Derryn Hinch's Justice Party, also known as the Justice Party, is a political party in Australia, registered for federal elections since 14 April 2016. The party is named after its founder, Derryn Hinch, an Australian media personality. Focusing on reforms to the justice system, it believes in a hard-line law-and-order approach, "putting victims above criminals". The party campaigns on prioritising jail sentences over rehabilitation and bail, as well as tougher restrictions on parole. Anti-paedophilia forms another large part of the party's ideology, owing to Hinch's background in naming alleged sexual offenders. The party won one seat in the Senate at the 2016 federal election, after achieving 6.05% of the first-preference votes in Victoria. It also was registered by the Victorian Electoral Commission in May 2018 and ran candidates in the 2018 Victorian state election.
Background
Hinch announced his political ambitions in October 2015, and at that stage remained host of his weekly program Hinch Live, in a decision supported by Sky News Live. Hinch stepped down from the program on 24 April 2016, telling viewers the program was entering either "semi or permanent recess" depending on the success of his party. The Justice Party's election platform is anti-paedophile, tough on crime and in favour of parole and bail "reform". In June 2016 the party challenged the Australian Electoral Commission's decision to refuse the Justice Party, and other micro-parties, the right to display their distinguishing logos on the Senate ballot paper. The matter is to be heard in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Hinch has employed Glenn Druery in his electoral office as his chief of staff. Druery came to fame in Australian politics as the "preference whisperer", known for his ability to create coalitions of minor parties to harvest preferences from each other to get elected on small primary votes. Prior to the 2018 Victorian state election it was revealed that Druery was collecting money from minor parties to give them a positive preference flow while still employed by Hinch, thus creating an alleged conflict of interest, and giving the party a favourable deal. Despite the party denying these allegations, the matter has been referred to police, and Druery is currently the subject of an ongoing investigation.
Electoral history
Federal
The Justice Party fielded candidates for the Senate in every state of Australia, and also six lower house seats, in the 2016 federal election. Derryn Hinch was the party's lead candidate to represent Victoria in the Senate. Hinch was successful at securing the 10th seat of the 12 representing Victoria. No other Justice Party candidates were elected. Aged 72, Hinch is the oldest federal parliamentarian to be elected for the first time.
