Tea Party Australia Style

By Douglas V. Gibbs

As in the U.S., Australians are sick of the professional politicians, and their high tax and spend tendencies. So, in response to the "ruling class", the Australians have decided to embark on having their own Tea Party Movement - one that is much like its American version.

As with its U.S. counterpart, Australia's Tea Party Movement is an anti-tax, anti-government grass roots movement that also heavily promotes its links to "our friends" in the United States.

Like the American version, no leaders and no organizational structure, is desired. The desire is to simply be a political movement that influences the existing parties.

The Australian Tea Party says it has not received U.S. funding, and the Americans have been very careful because they don’t want to interfere. However, Australia's version of the movement is looking to update and adapt U.S. training videos for its own purposes.

While battling big business and unions, the group does back a few individual politicians. However, those politicians are not welcome to be members of the movement. A spokesman for the group states, "We wouldn’t have any politicians being part of our organization, that would be incompatible with what we do."

Small Tea Party groups and supporters have popped up around the world, and the estimated number of Tea Party members is claimed to be about 50 million members worldwide. Australia's numbers are unknown, but since its founding, it has been growing rapidly.

All the Aussies know is that in agreement with their American counterparts, the role of the government in the economy, and in people’s lives, should be small, and currently it isn't.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Tea Party Comes to Australia - The Australian: National Affairs