Our Policies

Libertarians view freedom of speech as the bedrock of a free society, enabling open debate and the exchange of ideas. Suppressing certain viewpoints as unlawful stifles intellectual progress and harms both those censored and those denied access to their ideas. True commitment to free speech means protecting all expression, including unpopular or offensive speech. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures:

1. Enshrine Freedom of Speech

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution has made the USA a global leader in free speech. A similar amendment should be adopted in NSW, stating:

"The Legislature shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

2. Stop Political Censorship.

Allowing governments or bureaucrats to define what constitutes "hate speech" is extremely dangerous as it hands those in power a subjective tool to silence dissent, unpopular opinions, or any criticism they dislike. History shows such laws are inevitably abused to protect the powerful rather than the vulnerable. Similarly, banning symbols, gestures, or colours sets a precedent that the state can criminalise expression based on its own political preferences. True freedom of speech must include the right to express offensive or controversial ideas.

3. Repeal Restrictions on Political Donors and Donations.

Financial support for political parties, candidates, or ideas is a form of speech. Banning donations from specific industries or imposing donation caps silences democratic voices and entrenches established parties that can rely on public funding.

4. Oppose Social Media Content Censorship.

No laws should regulate online misinformation or disinformation. Governments and bureaucrats should not have the authority to determine the truth or falsity of content as they will inevitably censor criticism of themselves.

5. Set Higher Standards for Incitement Laws

Incitement to violence is a reasonable limit on freedom of speech, but New South Wales incitement laws are overly broad and function partly as an extension of anti-discrimination law. References to immutable characteristics in the legislation enable misuse, restricting lawful expression. Reforming these laws to require: intent, likelihood and imminence, for all incitement charges (as is the case in the United States) would protect free speech while addressing genuine threats.

6. Protect Councillors' Free Speech.

Elected local councillors should be protected by a form of qualified privilege similar to parliamentary privilege. This would shield them from civil liability for statements made during council meetings, enabling open debate on local issues without fear of vexatious legal action designed to silence dissent.

Libertarians believe that free individuals have the right to associate with whomever they choose, on the terms they choose. This includes the right to disassociate from anyone for any reason. To protect this fundamental freedom, the Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures:

1. Protect the Rights of Business Owners

While governments should not discriminate based on immutable characteristics, individuals and private businesses should have the right to refuse service or access to their private property for any reason. Anti-discrimination laws that infringe on this right should be repealed.

2. Uphold the Right to Negotiate

Employers should be free to offer employment contracts on any terms they deem appropriate, and employees should be free to offer their services on their chosen terms. Both parties should be free to negotiate these terms, either individually or collectively, as they see fit. Laws mandating specific wages, benefits, or conditions for dismissal in the private sector violate freedom of association and contract and should be repealed.

3. Protect Peaceful Protests

Peaceful protests must remain legal. Attempts to ban protests based on alleged hate or proximity to specific locations should be opposed. Protests involving violence, trespassing, looting, blocking access, or property destruction are not peaceful, but existing laws already address such acts.

4. Repeal Consorting Laws

Laws that prevent individuals from associating with others based on their past are a violation of freedom of association and should be abolished.

5. Respect Freedom of Conscience

Hospital boards, independent medical centres, aged care facilities, and private practitioners should not be compelled to perform or provide services, such as voluntary assisted suicide or abortion, that conflict with their moral beliefs.

6. Respect Taxpayers' Moral Convictions

No individual should be forced via taxation to fund acts of killing (other than in defence) they deem morally indefensible, including abortion, voluntary assisted suicide, or the culling of wild animals. All taxpayer funding for these activities must end.

7. Defend Freedom of Choice in Mental Healthcare

Laws targeting conversion therapy broadly undermine voluntary association, as forced conversion therapy and malpractice are already prohibited by existing laws. Such restrictions discourage therapists and psychologists from engaging with certain patients.

8. Allow Sex-Based Spaces

Organisations wishing to offer services or spaces based on biological sex, such as sporting events, gyms, clubs, and dating platforms, should be free to do so without legal repercussions. Biological sex should be accurately recorded on NSW birth certificates to support this freedom.

