After farewelling One Nation in September, former powerhouse Liberal MP, and UAP boss, Craig Kelly said, “In life, you find one door closes and another door opens. So that’s what we’ll keep. I’ll keep on battling on.”
Battle on, he has.
Running as a Libertarian in the 2025 Australian election is almost a certainty.
Flanked by John Ruddick, early Monday morning, Craig Kelly announced, he’d joined The Libertarians.
“If you look at what’s happening to our country, you’ll see how poorly it’s being governed,” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
“Just look at the last couple of weeks. We saw the Senate push through 30 bills in one sitting, without any debate, or real time for consultation with the public.”
“That’s not what the Senate is for!” Kelly protested.
The Senate is “meant to be a house of review,” he added, saying, “We need better government in this country.”
“I’m determined to try and get back into Federal parliament.”
Answering sceptics – who might be wondering if this new political hat is just another UAP, One Nation flirtation – Kelly said, “I’ve always been close to The Libertarian Party in values. My values haven’t changed.”
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Kelly then defended limited government, and the Libertarian goal of releasing the economy to power opportunity, responsibility, and individual liberty.
This is about “getting government out of the way; getting government out of their hands,” he exclaimed.
Noting how the Liberal Party was moving away from being the party of Menzies, to being the party of Karl Marx, Kelly explained,
“Unfortunately, the [Australian] Liberal Party, that I used to be a member of, appears to have abandoned those values.”
“Lockdowns, vaccine mandates, the violation of the doctor-patient relationship were certainly not” policies based on the values of a Liberal party with Menzies in mind.
In sum, he didn’t leave the Liberal Party, the Liberal Party left him, Kelly concluded.
Marking the formal return to politics on X, after his super short hiatus, Kelly posted, “Yes. It’s official – I’m now a card-carrying member of The Libertarian Party.
“The best way to put some steel in the Liberal Party’s spine – is a strong Libertarian Party.”
Illustrating the Libertarian trademark of defiance, Kelly later posted an Australian-themed AI meme using the Gadsden flag motto, “Don’t tread on me.”
Although Craig Kelly parted with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party in September, he maintains a high level of respect for Hanson.
He didn’t jump ship.
Speaking with 6 News, Kelly said the “party has some fundamental issues they need to work out.
“I tried my best to try and open One Nation,” he said.
“I tried a lot of new things, trying to get some of the old candidates that were disenchanted back into the fold. But, you know, they didn’t want to do it that way. So, unfortunately, we’ve had a separating of the ways.”
Those issues presumably stem from the lack of a successor plan, stagnating political energy, and the probable demise of the party, post-Pauline.
Another likelihood for his departure is momentum.
Kelly is about as MAGA as most Australian candidates for office get.
His energy and empathy rivals that of Donald Trump.
As does the hatred thrown Kelly’s way.
From opposing lockdowns to informed consent, and surviving character assassination attempts, KDS – “Kelly derangement syndrome” – fills the majority of smack-talk thrown his way.
Responding publicly to the news, Ross Cameron, current president of the NSW Libertarians, welcomed Kelly, telling him his best chapter is in front of him.
This is well-deserved praise.
Over the past four years no Australian politician has sacrificed so much, to serve so many.
