Derryn Hinch's Justice Party

Derryn Hinch's Justice Party, also known as the Justice Party, was a political party in Australia, registered for federal elections since 14 April 2016.[7] The party was named after its founder, Derryn Hinch, an Australian media personality.

Derryn Hinch's Justice Party
FounderDerryn Hinch
Founded12 October 2015
Registered14 April 2016
Dissolved2 March 2023
Headquarters14/1 Queens Rd
Melbourne, VIC 3004
IdeologyLaw and order
Anti-paedophilia[1][2]
Political positionCentre-right to right-wing[3][4][5][6]
Senate
1 / 76
(2016–2019)
Victorian Legislative Council
2 / 40
(2018–2022)
Maribyrnong City Council
1 / 7
(2018)
Website
justiceparty.com.au

The party won a single three-year term in the Senate at the 2016 federal election, after achieving 6.05% of the first-preference votes in Victoria, though lost the seat in 2019. It also was registered by the Victorian Electoral Commission in May 2018[8] and ran candidates in the 2018 Victorian state election, three of whom were elected. No Justice Party candidates were re-elected at the 2022 Victorian state election.

In March 2023, Hinch announced that the party would be dissolved following poor election results.[9][10][11]

Background

Hinch announced his political ambitions in October 2015, and at that stage remained host of his weekly program Hinch Live, in a decision supported by Sky News Live.[12] Hinch stepped down from the program on 24 April 2016, telling viewers the program was entering either "semi or permanent recess" depending on the success of his party.[13] The Justice Party's election platform is anti-paedophile, tough on crime, and in favour of stricter parole and bail conditions.[1][2]

Policy platform

Focusing on reforms to the justice system, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party believed in a hard-line law-and-order approach. The party campaigned on prioritising jail sentences over rehabilitation and bail, as well as tougher restrictions on parole. Anti-paedophilia formed another large part of the party's ideology, owing to Hinch's background in naming alleged sexual offenders.

Derryn Hinch's Justice Party's advocated for longer sentences for violent crimes and further tightening of bail and parole laws. The party also supported ending the live export trade and establishing a national public register of convicted sex offenders.[14]

According to The Age, between November 2018 and November 2021, the Derryn Hinch's Justice Party's Legislative Council members voted with the Andrews Government's position 53.9% of the time.[15]

Electoral history

Federal

The Justice Party fielded candidates for the Senate in every state of Australia, and also six lower house seats, in the 2016 federal election. Derryn Hinch was the party's lead candidate to represent Victoria in the Senate.[16] Hinch was successful at securing the 10th seat of the 12 representing Victoria.[17] No other Justice Party candidates were elected. Aged 72, Hinch is the oldest federal parliamentarian to be elected for the first time.[18] Hinch lost his seat in 2019.

Senate
Election year # of
overall votes		  % of
overall vote		 # of
seats won		 # of
overall seats		 +/–
2016 266,607 1.93%
1 / 76
1 / 76
 Increase 1
2019 105,459 0.72%
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Decrease 1
2022 54,366 0.36%
0 / 40
0 / 76
 Steady

Victoria

The Justice Party fielded 6 lower house candidates with none winning more than 4.5% of their respective district's vote. The party fielded 12 candidates for the Victorian Legislative Council with three being elected: Stuart Grimley, Tania Maxwell and Catherine Cumming.[19] However, on 18 December Western Metropolitan Region member-elect Catherine Cumming was sacked from the party, and was sworn in as an independent.[20] No Justice Party members were re-elected in 2022.

Victorian Legislative Council
Election year # of
overall votes		  % of
overall vote		 # of
seats won		 +/–
2018 134,413 3.7%
3 / 40
 Increase 3
2022 57,381 1.53%
0 / 40
 Decrease 3

Elected representatives

Senate

Victorian Legislative Council

Maribyrnong City Council

References
  1. Aston, Heath (19 April 2016). "Federal election 2016: Derryn Hinch tipped to take Ricky Muir's Senate seat". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  2. Wallace, Rick (12 May 2016). "Federal election 2016: Derryn Hinch in with a chance for Senate". The Australian. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  3. "Correspondence: John Quiggin". Quarterly Essay. 14 November 2018.
  4. "Don't Elect Dangerous Derryn Hinch: The Case For Treating Criminals Humanely". 21 June 2016.
  5. "Bernardi exits stage right: mayhem now, obscurity later". Monash University.
  6. "Trump down under?". The Monthly. 15 November 2016.
  7. "Derryn Hinch's Justice Party". Australian Electoral Commission. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  8. Lang, Sue (29 May 2018). "Registration of Derryn Hinch's Justice Party". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  9. "Derryn Hinch urges supporters to 'maintain the rage' as he calls time on political party". ABC News. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  10. Eddie, Rachel (2 March 2023). "Derryn Hinch dissolves his party after 'disaster' election". The Age. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  11. Meacham, Savannah (2 March 2023). "Derryn Hinch dissolves political party after Victorian election loss". 9news. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  12. Perry, Kevin (13 October 2015). "Derryn Hinch to remain on-air for now, as political campaign commences". Decider TV. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  13. "SkyNewsAust on Twitter". Twitter. 24 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  14. Carey, Adam (11 December 2018). "Party in the upper house: Who's who on new Victorian crossbench". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  15. Sakkal, Paul (26 November 2021). "'Is this what compliant looks like?': Victoria's crossbench conflict". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  16. "Candidates for the 2016 federal election". Australian Electoral Commission. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  17. "Victoria - Result of the Transfer and Distribution of Preferences" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. August 2016. p. 224. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  18. Anderson, Stephanie (31 August 2016). "Australia's 45th Parliament: Meet the record breakers". ABC News. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  19. Willingam, Richard; Anderson, Stephanie (11 December 2018). "Victorian election Upper House calculation results confirm Labor, crossbench domination". ABC News. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  20. "'The Bernardi syndrome': Hinch cuts upper house MP from Victorian team". The Age. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
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