Property rights, alongside self-ownership and the non-aggression principle, form the cornerstone of libertarian philosophy. All other freedoms, such as freedom of speech, association, assembly, contract, and movement, are inherently limited by property rights. To uphold property rights, the Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures:

1. Simplify Development Application Processes.

Private property owners should have the freedom to develop their land, including cutting trees, building granny flats or sheds, or redeveloping, without excessive state or council restrictions as long as these actions do not violate the property rights of others. Bureaucratic red tape must be minimised to uphold individual property rights.

2. Oppose Compulsory Acquisition.

Governments must not forcibly acquire private land without the owner's consent, regardless of the perceived importance of public projects. Property rights must take precedence over government objectives.

3. Halt and Reverse Renewable Energy Zones (REZ)

Renewable Energy Zones, driven by climate alarmism, often involve constructing infrastructure on or over private property against owners' wishes. These violations of property rights must cease.

4. Guarantee Fair Compensation for Property Owners

Property owners already compelled to host renewable energy or transmission line projects must receive fair compensation. As the federal government treats compensation as taxable income, amounts should be calculated to ensure fairness after tax.

5. Protect Landlord Rights

Property owners should have the freedom to set their own terms for rental properties. Laws mandating pet allowances, lease renewals, rent controls, or specific tenant benefits should be repealed, allowing landlords and renters to come to their own voluntary terms.

6. Repeal Council Bans Over Private Property

Local councils have imposed bans on a range of things such as installing gas stoves, having barbecues, owning pets, operating lemonade stands, and offering short-term accommodation rentals. These restrictions infringe on property rights and should be repealed, leaving the decisions to individual property owners.

7. Transition Social Housing to Private Ownership

Long-term social housing residents should be allowed to apply to purchase their homes, promoting private property ownership and reducing government housing management.

8. Release More Government Land

Government-owned land should be released for new housing development, enabling more widespread ownership of private property.

9. Protect Business Autonomy

Regulations dictating private venue policies, such as smoking in dedicated areas, infringe on property rights. These should be lifted to let owners set their own separate rules to meet diverse needs.

Libertarians believe taxation should be strictly limited only to what is necessary to fund the basic responsibilities of government. High taxes and excessive fines, often used as hidden revenue-raisers, hinder individual freedom and economic growth by reducing disposable income and discouraging investment. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures to lower taxes, reduce fines, and simplify the tax system:

1. Stop Bracket Creep

Tax brackets should be automatically indexed to inflation so that taxpayers are not pushed into higher tax brackets as money supply increases. As an incremental step, any additional revenue gained from bracket creep should be explicitly itemised and reported in the state budget each year.

2. Abolish Payroll Tax

Payroll tax creates a disincentive for employers to expand their workforce, penalising businesses for growth and limiting job creation. As an incremental step, the payroll tax threshold should be raised to at least $3 million to reduce costs for small businesses and encourage entrepreneurship.

3. Abolish Stamp Duty

Stamp duty only adds to existing housing affordability issues for those trying to get onto the property ladder. As an incremental step, eliminating stamp duty on new home purchases will reduce financial barriers for first-time buyers and stimulate the construction sector without distorting market dynamics.

4. Abolish Car-Related Taxes

Car-related taxes are part of the broader war on private transport, increasing the cost of personal mobility and disproportionately affecting regional residents. Stamp duty on car purchases, annual registration fees, the parking space levy, and the private transport operators levy should be abolished to support individual freedom of movement.

5. Abolish Insurance Taxes

Insurance duty and the health insurance levy unnecessarily inflate the cost of essential services, placing additional financial strain on households. These taxes should be removed to encourage responsible risk management, and alleviate burdens on families.

6. Abolish Overzealous Occupational Licensing Fees

Unnecessary licensing fees for occupations such as liquor vending, hairdressing, nail technicians, and tattoo artists act as hidden taxes that increase compliance costs and burden independent contractors and small businesses. These fees should be eliminated to promote economic freedom and reduce regulatory overreach.

7. Open an Inquiry into Traffic Fines.

Traffic fines are often used as revenue-raisers rather than deterrents. A full public inquiry should assess the impact of large traffic fines, increased surveillance, and double demerit systems on road safety and individual freedoms, ensuring fines prioritise safety over revenue.

Libertarians believe that government should be limited to essential functions such as protecting individual rights to maximise freedom, prosperity, and choice. Large bureaucracies waste resources and stifle innovation through excessive regulation and spending. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures to streamline government operations and prioritise individual liberty:

1. Eliminate Waste, Fraud and Abuse

Creating an independent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would reduce waste, inefficiency, corruption, and duplication.

