Our Policies

1. Freedom of Speech
2. Freedom of Association
3. Property Rights
4. Taxation and Fines
5. Small and Efficient Government
6. Decentralisation
7. Self Defence
8. Privacy and Surveillance
9. Medical Freedom
10. Education
11. Energy
12. Equality Before the Law
13. Nanny State
14. Vibrancy
15. Electoral Reform

1. Freedom of Speech

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures:

Introduce a free speech amendment to the NSW Constitution. 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."
Repeal hate speech laws. Allowing the government of the day or the bureaucracy to determine what constitutes hateful speech is dangerous. The state should not be the arbiter of hate.
Oppose laws banning symbols, gestures, or colours. Laws prohibiting symbols, gestures, or colours, including those tied to illiberal ideologies or group affiliations, violate freedom of speech and association. These restrictions should be repealed, ensuring individuals can express their political beliefs and affiliations through open debate and personal expression.
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.
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.
Relax 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 would protect free speech while addressing genuine threats.

2. Freedom of Association

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures:

Repeal anti-discrimination laws. 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.
Deregulate industrial relations. 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.
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.
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.
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 dying or abortion, that conflict with their moral beliefs.
Oppose anti-conversion laws. 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, limiting freedom of choice in mental health care.
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.

3. Property Rights

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures:

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.
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.
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.
Guarantee fair compensation. 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.
Protect landlords’ 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 to and renters to come to their own voluntary terms.
Repeal council bans. 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.
Transition from 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.
Release more government land. Government-owned land should be released for new housing development, enabling more widespread ownership of private property.
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.

4. Taxation and Fines

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures to lower taxes, reduce fines, and simplify the tax system:

Increase payroll tax threshold. Payroll tax creates a disincentive for employers to expand their workforce, penalising businesses for growth and limiting job creation. The payroll tax threshold should be raised to at least $3 million to reduce costs for small businesses and encourage entrepreneurship.
Abolish stamp duty on new homes. Stamp duty only adds to existing housing affordability issues for those trying to get onto the property ladder. Eliminating stamp duty on new home purchases will reduce financial barriers for first-time buyers and stimulate the construction sector without distorting market dynamics.
Remove 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.
Eliminate 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.
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.
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.

5. Small and Efficient Government

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures to streamline government operations and prioritise individual liberty:

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Establish an independent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to eliminate waste, inefficiency, corruption, and duplication.
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.
Reduce government departments. Consolidate the current twelve departments into five: Premier, Finance, Justice, Infrastructure, and Cost of Living, to enhance efficiency and eliminate redundant bureaucracies.
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.
End corporate welfare. Eliminate subsidies for transport, climate change initiatives and industry policies which distort markets and inflate budgets.
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.
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.

6. Decentralisation

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

7. Self Defence

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures to uphold the right to self-defence:

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.
Allow ownership 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.
Legalise pepper spray and tasers. Personal self-defence equipment, such as pepper spray and tasers, should be legalised and exempt from licensing requirements.
Introduce Castle Law. Introduce a Castle Law 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.
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.
Prohibit firearms buybacks. Buyback schemes waste taxpayer money and diminish the ability of individuals to defend themselves in threatening situations.
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.

8. Privacy and Surveillance

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures to protect privacy and curb government overreach:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

9. Medical Freedom

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures to uphold medical freedom:

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.
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.
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.
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.
Investigate 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.
Abolish mandatory vaccine policies. No jab, no play laws and other vaccine mandates infringe on personal choice and parental rights. Removing these policies respects individual autonomy in medical decisions.
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.
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.

10. Education

Libertarians view education and childhood development as primarily the responsibility of individuals and families. Centralised control by governments stifles innovation and fails to address diverse needs. The NSW Libertarian Party advocates empowering learners through choice and decentralisation, fostering environments that nurture unique talents and ambitions. We support school choice and do not believe people should have to co-parent with the government.

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.
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.
Eliminate mandatory centralised testing. Standardised tests undermine genuine learning by forcing teachers to focus on test preparation. Removing such measures restores educational flexibility and quality.
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.
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.
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.

11. Energy

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures to promote an efficient energy sector focused on lower electricity prices:

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.
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.
No bans, no subsidies. Subsidies and bans on any energy source distort the market, creating warped incentives and pushing up prices.
Utilise existing coal plants. Leveraging current coal infrastructure maximises energy reliability and affordability without additional environmental mandates.
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.
End mandatory energy efficiency standards. Removing forced efficiency standards allows consumers and businesses to choose energy solutions that suit their needs.
Remove restrictions on nuclear power and uranium mining. Lifting bans on nuclear energy and uranium mining creates more competition.

12. Equality Before the Law

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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 be displayed on government property, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
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.
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.
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.
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.

13. Nanny State

Libertarians believe individuals should have the freedom to make their own choices without excessive government interference in personal behaviour. Nanny state policies impose paternalistic restrictions under the guise of public health or safety, undermining personal responsibility. These regulations often serve as pretext for expanding government control and increasing costs for citizens and businesses. The NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following:

Remove bans on single-use plastics. Bans on items like plastic bags, straws, and cutlery restrict consumer choice and impose unnecessary costs on businesses. These bans should be lifted to prioritise individual freedom and market-driven solutions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

14. Vibrancy

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures to foster vibrancy:

Relax trading hour restrictions. Restrictive trading hours weaken cities' nightlife, limit personal freedom, and suppress economic growth. Deregulation of trading hours fosters vibrant environments and supports innovative small businesses.
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.
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.
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.
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 licences revocable only upon proven legal breaches, promotes economic freedom and reduces regulatory overreach.
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.
Allow cultural expression. Government restrictions on artistic events, such as noise regulations or permit requirements, stifle community vibrancy. These barriers limit creative freedom and should be minimised.

15. Electoral Reform

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 NSW Libertarian Party advocates the following measures to enhance electoral freedom and responsiveness:

Make voting voluntary. Compulsory voting undermines personal freedom by forcing participation in the democratic process. Voluntary voting respects individual choice and rewards genuine engagement.
Allow recall elections. Recall elections empower voters to hold elected officials accountable between elections. Such mechanisms enhance democratic responsiveness and limit entrenched power.
Introduce citizens-initiated vetoes. Citizens-initiated vetoes allow voters to strike down laws and regulations that infringe on freedoms. This process strengthens direct democracy and curbs government overreach.
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.
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.
Prevent votes exhausting. Instructing voters to preference at least six groups in NSW upper house elections, as in federal elections, would prevent vote exhaustion and promote a more representative parliament. A savings provision for ballots with fewer preferences would ensure votes remained valid, preserving voter intent.