WF Ep. 178 The Hon John Ruddick MLC
With the 58th NSW Parliament opening this week my WilmsFront guest is freshly elected Liberal Democrats MLC the Hon John Ruddick to discuss the issues he will be pursuing in the parliament.
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Show Description
John spent 25 years attempting to democratize the Liberal Party even publishing a manifesto Make the Liberal Party Great Again. But in 2021 with the Liberal Government in his home state of NSW plunging Sydney into an extended covid lockdown John joined the Liberal Democrats.
John was the lead NSW Senate candidate for the Liberal Democrats at the 2022 federal election. The NSW membership endorsed him to be their lead candidate for the Legislative Council in the 2023 state election but the state executive decided to disendorse him. A special state general meeting was organized by the membership which replaced the state executive and re-endorsed John as their lead candidate.
The Liberal Democrats campaigned on a freedom manifesto including covid justice. The NSW Government recently suspended its pursuit of unpaid covid fines after an NSW Supreme Court decision that ruled that writing failing to comply with a public health order on a penalty notice was not valid.
As a party that supports individual freedom and choice the Liberal Democrats abhor the Albanese Government’s new vaping restrictions which will only see those with medical prescriptions legally able to purchase and import vaping products.
The Liberal Democrats will be forced to change their name following new legislation passed by the Morrison Government which forbids other parties from using the name Liberal other than the first registered Liberal Party. A decision on the party’s new name will be made at the party’s AGM in Melbourne next week.
News Links
John Ruddick Twitter
Liberal Democrats Australia Website
WF Ep. 118 Make the West Great Again
NSW Government Suspends Payment of Outstanding COVID-19 Fines