Riccardo Bosi

Riccardo Umberto Guerrino Bosi (born 9 March 1960) is an Australian conspiracy theorist, motivational speaker and a former Australian Army Special Forces lieutenant colonel.[1][2] He is the founder of Australia One, an unregistered political party.[1]

Early life

Bosi was born and raised in Sydney. Both of his parents are Italian immigrants to Australia.[2]

Political career and controversies

Bosi ran in second place on the Australian Conservatives senate ticket in New South Wales at the 2019 federal election.[3] He was unsuccessful, with the party only receiving 0.49% of the vote.[3] Shortly after the election, he founded the Australia One Party.[2]

Bosi contested the 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election, receiving 513 votes (or 0.54%), the second-lowest of any candidate.[4][5]

In 2021, Bosi was accused of breaching COVID-19 rules in South Australia.[6] During his hearing, he called an Magistrate Jack Fahey an "imbecile" and a "traitor". Bosi, who was appearing via phone, was hung up on.[6]

Bosi has been described by the Australian Associated Press as a "serial misinformation spreader" as a result of conspiracy theories he has promoted on social media.[7] This includes claims that political parties are unconstitutional, that Ukraine is not a sovereign state, and that votes in the 2023 New South Wales state election would be tampered with.[8][9][10] He has appeared on InfoWars with Alex Jones.[11]

Bosi unsuccessfully contested the electorate of Greenway at the 2022 federal election, with 3.25% of the vote.[12] He later led a ticket for the Legislative Council at the 2023 New South Wales state election.[13]

Australia One
Australia One
AbbreviationA1
LeaderRiccardo Bosi
Founded5 October 2019
IdeologyConservatism
Political positionRight-wing to far-right
Slogan"Our best future"

Australia One, sometime stylised as AUSTRALIAONE and also known simply as A1, is an Australian political party founded by Bosi in October 2019.[2]

A1 endorsed candidates at the 2022 federal election, 2022 Victorian state election and 2023 New South Wales state election.[14] This includes Darren Bergwerf, another conspiracy theorist who has run for the party twice.[14]

The party ran 18 candidates for the New South Wales Legislative Council in 2023.[1] It received 0.78% of the vote.[13]

The party has never been registered with any electoral commissioners at a state or federal level. It is not to be confused with the One Australia Party, which was founded in 1995 and deregistered in 1999.

References
  1. "'Tear the place down': Inside cookers' bizarre plan to run for NSW Parliament". news.com.au.
  2. Patty, Anna (4 September 2020). "Pandemic linked to rise of conspiracy theories". Sydney Morning Herald.
  3. "First preferences by Senate group: New South Wales". AEC Tally Room. Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  4. "Riccardo Bosi Candidate for Eden-Monaro Federal Election". australiaoneparty.com.
  5. "Eden-Monaro, NSW". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  6. "Accused COVID breacher Riccardo Bosi calls Adelaide magistrate an 'imbecile' during phone hearing". ABC News. 25 October 2021.
  7. "Party on! Constitution claim judged to be utter nonsense". Australian Associated Press. 21 June 2022.
  8. Jeffery, Stuart (3 December 2022). "Common(wealth) Knowledge #27: Are political parties unconstitutional?". 6 News Australia.
  9. Williams, Meghan (18 March 2022). "Ukraine sovereignty claim ignores 30 years of independence". Australian Associated Press.
  10. "Fact checking the Ohio train derailment disaster". ABC News. 23 February 2023. Independent candidate starts early with claims of 'electoral fraud' in NSW
  11. "Former SAS officer Riccardo Bosi leading dangerous anti-vax revolution across Australia". The West Australian. 19 February 2022.
  12. Greenway, NSW, 2022 Tally Room, Australian Electoral Commission.
  13. "Legislative Council Check Count Statewide Summary". NSW State Election Results 2023. New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  14. Barker, Emily (3 April 2023). "Anti-vax group My Place is pushing to take 'control of council decisions'". ABC News.
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