Victoria’s ‘Free Palestine’ party plan sparks voting system debate
Consensus Summary
Avi Yemini, a rightwing provocateur and former Israeli soldier, announced plans to register a ‘Free Palestine party’ in Victoria to redirect left-wing votes toward conservative parties ahead of the November 28, 2026 state election. His strategy mirrors that of Monica Smit, who registered a ‘Save the Environment party’ in February 2026 to influence preferences. Both tactics exploit Victoria’s unique group voting ticket (GVT) system, where voters choose one party above the line and preferences are controlled by the party. Critics, including the Greens and Liberals, argue GVTs enable misleading party names and backroom deals, while supporters like Glenn Druery, the ‘preference whisperer,’ claim the system allows marginalized parties to win seats. The Victorian Electoral Commission confirmed that party names cannot be objected to on policy grounds, only for obscenity or resemblance to other parties. Labor has delayed a decision on abolishing GVTs despite recommendations from a 2022 inquiry and pressure from opposition parties, with some Labor MPs reportedly supportive of reform. Yemini and Smit’s moves have reignited debates about electoral integrity, with experts warning voters to scrutinize party names and preferences carefully.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Avi Yemini announced plans to register a ‘Free Palestine party’ in Victoria to funnel votes to conservative parties in the November 2026 state election
- Victoria’s upper house still uses the group voting ticket (GVT) system, where voters choose one party above the line and preferences are allocated by the party
- The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) confirmed that party names cannot be objected to on grounds of misleading character or objectionable policies, only for obscenity, length, or resemblance to other parties
- Monica Smit announced plans to register a ‘Save the Environment party’ in February 2026 to influence the election result
- The 2022 Electoral Matters Committee recommended scrapping GVTs, and a December 2025 inquiry urged immediate implementation for the 2026 election
- Glenn Druery, known as the ‘preference whisperer,’ has directed micro-party preferences away from One Nation since 1999 and claims he will use his expertise to prevent ‘racists, cookers, or crazies’ from entering parliament
- Pauline Hanson of One Nation said her party would ‘gladly welcome’ preferences from Yemini’s ‘Free Palestine party’ but preferred abolishing GVTs
- The Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell criticized Labor for failing to abolish GVTs, calling them ‘dodgy’ and enabling deceitful far-right parties to ‘buy seats’
- The 2026 Victorian state election is scheduled for November 28
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Yemini claimed Victoria’s GVT system has benefited the Labor party and that Labor’s 2022 electoral review called for GVTs to be scrapped ‘as soon as possible’ for the 2026 election
- Three unauthorised Labor MPs said there was strong internal support to abolish GVTs due to integrity risks, and Premier Jacinta Allan was reportedly reluctant to act due to potential benefits for One Nation
- Druery stated he was ‘proud’ to have worked since 1999 to direct micro-party preferences away from One Nation and predicted One Nation could win 13–16 upper-house seats if GVTs were scrapped
- A government spokesperson said the registration of political parties was a matter for the VEC and that the government was still considering the 2022 recommendations
- The VEC said it could only implement GVT changes by August 2026 if a bill was passed
- Yemini said he was inspired by Monica Smit’s ‘Save the Environment party’ and claimed it would ‘take voters’ from the left and ‘redistribute’ them to conservatives
- Yemini said his ‘Free Palestine’ party was designed to ‘round up’ protest voters and ‘flow their preferences’ to conservatives, calling it ‘civic service’
- Yemini previously ran for the Australian Liberty Alliance in the 2018 Victorian election, winning 0.48% of the vote in the Southern Metropolitan Region
- Monica Smit denied her ‘Save the Environment party’ was a front and said she had 760 confirmed members, though her preferences were not yet decided
- Election analyst Adrian Beaumont called Labor ‘derelict’ for not scrapping GVTs before the 2018 or 2022 elections
- Monash University political scientist Zareh Ghazarian described Yemini’s strategy as ‘insidious’ and warned voters must be ‘more informed and vigilant’
- Ghazarian also noted that abolishing GVTs ‘may limit the diversity of parties and candidates’ in the upper house
- Leaked video of Glenn Druery boasting about his influence reignited calls for GVT reform
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states that Labor’s 2022 electoral review called for GVTs to be scrapped ‘as soon as possible,’ while the ABC does not explicitly mention this timeline, only that the inquiry urged immediate implementation for 2026
- The Guardian reports that Premier Jacinta Allan was ‘reluctant’ to abolish GVTs due to potential benefits for One Nation, but the ABC does not mention her stance directly
- The Guardian cites three unauthorised Labor MPs saying there is ‘strong support’ within the caucus to abolish GVTs, while the ABC does not reference internal Labor divisions on this issue
- The Guardian notes that the VEC could only implement GVT changes by August 2026 if a bill was passed, but the ABC does not specify this deadline
Source Articles
Rightwing provocateur’s plan to register ‘Free Palestine party’ renews concern over Victoria’s voting system
Labor under pressure to scrap group voting tickets as Avi Yemini details plan to funnel votes to conservative parties at state election A rightwing provocateur’s plan to register the “Free Palestine party” and use it to funnel votes to conservative parties in Victoria’s state election has renewed concern over the state’s voting system. Avi Yemini, a former Israeli solider and self-styled investigative journalist who creates content for his YouTube channel Rebel News Australia, on Tuesday announc
'Free Palestine' party plans to funnel votes to Victorian conservatives
Victorian voters are being urged to look out for "misleading" party names, as right-wing activists seek to redirect progressive votes to conservative parties.