Radical Liberal Party

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Radical Liberal Party
Established 2006
Economic ideology Moderate Neoliberalism
Social ideology Secularism, feminism
Parliamentary Leader Emma Young
National Secretary Deirdre McNamara

The Radical Liberal Party is a Gandaran liberal political party. The RLP is the strongest supporter of both free market economic policies and feminist social policies in Gandara. It is also a staunch defender of the secular state, contesing any involvement between religion and politics and insisting on the full application of the law with regard to cults or fundamentalist religious communities whose activities infringe on the legal right of individual to bodily integrity, personal autonomy and security of person and property.

Party history

The Radical Liberal Party has a very short history, dating only from the independence of Gandara in 2006. The party was formed by a group of prominent Gandaran liberals (including Emma Young, the party's leader) in time to contest the first Gandaran parliamentary elections. In the 2006 elections, the party won 26 seats in the Gandaran Parliament. This made it the smallest of the three parties. After parliament convened, the Radical Liberals formed a coalition in opposition with the larger opposition party, the Popular Democratic Party. Emma Young was made Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Justice.

Name

The party styled itself the Radical Liberal Party to suggest that it adheres more strictly to the liberal principle that the duty of the state is to protect the rights and freedoms of its citizens than other parties in the liberal tradition do. Specifically, the party wanted to suggest that it would have no compunctions about using all means of law enforcement at its disposal to secure the rights and safety of women and children against threats within the home or the religious community. In economics, the term radical is something of a misnomer. While the party generally supports a reduction in government regulation of industry and trade, free trade and lower taxes, it does so in a fairly moderate manner, both with regard to the extent changes demanded and the tone of the party brings to the debate.