Editing Australian Democrats (section)

===Decline===
Following internal conflict over the goods and services tax and resultant leadership changes, a dramatic decline occurred in the Democrats' membership and voting support in all states. Simultaneously, an increase was recorded in support for the [[Australian Greens]] who, by 2004, were supplanting the Democrats as a substantial [[third party (politics)|third party]]. The trend was noted that year by political scientists [[Dean Jaensch]] et al.<ref>{{cite web|quote=the Australian Democrats appear to be in decline, having performed very poorly at the 2004 federal election and look to be replaced by the Greens as the major 'minor' party|last1=Jaensch|first1=Dean|last2=Brent|first2=Peter|last3=Bowden|first3=Brett|url=http://democratic.audit.anu.edu.au/papers/focussed_audits/200501_jaensch_parties.pdf|title=Australian Political Parties in the Spotlight|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026234626/http://democratic.audit.anu.edu.au/papers/focussed_audits/200501_jaensch_parties.pdf|archive-date=26 October 2009|url-status=dead|pages=40–41|work=Democratic Audit of Australia|publisher=[[Australian National University]]|date=January 2005}}</ref>

Support for the Australian Democrats fell significantly at the [[2004 Australian federal election|2004 federal election]] in which they achieved only 2.4 per cent of the national vote. Nowhere was this more noticeable than in their key support base of suburban [[Adelaide]] in South Australia, where they received between 1 and 4 percent of the lower house vote; by comparison, they tallied between 7 and 31 per cent of the vote in 2001. No Democrat senators were elected, though four kept their seats due to being elected in 2001, thus their representation fell from eight senators to four. Three incumbent senators were defeated: [[Aden Ridgeway]] (NSW), [[Brian Greig]] (WA) and [[John Cherry (Australian politician)|John Cherry]] (Qld). Following the loss, the customary post-election leadership ballot installed Allison as leader, with Bartlett as her deputy. From 1 July 2005 the Australian Democrats lost official parliamentary party status, being represented by only four senators while the governing Liberal-National Coalition gained a majority and potential control of the Senate—the first time this advantage had been enjoyed by any government since 1980.

On 28 August 2006, the founder of the Australian Democrats, Don Chipp, died. Former prime minister Bob Hawke said: "... there is a coincidental timing almost between the passing of Don Chipp and what I think is the death throes of the Democrats."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1727334.htm|title=Hawke predicts end is near for Democrats|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=29 August 2006|access-date=25 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205091132/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1727334.htm|archive-date=5 December 2008}}</ref> In November 2006, the Australian Democrats fared very poorly in the Victorian state election, receiving a Legislative Council vote tally of only 0.83%,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/state2006resultbypartyUH.html|title=Victorian Electoral Commission: Results for Upper House, 2006|publisher=Victorian Electoral Commission|date=1 January 1999|access-date=25 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100416165522/http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/State2006resultbypartyUH.html|archive-date=16 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> less than half of the party's result in 2002 (1.79 per cent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/state2002resultbypartyprovince.html|title=Victorian Electoral Commission: Results for Upper House, 2006|publisher=Victorian Electoral Commission|date=1 January 1999|access-date=25 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405222227/http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/State2002resultbypartyprovince.html|archive-date=5 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Democrats again had no success at the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 federal election]], and lost all four of their remaining Senate seats. Two incumbent senators, Lyn Allison (Victoria) and [[Andrew Bartlett]] (Queensland), were defeated, their seats both reverting to major parties. Their two remaining colleagues, Andrew Murray (WA) and Natasha Stott Despoja (SA), retired. All four senators' terms expired on 30 June 2008—leaving the Australian Democrats with no federal representation for the first time since its founding in 1977.<ref>Caldwell A ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20071128103918/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/26/2101885.htm?site=elections/federal/2007 Democrats to lose parliamentary representation]'' 26 November 2007</ref> Later, in 2009, Jaensch suggested it was possible the Democrats could make a political comeback at the [[2010 South Australian state election|2010 South Australian election]],<ref>[[Dean Jaensch]] radio interview, [http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2631202.htm Last remaining Democrat MP could become independent], at [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation#Radio|ABC PM]], 20 July 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009</ref> but this did not occur.