2. Focus on Core Government Functions

State government activities should be restricted to health, education, law, and infrastructure. Local governments should focus on roads, rubbish collection and management of local public spaces. Non-essential programs and agencies should be abolished to cut costs and reduce bloat.

3. Reduce Government Departments

The current twelve departments should be consolidated into five: Premier, Finance, Justice, Infrastructure, and Cost of Living. This would enhance efficiency and eliminate redundant bureaucracies.

4. Abolish Entire Agencies

Agencies such as the Public Service Commission, Destination NSW, Multicultural NSW, Create NSW, Office of Sport, Environmental Protection Authority, Environmental Trust, and Energy Corporation of NSW should be abolished and replaced with nothing to cut costs and limit government overreach.

5. End Corporate Welfare

Subsidies for transport, climate change initiatives and industry policies distort markets and inflate budgets.

6. Cut Red and Green Tape

Excessive regulations, including red and green tape, burden small businesses and stifle economic growth. Streamlining rules and addressing regulatory capture ensures fair competition and reduces government overreach.

7. Limit Government and Council Ownership

Council-managed businesses, such as childcare centres, pools, sports centres, and caravan parks, often result in financial losses borne by ratepayers due to bureaucratic inefficiency and should be privatised. The state government should also refrain from competing with or supplanting private sector functions to foster a free market.

Libertarians believe that the raising and education of children is fundamentally the responsibility of parents and families, not the state. Government monopolies and overregulation in education, childcare, and adoption stifle choice, innovation, and genuine family formation. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates empowering parents through greater choice, reducing bureaucratic control, and removing barriers that discourage family growth. We support school choice, portable funding, and do not believe families should have to co-parent with the government.

1. Reduce Government Control Over Education

Excessive funding of state-run schools has led to inefficient, one-size-fits-all systems that neglect individual potential. Power should shift from bureaucracies to local decision-makers and families.

2. Allow Schools to Opt Out of the NSW Curriculum

Devolving curriculum choices to schools and parents enables tailored education, letting institutions compete by meeting diverse learner needs rather than adhering to a uniform standard. As an incremental step, parents should have the right to opt their children out of specific classes or programs that conflict with their values, without academic penalty or discrimination.

3. Eliminate Mandatory Centralised Testing

Mandating standardised tests undermines genuine learning by forcing teachers to focus on test preparation. Schools and parents should remain free to choose standardised testing if they wish, but the government should not mandate it. Removing such mandates restores educational flexibility and quality.

4. Fund Students, Not Institutions

Redirecting state education funding to students via education vouchers enables families to choose schools, childcare or alternative education models that best serve their children's interests, and incentivise schools to compete based on results and reputation.

5. Redirect Childcare Subsidies to Parents

Current childcare subsidies create perverse incentives that encourage parents to outsource raising their children to state-approved centres. NSW should negotiate with the federal government to redirect all childcare subsidies for NSW children directly to parents as portable vouchers. Parents should be free to use these vouchers for their own care, family members, or preferred providers.

6. Simplify the Adoption Process to Stop Abuse

Adoption rates are at an all-time low, and unnecessary red tape is forcing more children into the foster care system where standards are lower and abuse is common. Streamlining the process for stable parents wanting to adopt would enable genuine family growth.

7. Encourage Innovative Education Models

Removal of regulatory barriers that protect established education and childcare cartels leads to the development of new, competitive approaches to learning by entrepreneurs.

8. Support Home Schooling and Education Co-ops

Parents should have the freedom to educate at home or form co-ops or micro-schools, free from excessive regulations, to cater to their children's unique strengths and needs.

Libertarians believe individuals should have sovereignty over their medical decisions, free from government coercion or interference. Medical freedom ensures personal autonomy, protects the doctor-patient relationship, and prevents bureaucratic overreach in healthcare choices. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures to uphold medical freedom:

1. Establish a COVID-19 Royal Commission

Government responses to COVID-19, including lockdowns, mandates, and restrictions, disrupted lives and eroded freedoms. A Royal Commission would examine these measures, their effectiveness, and their impact on individual rights, ensuring accountability for overreach.

2. Never Lockdown Again

Lockdowns caused economic hardship, social isolation, and greatly infringed on personal freedoms. Health departments should be able to recommend voluntary isolation, but complete mandatory lockdowns should never be enforced again.

