Editing Australia First Party (section)

== History ==
===Campbell era ===
The Australia First Party was established in June 1996 by [[Graeme Campbell (politician)|Graeme Campbell]], and registered as a political party by the [[Australian Electoral Commission]] (AEC) on 13 September 1996. Campbell had been the federal [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] member for [[Division of Kalgoorlie|Kalgoorlie]] since 1980. However, he was disendorsed by Labor in 1995, and continued to sit in parliament as an independent. He was reelected as an independent at the [[1996 Australian federal election]], and formed AFP soon after. However, AFP was not successful at the [[1998 Australian federal election|1998 federal election]] and Campbell lost his seat, blaming his loss on Australia First being eclipsed by [[One Nation Party|One Nation]]. In 2009, he claimed that, if not for the presence of a One Nation candidate, he would have picked up an additional 8.5% of the vote, which would have been enough to keep him in the race.

Campbell remained Australia First's leader until June 2001, when he left the party to stand (unsuccessfully) as a One Nation [[Australian Senate|Senate]] candidate in [[Western Australia]]. At the [[2004 Australian federal election|2004 federal election]], Campbell attempted unsuccessfully to regain his old federal seat as an independent. He again stood for the Senate in Western Australia at the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 federal election]] as an independent, but only achieved 0.13% of the vote.<ref>Cambell Era:
*{{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RP/1998-99/99rp10.htm |title=The Decline in Support for Australian Major Parties and the Prospect of Minority Government |author=Scott Bennett |date=16 February 1999 |access-date=24 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713000218/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rp/1998-99/99rp10.htm |archive-date=13 July 2010}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/results/senate/wa.htm|publisher=ABC News|title=Senate Results Western Australia|work=Federal Election 2007|year=2007|author=?[[Antony Green]]|access-date=24 January 2010}}
*[http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/ Australian Electoral Commission]
*{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/kalg.htm|publisher=ABC News|work=Australia Votes 2007|title=Kalgoorlie|date=21 December 2007|author=Antony Green|access-date=24 January 2010}}</ref>

===Saleam era===
Saleam has served two jail terms, one for property offences and [[fraud]] in 1984 and one for being an [[accessory before the fact]] in 1989 for his involvement in the [[shotgun]] attack on the home of [[African National Congress]] representative Eddie Funde.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/no-apology-for-white-australia-policy/2008/01/11/1199988590134.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 |title=No apology for white Australia policy |last1=Gibson |first1=Jano |last2=Frew |first2=Wendy |date=12 January 2008 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=4 February 2013}}</ref>

In 2002, [[Jim Saleam]] ran as an AFP candidate for a seat on [[Marrickville]] council, New South Wales, claiming "to oppose Marrickville being a Refugee Welcome Zone". Later that year the party formed its youth wing, the [[Patriotic Youth League]]. 
AFP was deregistered by the AEC on 13 August 2004 for failing to nominate candidates at elections for four years. By 2007, Saleam had reestablished AFP, and in July 2009, Saleam claimed that the party had 500 members, and announced that he was registering its New South Wales branch, Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated, with the AEC. The branch was registered by AEC on 13 June 2010, in time for the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 federal election]].<ref>Marrickville Council:
*{{cite news|first=Andrew|last=West|title=White separatist takes on Marrickville|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/28/1077677015074.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 February 2004|access-date=2006-07-14}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/rightwing-genie-out-of-the-bottle-20090708-ddfk.html|title=Right-wing genie out of the bottle|access-date=2009-07-09|first=Erik|last=Jensen|date=9 July 2009|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Registration_Decisions/3740.htm|publisher=AEC redirection page – Australian Electoral Commission|title=Parties and Representatives}}</ref>

At the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 federal election]], AFP was involved in [[Glenn Druery]]'s [[Minor Party Alliance]]. Saleam stood in the [[Division of Cook|seat of Cook]] on a platform to end refugee intakes, running against [[Scott Morrison]], and received 617 votes, or 0.67% of the vote.<ref>2013 election:
*{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-05/bitter-dispute-erupts-over-senate-preferences-in-queensland/4939300|title=Bitter dispute erupts over Senate preferences in Queensland |newspaper=ABC News |publisher=ABC|date=5 September 2013}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/special-features/alliance-of-micro-parties-boosts-odds-for-likes-of-one-nation-or-shooters-and-fishers-gaining-senate-spot-through-preferences/story-fnho52jp-1226713114765|title=Alliance of micro parties boosts odds for likes of One Nation or Shooters and Fishers gaining Senate spot through preferences|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=5 September 2013}}</ref>

On 14 July 2015, the AEC de-registered the AFP due to its failure to demonstrate the required 500 members. It was re-registered on 1 March 2016 as "Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated".<ref>Registration:
*{{cite web|title=Deregistered/renamed political parties |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Deregistered_parties/aust-1st.htm|publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|access-date=14 July 2015}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/parties_and_representatives/party_registration/Deregistered_parties/aust-1st.htm |title=Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated |publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]]|date=7 March 2016 |access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref>

