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HEART Party

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Health, Environment, Accountability, Rights, Transparency
AbbreviationHEART
LeaderMichael O'Neill
SecretaryMichael O'Neill
Founded26 November 2016; 9 years ago (26 November 2016)
Registered26 November 2016; 9 years ago (26 November 2016)
Preceded byName changed from:
  • Informed Medical Options Party
  • Involuntary Medication Objectors Party
HeadquartersBellbrook, New South Wales
Membership (2024)
  • 7,000+ (claimed)
Ideology
Website
heartparty.com.au
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Health, Environment, Accountability, Rights, Transparency (HEART) is a minor Australian political party registered federally and in New South Wales. The HEART Party advocated for policies related to health autonomy, alternative medicine, environmental sustainability, and government accountability and opposes mandatory vaccination and water fluoridation. While not a part of the party's official policies, many of the party's candidates have expressed anti-vaccination views, COVID-19 scepticism and climate change scepticism.

The party was founded in 2016 as the Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party, before later renaming to the Informed Medical Options Party (IMOP). The party's leader is Michael O'Neill, husband of barred (in Australia) alternative medicine promoter Barbara O'Neill.

Rebecca McCredie is its deputy registered officer.[1]

History

[edit]

The Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party was first registered at the federal level by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on 26 October 2016. Its registered officer was Gary Martin at the time of registration.[2]

Between 2019 and 2020, the Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party applied to rename itself to the Informed Medical Options Party at the federal level. In 2023, IMOP applied for the name change to HEART ahead of the 2023 New South Wales state election, where the acronym was first used.

In September 2023, IMOP announced a proposed merger with the Health Australia Party (HAP), citing shared policy positions. However, HAP withdrew from the arrangement on 10 October 2023, shortly after HEART was registered federally, and HAP later disbanded in January 2024. HEART therefore continued as a rebranded IMOP rather than a merged entity.

Rebranding to the Informed Medical Options Party

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On 4 December 2019, the Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party applied to the AEC to be renamed to the "Informed Medical Options Party".[3] The AEC received 27 written objections to the proposed name change, including from then-federal health minister, Greg Hunt and the Australian Medical Association. The basis for the objections included that the name was obscene and misleading and could be confused with the Australian Medical Association. [4][5] The AEC rejected these objections on the basis that the name is not obscene and could not be confused or mistaken for another political party.[3]

On 22 April 2020, the party was officially was renamed to the Informed Medical Options Party at the federal level.[6]

IMOP applied to the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) to change its name to HEART on 15 December 2023, and officially was renamed on 19 January 2024.[7]

As of 2 September 2024, IMOP has been formally renamed to the HEART Party and is listed on the New South Wales register of political parties.[8]

Merger with the Health Australia Party and rebranding to HEART

[edit]

The party announced that HAP would merge into IMOP in a Facebook video, with both parties saying the decision to merge was made after a "long period of negotiations" and due to their similar policies.[9] However, HAP withdrew from the merger on 10 October, a week after IMOP rebranded to HEART. HAP proceeded to collapse and was deregistered nationally.[10]

The Informed Medical Options Party was rebranded to HEART by the:

  • Australian Electoral Commission for federal elections, on 3 October 2023[11]
  • Electoral Commission of Queensland for Queensland state and local elections, on 19 January 2024[7]
  • New South Wales Electoral Commission for New South Wales state and local elections

2024-25 AEC Federal Deregistration (set aside 4 February 2025)

[edit]

On 20 April 2023, the Australian Electoral Commission initiated a membership test of the HEART Party requiring the party to submit a list of between1500-1650 members for auditing. Australian federal law requires political parties to have a minimum of 1,500 party members, or have a representative in parliament, to remain registered. The AEC review was subsequently delayed between 12 June 2023 and 31 July 2023 due to a by-election in the electorate of Fadden and the party was provided with an extension until 17 October 2023.[12] HEART subsequently provided a list of 1,533 members to the AEC. After the Commission removed deceased members and those who had declared membership of another party, a random sample of the list were contacted to verify their membership following Australian Bureau of Statistics methodology.[13] Of a random sample of 33 people, 3 declined membership of the party resulting in the test failing to meet the standard threshold. The AEC subsequently issued a notice to the party on 13 December 2023.

On 12 January 2024, HEART provided a written response to the AEC claiming it had over 7,000 members. HEART submitted an amended list of 1,601 names. After removing further deceased peoples and those who had declared membership of another party, a random sample was again selected and contacted. Five of the 27 people contacted denied their membership, resulting in the AEC formally deregistering HEART on 26 August 2024 under federal electoral laws.[14][15]

In September 2024, the party requested a review of the AEC's decision to deregister the party, providing another version of a membership list. HEART protested that the assurance process was "onerous, not fit-for-purpose and creates obstacles" which inhibited the party's political participation, and did not provide the party with enough time to prepare the required membership lists. The updated membership list included 1,650 people, of which 31 people were screened out as members of another party or deceased. A repeat random verification of 53 listings were completed, of which one only person denied membership, ultimately meeting the threshold required to demonstrate minimum membership. As a result, the AEC set aside its previous decision to deregister the party and the HEART Party was restored on the Register of Political Parties on 4 February 2025.[16]

Deregistration in Queensland

[edit]

On 25 January 2024, the deputy registered officer of HEART submitted an application to the ECQ requesting that it cancel the registration of the party. The ECQ approved the deregistration of the party on 9 February 2024.[7]

Policies and political positions

[edit]

The HEART Party positions itself as a party advocating for individual choice, government transparency, and holistic health practices. Its platform emphasises personal autonomy, environmental sustainability, and accountability in governance.[17]

Core Principles

[edit]

Health:

  • Advocates for full autonomy over health decisions, opposing coercion in medical procedures.
  • Supports holistic and natural treatments, mental health care incorporating complementary medicine, and a fluoride-free water supply.
  • Promotes lifestyle choices that strengthen immunity, such as organic food consumption and small-scale food production.