3. Enable Healthcare Choice

State government healthcare funding should be redirected to a Swiss-style healthcare insurance voucher system. Such a system funds and empowers people, not institutions, by allowing individuals to choose among competing providers with diverse priorities and outlooks, fostering innovation and personal autonomy.

4. Abolish the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC)

The HCCC's complaint-driven system often undermines medical freedom by allowing third parties to challenge voluntary doctor-patient agreements without evidence of actual harm. Patients can address malpractice through civil lawsuits, ensuring accountability without bureaucratic interference.

5. Seek Justice for Victims of Past HCCC Ideological Bias

The HCCC has been accused of weaponising third-party complaints against practitioners for their views rather than objective malpractice. A full investigation into these cases would expose and address any misuse of regulatory power.

6. Abolish and Oppose Mandatory Vaccine Policies

"No jab, no play" and "no jab, no pay" laws, along with other vaccine mandates, infringe on personal choice and parental rights. Removing these policies would strengthen individual autonomy in medical decisions. As an incremental step, we would reintroduce conscientious objection exemptions.

7. Protect the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Government restrictions on off-label prescribing or professional advice limit doctors' ability to provide tailored care. Allowing doctors to prescribe or advise based on their professional judgment, without bureaucratic interference, upholds patient trust and medical autonomy.

8. Ensure Accountability for Pharmaceutical Companies

Pharmaceutical companies profiting from faulty or harmful products have often escaped liability. The right to litigate for damages caused by defective drugs or vaccines protects consumers and promotes corporate responsibility.

Libertarians believe the right to self-defence is fundamental to a free society. All individuals must be afforded the right to defend themselves and their property, including with defensive weapons if necessary. Restrictions on self-defence and defensive tools empower law-breaking aggressors and outsource safety to inefficient and unreliable state agencies. An armed populace also serves as a bulwark against tyrannical government and a potential last line of defence against foreign invasion. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures to uphold the right to self-defence:

1. Enshrine the Right to Own and Carry Firearms

We support inserting an amendment to the NSW Constitution recognising the right to own and carry firearms, based on the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

2. Allow Ownership of Firearms for Self-Defence.

Self-defence must be recognised as a valid reason to own, carry, or use a firearm. This ensures individuals can protect themselves and their property without undue government interference.

3. Legalise Pepper Spray and Tasers.

Personal self-defence equipment, such as pepper spray and tasers, should be legalised and exempt from licensing requirements.

4. Introduce Castle Law

A Castle Law should be introduced to affirm that individuals have the right to use reasonable force to defend themselves and their property within their homes without a duty to retreat. This strengthens personal security and upholds property rights.

5. Leave the National Firearms Agreement

Firearms legislation constitutionally belongs at the state level. New South Wales should exit the National Firearms Agreement and uphold the rights of law-abiding firearms owners in the state.

6. Prohibit Government Firearms Buybacks

Government buyback schemes waste taxpayer money and diminish the ability of individuals to defend themselves in threatening situations. Private buybacks are not opposed.

7. Stop Bureaucratic Overreach

The right to own or carry defensive weapons should only be restricted by a judge as part of a sentence or condition of release, not by bureaucrats.

Libertarians believe in equality before the law, meaning all laws, privileges, grants, or restrictions based on immutable characteristics violate our principles. Governments must treat all individuals equally, regardless of race, gender or background, for both moral and practical reasons. Race-based laws, even if well-intentioned, undermine the rule of law and lead to unintended consequences. Dependency on government privileges can hinder personal responsibility while fostering an oppressor-victim mentality that breeds resentment and divides society. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures:

1. Abolish Race-Based Laws

All laws, grants, departments, funding, programs, or restrictions that target, discriminate against, or favour specific racial groups should be repealed to ensure equal treatment under the law.

2. Oppose Any 'Voice to Parliament'

Despite the defeat of the federal Voice referendum, efforts persist to introduce race-based bureaucracies through state or federal legislation. We oppose any form of such initiatives.

3. Reject Race-Based Treaties

Treaties between the Australian or NSW government and specific racial groups, including Indigenous peoples, create a divided society. All Australians should be treated equally before the law without special privileges based on race.