====State and territory losses====
The Tasmanian division of the party was deregistered for having insufficient members in January 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200601/1542299.htm?tasmania|title=Australian Democrats Deregistered in Tasmania|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=5 January 2006|access-date=25 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622171235/http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200601/1542299.htm?tasmania|archive-date=22 June 2008}}</ref>

At the [[2006 South Australian state election|2006 South Australian election]], the Australian Democrats were reduced to 1.7 per cent of the Legislative Council (upper house) vote. Their sole councillor up for re-election, [[Kate Reynolds]], was defeated. In July 2006, Richard Pascoe, national and [[South Australia]]n party president, resigned, citing slumping opinion polls and the poor result in the 2006 South Australian election as well as South Australian parliamentary leader [[Sandra Kanck]]'s comments regarding the drug [[MDMA]] which he saw as damaging to the party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-07-11/political-analyst-predicts-democrats-demise/1798378|title=Political analyst predicts Democrats' demise|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=11 July 2006|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1683993.htm|title=Former leader sees Democrats in 'tatters'|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=11 July 2006|access-date=25 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205083545/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1683993.htm|archive-date=5 December 2008}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060706220404/http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0%2C5936%2C19698296%5E910%2C00.html Kanck says rave party safer than the front bar, ''The Advertiser'' 5 July 2006] Article no longer available online.</ref>

In the [[2007 New South Wales state election|New South Wales state election of March 2007]], the Australian Democrats lost their last remaining NSW Upper House representative, [[Arthur Chesterfield-Evans]]. The party fared poorly, gaining only 1.8 per cent of the Legislative Council vote.

On 13 September 2007, the ACT Democrats (Australian Capital Territory Division of the party) was deregistered<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/2007-279/default.asp|title=ACT legislation register – Electoral (Cancellation of the Registration of the Australian Democrats) Notice 2007 – main page|publisher=Legislation.act.gov.au|date=13 September 2007|access-date=25 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123082003/http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/2007-279/default.asp|archive-date=23 November 2008}}</ref> by the ACT Electoral Commissioner, being unable to demonstrate a minimum membership of 100 electors.

These losses left Sandra Kanck, in South Australia, as the party's only parliamentarian. She retired in 2009 and was replaced by [[David Winderlich]], making him (as of 2020) the last Democrat to sit in any Australian parliament. The Democrats lost all representation when Winderlich resigned from the party in October 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26177316-2682,00.html?from=public_rss|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130627101506/http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26177316-2682,00.html?from=public_rss|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 June 2013|title=David Winderlich quits, Democrats are no more|publisher=News.com.au|date=7 October 2009|access-date=25 April 2010|first1=Russell|last1=Emmerson}}</ref> He sat the remainder of his term as an independent, and lost his seat at the [[2010 South Australian state election|2010 South Australian election]].

====Post-parliamentary decline====
Following the loss of all Democrats MPs in both federal and state parliaments, the party continued to be riven by factionalism. In 2009 a dispute arose between two factions, the "Christian Centrists" loyal to former leader Meg Lees, and a faction comprising the party's more progressive members. The dispute arose when the Christian Centrist controlled national executive removed a website for party members from the internet, stating that its operation was a violation of the party constitution. In response, the progressive faction accused the national executive of being undemocratic and of acting contrary to the party constitution themselves.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/21/democrats-brave-foray-into-21st-century-hits-a-snag/|title=Democrats' brave foray into 21st century hits a snag|website=Crikey|date=21 September 2009|access-date=26 November 2020}}</ref> By 2012, this dispute had been superseded by another between members loyal to former Senator Brian Greig and members who were supporters of former South Australian MP Sandra Kanck. Brian Greig was elected the party's president, but resigned after less than a month due to frustration with the party's factionalism.<ref name=Bell>{{cite web|url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2012/10/19/bell-tolls-for-the-democrats-bastards-got-the-better-of-them/|title=Bell tolls for the Democrats: bastards got the better of them?|website=Crikey|last1=Alexander|first1=Cathy|date=19 October 2012|access-date=26 November 2022}}</ref>

====Deregistration====
On 16 April 2015, the Australian Electoral Commission deregistered the Australian Democrats as a political party for failure to demonstrate the requisite 500 members to maintain registration.<ref name="aec deregister">{{cite web|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Deregistered_parties/democrats.htm|title=The Australian Democrats|work=Funding, Disclosure and Political Parties: Political Party Registration: Deregistered/renamed political parties|publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]]|date=16 April 2015|access-date=16 April 2015}}</ref> However, the party did run candidates and remain registered for a period of time thereafter in the New South Wales Democrats and Queensland Democrat divisions.