Environment:

  • Endorses independent, balanced scientific reviews of environmental policies. Supports clean and efficient energy production, transparency on renewable energy impacts, and regenerative farming practices like permaculture.
  • Opposes hazardous substances and calls for reviews of commercial farming and mining practices.

Accountability & Rights:

  • Seeks greater transparency in government decisions, including disclosure of conflicts of interest.
  • Advocates for a Federal Bill of Rights to protect freedoms such as speech, association, religion, movement, privacy, and medical choice.
  • Calls for reassessment of foreign trade agreements and challenges Australia’s alignment with WHO and UN directives.

Political Positions

[edit]
  • Strongly opposes mandatory vaccination and water fluoridation; promotes informed consent and skepticism toward pharmaceutical regulation.
  • Supports a Royal Commission into the government’s pandemic response and regulatory bodies’ roles.
  • Calls for balance regarding mainstream climate change narratives and for consideration of diverse academic perspectives.

Electoral results

[edit]

Federal elections

[edit]

The party was first registered for federal elections on 26 October 2016. HEART was deregistered between 26 August 2024 as it failed on two occasions to meet minimum membership requirements, and was re-registered on 2 February 2025 following a third appeal.

The party first ran in the 2019 Australian federal election as the Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party. It received 1,179 primary votes for the House of Representatives (0.01%), and 17,055 primary votes for the Senate (0.12%). It did not result in any parliamentary representation.[18][19]

The party ran again in the 2022 Australian federal election, this time as the Informed Medical Options Party. It received 25,850 primary votes for the House of Representatives (0.18%), and 48,830 primary votes for the Senate (0.32%). It did not result in any parliamentary representation.[20][21]

Queensland elections

[edit]

The Informed Medical Options Party has only run in one Queensland election - the 2020 Queensland state election. The party did not win any seats, gaining 17,646 primary votes (first preference) or 0.61% of all votes.[22] The party has since collapsed in Queensland and voluntarily deregistered.

New South Wales elections

[edit]

The "HEART" acronym was first used by IMOP at the 2023 New South Wales state election, although the party continued to be registered as the Informed Medical Options Party at the time. The party received 11,529 primary votes, accounting for 0.25% of all primary votes in the State. No members were elected to parliament.[23][24]

See also

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  • Barbara O'Neill - wife of founder Michael O'Neill and alternative medicine promoter

References

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  1. ^ "Senior Office Holders - Health Environment Accountability Rights Transparency (HEART)" (PDF). New South Wales Electoral Commission. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Notice under s.133(1A) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 – Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party". Australian Electoral Commission. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b Reid, Joanne (22 April 2020). "Statement of reasons - Application to change a party name and remove an abbreviation in the register of political parties - Involuntary Medical Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  4. ^ McCauley, Dana (3 February 2020). "Health Minister urges electoral commission to reject 'anti-vaxxer' party's new name". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  5. ^ Hope, Zach (2 May 2020). "Vaccination-sceptic political party wins name change despite heavyweight objectors". The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Change of party name and abbreviation - Involuntary Medication Objectors (Vaccination/Fluoride) Party" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Notices". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  8. ^ "State Register of Parties". New South Wales Electoral Commission. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  9. ^ Puglisi, Leonardo (17 August 2023). "Two 'freedom parties' merge as they look to get elected for first time". 6 News Australia. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  10. ^ Golden, Isaac. "A Final Word on the Health Australia Party". Health Australia Party. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Change of name, abbreviation, and remove logo - Informed Medical Options Party" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Notice of Decision on Party Registration" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission - Web Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Guide for registering a party" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Notice of deregistration - Health Environment Accountability Rights Transparency (HEART)" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Statement of reasons - Deregistration of Health Environment Accountability Rights Transparency (HEART)" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Review of decisions under s 141(4) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 - notice of decision under s 141(7)" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  17. ^ "HEART Party Policies". HEART Party. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  18. ^ "First preferences by party - 2019 Federal Election". Australian Electoral Commission Tally Room. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  19. ^ "First preference by Senate group - 2019 Federal Election". Australian Electoral Commission Tally Room. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  20. ^ "First preferences by party - 2022 Federal Election". Australian Electoral Commission Tally Room. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  21. ^ "First preferences by Senate group - 2022 Federal Election". Australian Electoral Commission Tally Room. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  22. ^ "2020 State General Election results". Electoral Commission Queensland. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  23. ^ Watts, Ellie-Marie (19 March 2023). "Meet Port Stephens state election candidate Angela Ketas from the Informed Medical Options Party". Port Stephens Examiner.
  24. ^ "2023 NSW State election results". New South Wales Electoral Commission. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
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