4. End Welcome to Country on Government Property

Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country ceremonies are race-based practices that elevate certain groups. While individuals may continue these on private property, they should not occur at government-run events or on government property.

5. Remove Race-Based Flags from Government Property

Flags representing specific racial groups, such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, are divisive and should not be displayed on government property, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

6. Employ Based on Merit

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices promote unmeritocratic hiring based on superficial characteristics to meet quotas. This increases government inefficiency and resentment. Public sector employees and contractors should be selected solely on merit.

7. End Race-Based Land Access

Public spaces, including national parks and culturally significant sites such as Wollumbin (Mount Warning), should be accessible to all residents who act responsibly, regardless of race, gender, or other immutable characteristics. Restrictions granting exclusive access to specific groups undermine equality before the law and should be repealed.

8. Defund Events Promoting Specific Identities

Events that focus on particular races, sexualities, religions, or genders, such as ethnic fairs or LGBTI parades, should be self-funded, not supported by taxpayer money.

9. Abolish Agencies and Grants Specific to Identity Groups

Government agencies, ministries, or grants created to promote particular groups or ideologies should be eliminated to ensure taxpayer money is not funnelled to lobby groups or other activism.

Libertarians believe the energy industry, as with others, arrives at the best and most efficient outcomes when subject to market competition, without excessive government intervention or regulation. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures to promote an efficient energy sector focused on lower electricity prices:

1. Reject Climate Alarmism

Apocalyptic claims about climate change are often designed to empower the state to impose unnecessary restrictions and costs on individuals and businesses. We are sceptical of the climate alarmist narrative.

2. Abolish Net Zero Targets

Mandatory net zero goals create an uncertain future for investment, limiting energy choices and driving up prices. They should be abolished and replaced with nothing.

3. No Bans, No Subsidies

Subsidies and bans on any energy source distort the market, creating warped incentives and pushing up prices.

4. Utilise Existing Coal Plants

Leveraging current coal infrastructure maximises energy reliability and affordability without additional environmental mandates.

5. Guarantee Regulatory Compensation

Sovereign risk, particularly for coal industries, arises from unpredictable government regulations. Fair compensation for affected operators mitigates this risk and supports economic stability.

6. End Mandatory Energy Efficiency Standards

Removing forced efficiency standards allows consumers and businesses to choose energy solutions that suit their needs.

7. Unban Nuclear

Lifting all bans on nuclear power and uranium mining would enable new industries, create more competition, drive down prices, and increase energy reliability.

Libertarians believe political decisions should be made at the most local level possible to maximise freedom, prosperity, and choice. Decentralising power from the federal government to states and communities fosters diverse cultures, local solutions, and policy experimentation. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures:

1. Return Income Tax Powers to the States

The federal income tax, introduced as a temporary measure during World War I, remains a major revenue source. State governments are reliant on federal grants and cannot compete or innovate with income tax rates. Abolishing federal income tax and restoring state control would enable competition for businesses and investors, encouraging innovative tax policies.

2. Withdraw from the National Cabinet

Established during COVID-19, the National Cabinet persists and undermines competitive federalism by promoting uniform state and federal legislation. It should be dissolved to allow states to innovate and compete independently. Failing this, NSW should withdraw.

3. Ensure State Autonomy in Law-Making

Vertical fiscal imbalance, where the federal government collects most revenue and distributes it through grants, gives it undue influence over state responsibilities. States should not be coerced through funding threats, as seen with the National Firearms Agreement, to implement federal programs.

4. Withdraw from the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a prime example of federal overreach into state affairs. It imposes top-down water allocations, environmental mandates, and bureaucratic control that undermine property rights and deliver poor outcomes at enormous cost. NSW should exit the plan and reclaim full control of the state's water resources for its own property owners.

5. Support New State Movements

Competitive federalism thrives with more states reflecting diverse identities and ideas. Movements to create new states within New South Wales, such as Riverina and New England, should be supported.

6. Establish Special Economic Zones

Struggling towns like Broken Hill could be rejuvenated through statutory reductions in taxation and regulation in the area. These experiments in freedom would demonstrate the value of the libertarian approach.

7. Support Council Demergers

Forced council mergers in NSW have often led to inefficiencies and conflict rather than cost savings. Councils wishing to demerge should be supported to restore local control and accountability.

8. Split Bloated Councils

Large, unwieldy councils, even those not recently merged, should be divided into smaller, more responsive entities to enhance local governance and better serve community needs.