AFP contested the [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 federal election]], without any success. Saleam stood in the [[Division of Lindsay|seat of Lindsay]], New South Wales, receiving 1068 votes or 1.2% of the vote. In October 2016, the Australia First Party joined with the [[Australian Protectionist Party]], Nationalist Alternative, Eureka Youth League, and Hellenic Nationalists of Australia to form the Australian Coalition of Nationalists, as a framework for cooperation between these entities.<ref>{{cite web |title=The formation of the Australian Coalition of Nationalists |url=http://www.protectionist.net/2016/10/21/the-formation-of-the-australian-coalition-of-nationalists/ |website=protectionist.net |publisher=[[Australian Protectionist Party]] |access-date=17 February 2024 |date=21 October 2016}}</ref>

Saleam also stood for AFP in the [[2018 Longman by-election]], receiving 709 votes or 0.8% of the vote.<ref>Longman by-election:
*{{cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/farrightwing-parties-after-your-vote-on-election-day/news-story/dea024a911e4e5bf2d8d6bb6fbd1f0b0/news-story/dea024a911e4e5bf2d8d6bb6fbd1f0b0 |title=Far-right-wing parties after your vote on election day |author=Murray, Oliver |date=26 April 2016 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=3 June 2016 }}
*{{cite news |url=http://www.penrithcitygazette.com.au/story/3908733/saleam-in-election-16/ |title=Controversial Saleam to stand for Australia First in Lindsay |author=Pollard, Krystyna |date=19 May 2016 |work=Penrith City Gazette |access-date=3 June 2016 }}
*{{Cite web|url=https://tallyroom.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionPage-22694-302.htm|title=House of Representatives division information|website=Australian Electoral Commission|language=en-AU|access-date=2018-07-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817091618/https://tallyroom.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionPage-22694-302.htm|archive-date=17 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Saleam stood in the seat of [[Cootamundra]], New South Wales, in the [[2017 Cootamundra state by-election|2017 by-election]] as an independent, though still a member of Australia First, as the party was not registered for NSW elections. He received 453 votes, 1% of the total. He again stood in the seat at the [[2019 New South Wales state election]] as an independent. Saleam's platform included the reintroduction of the [[White Australia policy]] and opposition to Chinese immigration.<ref>Cootamundra election:
*{{cite news |last=Grey |first=Lachlan |url=http://www.cootamundraherald.com.au/story/4881854/dark-horse-emerges-for-cootamundra-by-election/|title=Australia First leader Jim Saleam to contest Cootamundra by-election in November|work=Cootamundra Herald|date=27 August 2017|access-date=10 September 2017}}
*{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/nsw-election-2019/right-wing-extremist-makes-election-bid-in-sleepy-nsw-cherry-capital-20190322-p516q4.html|title=Right wing extremist makes election bid in sleepy NSW 'cherry capital'}}</ref>

On 2 May 2014, the party aligned itself with the [[Golden Dawn (political party)|Golden Dawn]] party of Greece, an [[Ultranationalism|ultranationalist]] organisation, and on 24 July 2016, the party endorsed former [[Grand Wizard]] of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] [[David Duke]] for the 2016 Louisiana election via [[Twitter]].<ref>Golden Dawn:
*{{Citation |first1=Kostas |last1=Gemenis |first2=Roula |last2=Nezi |title=The 2011 Political Parties Expert Survey in Greece |publisher=[[University of Twente]] |date=January 2012 |page=4 |url=http://doc.utwente.nl/79515/1/Expert_survey_report_DANS.pdf}}
*{{Citation |first=Maria |last=Repoussi |title=Battles over the national past of Greeks: The Greek History Textbook Controversy 2006–2007 |journal=Geschichte für heute. Zeitschrift für historisch-politische Bildung |issue=1 |year=2009 |page=5 |url=http://users.auth.gr/~marrep/PS_REPOUSI/ENG/PUBLICATIONS/battles%20for%20the%20national%20past.pdf }}
*{{Citation |first=Thomas |last=Grumke |title=The transatlantic dimension of right-wing extremism |journal=Human Rights Review |volume=4 |issue=4 |year=2003 |pages=56–72 |doi=10.1007/s12142-003-1021-x |s2cid=145203309 |quote=On 24 October 1998 the Greek right-wing extremist organisation ''Chrisi Avgi'' (Golden Dawn) was the host for the 5th European Youth Congress in Thessaloniki.}}
*{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/austfirstparty|title=Australia FirstParty (@AustFirstParty)|access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref>

On 12 January 2022, the party was de-registered by the [[Australian Electoral Commission]] for failing to meet the increased requirement of 1,500 members.<ref>{{cite news |title=Notice of deregistration – Australia First Party (NSW) Incorporated |url=https://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Deregistered_parties/files/web-notice-to-deregister-australia-first-party-nsw-incorporated.pdf}}</ref>