The United Tasmania Group (UTG) is generally acknowledged as the world's first Green party. The party was formed on 23 March 1972, during a meeting of the Lake Pedder Action Group (LPAG) at the Hobart town hall in order to field political candidates in the April 1972 state election. They received 3.9% of the statewide vote and came within 200 votes of winning a seat. They also contested the 1976 election, this time receiving 2.2% of the votes.
The United Tasmania Group's first President was Dr Richard Jones and it lasted for five years, briefly reforming in 1990 for the federal election. Most of the original candidates, including Bob Brown went on to form the Tasmanian Greens (who enjoyed considerably more success) and then ultimately, at the national level, the Australian Greens.
Famous quotes containing the words united and/or group:
“In the United States there is more space where nobody is is than where anybody is.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)
“Just as a person who is always asserting that he is too good-natured is the very one from whom to expect, on some occasion, the coldest and most unconcerned cruelty, so when any group sees itself as the bearer of civilization this very belief will betray it into behaving barbarously at the first opportunity.”
—Simone Weil (1910–1943)