9. Enhance Local Government Transparency and Accountability

All council meetings, including committee meetings, must be open to the public by default and livestreamed online in real time. Ratepayers and all local media must have reasonable access to attend, record proceedings, and participate in a dedicated public forum segment.

10. Reconceptualise Local Government

Local councils should be transformed into body corporates, with council rates functioning as body corporate fees. Geographically contiguous areas would then form new councils with supermajority property owner support, with direct ratepayer votes on budgets at council AGMs and councils appointing sheriffs for local safety and regulation enforcement.

11. Consider Defederation

If the federal government can not or will not address the above issues relating to state autonomy and vertical fiscal imbalance, New South Wales should consider a referendum to leave the federation and declare independence.

Libertarians believe individuals have an inalienable right to privacy. State and local governments in New South Wales have increasingly expanded surveillance powers, often under the guise of public safety or administrative efficiency, eroding personal freedoms in the process. Excessive monitoring, including through roadside cameras, Smart City initiatives, and digital identity schemes, treats citizens as suspects without evidence, concentrating undue power in the hands of bureaucrats. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures to protect privacy and curb government overreach:

1. Abolish Mass Surveillance Laws

NSW laws enabling warrantless access to data, such as telecommunications metadata or CCTV footage, are an unjustified invasion of privacy. These laws should be repealed to prevent state and local governments from indiscriminately monitoring citizens.

2. Require Warrants for Targeted Surveillance

Surveillance by NSW Police or local councils, including access to phone data, CCTV, or other personal records, must require a judicial warrant specific to an individual, ensuring oversight and preventing blanket monitoring.

3. Stop Excessive Roadside Surveillance

Roadside cameras used to automatically charge traffic offenses, such as speed, seatbelt or red-light violations, often lead to false positives and prioritise revenue over safety. These systems should be scaled back, with any surveillance requiring judicial oversight and transparent justification.

4. Oppose Smart City Initiatives

Smart City programs, promoted as urban efficiency measures, serve as a trojan horse for mass surveillance through interconnected cameras, sensors, and data collection. NSW councils and the state government should halt these initiatives to protect privacy.

5. No Digital Identity Schemes

Digital ID systems, including vaccine passports, enable intrusive tracking of personal movement and choices. NSW must reject mandatory digital IDs to ensure citizens can engage in commerce and public life without state monitoring.

6. Stop Metadata Collection by Councils

Local councils' access to metadata, such as location or communication records, treats residents as guilty without cause. This practice must be abolished to safeguard privacy at the local level.

7. Protect Encryption

NSW laws or policies that undermine encryption, such as mandating backdoors for state access, weaken personal security. Encryption must remain uncompromised to ensure private communication.

8. End Cash Bans

Restrictions on cash payments or withdrawals by state or local governments force reliance on traceable digital transactions, enabling surveillance. Cash must remain a legal payment method to protect privacy in voluntary transactions.

9. Enhance State and Local Cyber Security

NSW government and council systems frequently fail cyber security standards, risking data breaches. Resources spent on citizen surveillance should be redirected to securing government infrastructure against external threats.

Libertarians believe individuals should have the freedom to make their own choices without excessive government interference in personal behaviour, as long as they aren't infringing on the rights of others. This does not mean we condone all personal choices, but we will defend the rights of individuals to make their own choices and take responsibility for those choices. Nanny state policies impose paternalistic restrictions under the guise of public health or safety, undermining personal choice and responsibility. These regulations often serve as pretext for expanding government control and increasing costs for citizens and businesses. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following:

1. Remove Bans on Single-Use Plastics

Bans on items like plastic bags, straws, and cutlery restrict consumer choice and impose unnecessary costs on businesses. They can also create the opposite of their intended outcome: even more rubbish that is less biodegradable. These bans should be lifted to prioritise individual freedom and market-driven solutions.

2. Adjust Speed Limits Based on Driver Behaviour

Speed limits should reflect the 85th percentile of observed driving speeds, allowing increases of 10-30 km/h on roads deemed safe by drivers, while permitting reductions on riskier routes, empowering individual judgment over arbitrary state controls.

3. Remove Restrictions on Home Gardening

Local council bans or limits on home vegetable gardens, rainwater tanks, or compost bins restrict self-sufficiency and property rights. These restrictions should be repealed to empower individuals to manage their land.

