websites and a link to any previous articles I have written about them.  Note that I am not even a tiny bit unbiased.  I do try to provide a truthful representation of what the parties say about themselves, so that even if you disagree with me entirely, you can get some useful information from what I’ve written, but I am also thoroughly opinionated and have a decided lefty-social-justice-feminist-greenie bias.  So do take this into account, and judge accordingly.  One reason I provide the website links is to make it easy for you to check the facts and make your own decisions.  Don’t leave it to me to tell you how to vote!  And speaking of how to vote, the rules for voting in the Senate have changed, so please make sure you know how the new rules work, so that you can make sure your vote does count.

As I’m going to be away during most of the lead-up to this election, I won’t be able to provide my usual commentaries on the policies of all the parties and independents registered in Victoria, though I will do my best to write about any parties and independents who have not previously run in a Victorian or Federal election. I have therefore provided links below to commentaries from previous years, and I will update these commentaries if time permits.  If you are part of a small party that has changed radically since 2013 and would like me to do an updated commentary, please comment below.  I make no promises, because my time is really very short, but I will certainly try to cover any new information.

Parties on the Victorian Senate Ballot Paper

With thanks to Simon Loveless who sent me many of the above links while I was on holiday, thus saving me a little time and giving you guys a chance to do your own research before I got back.

Other Parties Registered with the AEC at April 25, 2016