Historical information and documentation regarding nationalist and patriotic organisations
Progressive Nationalist Party
Brief description
The Progressive Nationalist Party was formed in April 1981 in Sydney, from an amalgamation of the National Alliance, the Immigration Control Association, and the Progressive Conservative Party (the ICA's electoral organisation), and formed branches in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Coffs Harbour (New South Wales), Maryborough (Queensland), and Whyalla (South Australia). Robert Clark was its first National President. [1]
The Progressive Nationalist Party campaigned for an end to all immigration (until unemployment had fallen), against the Asian refugee intake, for tariff protection of Australian industry, against multinational control over the Australian economy, and for non-alignment with any superpower (in the contemporary context, not to be allied to the USA) [2].
Around November to December of 1981, Robert Clark, the leader of the Immigration Control Association (which had amalgamated into the PNP) began to re-setup the ICA, partly due pressure from conservative elements who were not comfortable being in the same organisation as the "radicals" from the old National Alliance. The conservative elements (or, perhaps, a vocal minority thereof) in the PNP, being anti-republican, anti-radicalism, and even anti-political (preferring to lobby politicians, rather than being part of politics, as they regarded all political parties as somehow "wrong" by their very nature), had ideological issues with the PNP's young radical nationalists. The organisation began to break up, and finally faded into disuse around January 1982. Several of the PNP's young nationalists went on to become founding members of National Action in April 1982. Interestingly - after the ICA was wound up around August 1982, many of the older ICA members became staunch supporters of the new, and radical, National Action [3].
[1]Alliance News: Internal bulletin of National Alliance no. 28 (Jan. 1981), p. 1 article "Merger!!" (re. Robert Clark as National Chairman, and re. PNP branches in Perth, Maryborough, and Whyalla)
"Leyman For Liverpool" (PNP pamphlet, re. the Progressive Nationalist Party formation date of April 1981), p. 4
"Nationalists unite!", Audacity no. 10, p. 1 (re. publicising of the Progressive Nationalist Party, May 1981)
"Put Australian Interests First" (PNP leaflet, re. the Progressive Nationalist Party formation date of April 1981)
[2] "Put Australian Interests First" leaflet, circa 1981
[3] Interviews with past members of the Progressive Nationalist Party.