4. Legalise Raw Milk

Government bans on the sale and consumption of raw, unpasteurised milk restrict individual choice and impose unnecessary regulations on farmers and consumers. These restrictions should be lifted to allow voluntary transactions based on informed consent.

5. Legalise Vaping

The prohibition on nicotine vapes hinders adults from choosing a healthier alternative to smoking and fuels organised crime. Nicotine vapes should be legalised for adults to buy and sell without a prescription.

6. Hold a Cannabis Plebiscite

Cannabis prohibition has limited access to its valid medicinal benefits, supported organised crime, perpetuated black markets, and proven ineffective. Overseeing the growth, sale and use of a plant also requires excessive state surveillance powers and squanders police and court resources.

7. End Government-Funded Social Engineering Campaigns

Taxpayer-funded campaigns and advertisements, such as those promoting vaccination, anti-gambling initiatives, or issues like sexism, racism, homophobia, or climate change, often serve as tools for social manipulation, undermining personal choice. These programs should be defunded to prevent government overreach and reduce public expenditure.

Libertarians believe that thriving, dynamic communities emerge when individuals are free to pursue their interests, organise their lives, and engage in voluntary exchange without government interference. Vibrant societies flourish through innovation and personal freedom, not top-down mandates. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures to foster vibrancy:

1. Relax Trading Hour Restrictions

Restrictive trading hours weaken a city's nightlife, limit personal freedom, and suppress economic growth. Deregulation of trading hours fosters vibrant environments and supports innovative small businesses.

2. No Lockout Laws

Lockout laws, previously implemented in Sydney and Newcastle, undermined personal freedom and failed to achieve their intended outcomes. Such restrictions on nightlife damage vibrant communities and must not be reintroduced.

3. Eliminate Restrictions on Outdoor Dining and Events

Permit requirements for alfresco dining and small gatherings in parks or streets stifle community vibrancy. Abolishing these restrictions promotes spontaneous events and extends cafe culture, enhancing social and economic vitality.

4. Support Local Markets

Overregulation of small businesses, such as food trucks, pop-up shops, or farmers' markets, hampers economic vitality. Simplified licensing and reduced fees help local economies and empower entrepreneurs.

5. Limit Alcohol-Free Zones

Alcohol-free zones in parks, public squares, recreational fishing locations, and other public areas, imposed by councils, are often unnecessary. Such restrictions reduce the value of these spaces to ratepayers by pursuing ineffective puritanical prohibition.

6. Abolish Liquor and Tobacco Licensing

Liquor and tobacco licensing primarily serve as revenue-raisers, burdening businesses with unnecessary costs. A system where businesses are presumed to have the right to operate, with approval revocable only upon proven legal breaches, promotes economic freedom and reduces regulatory overreach.

7. Allow Cultural Expression

Government restrictions on artistic events, such as permit requirements or overzealous new noise regulations, stifle community vibrancy. These barriers limit creative freedom and should be minimised.

Libertarians believe that electoral systems should prioritise individual choice, accountability, and local representation over bureaucratic control. Reforms must empower voters to shape governance while minimising state overreach. The Libertarian Party NSW advocates the following measures to enhance electoral freedom and responsiveness:

1. Make Voting Voluntary

Compulsory voting undermines personal freedom by forcing participation in the democratic process. Voluntary voting respects individual choice and rewards genuine engagement.

2. Allow Recall Elections

Recall elections empower voters to hold elected officials accountable between elections. Such mechanisms enhance democratic responsiveness and limit entrenched power.

3. Introduce Citizen-Initiated Vetoes

Citizen-initiated vetoes allow voters to strike down laws and regulations that infringe on freedoms. This process strengthens direct democracy and curbs government overreach.

4. Abolish Council Wards

Council wards fragment local representation and dilute ideological diversity. Single-ward councils promote more representative local governance by allowing for more proportional representation.

5. Elect Mayors Directly

Directly electing mayors strengthens local accountability and voter choice. This approach reduces council cronyism and back room deals, and ensures mayors reflect community priorities.

6. Reduce Exhausted Votes

Instructing voters to preference at least six groups in NSW upper house elections, as in federal elections, would reduce vote exhaustion and promote a more representative parliament. A savings provision for ballots with fewer preferences would ensure votes remained valid, preserving voter intent.