Australia appears set for a new political force, backed by wealthy businessmen, championed by Dick Smith and confident of -securing Senate seats to campaign against a "big Australia" and foreign ownership of farmland.
Mr Smith, one of Australia's best known and admired businessmen and brand names, is in talks with Flight Centre founders and rich-listers Graham Turner and Geoff Harris about forming a political party to contest next year's federal election.
They are buoyed by initial -research suggesting their proposed Dick Smith Sustainable Australia party - refashioned from the -existing Sustainable Population Party - would secure three to four Senate seats and a key place in national politics. 
Mr Smith told The Weekend Australian he was "very seriously considering" the plan, put to him by Mr Turner and Mr Harris at a meeting in Chatswood, Sydney, a few weeks ago. He believed the party would steal votes from both major parties and the Greens.
"If I gave my name to the party, they've done some surveys which show they'd get three or more senators in," Mr Smith said. "That then would have a real influence." Key policies would include lower immigration and population growth to protect Australia's standard of living and tougher barriers to foreign ownership of residential properties and agricultural land.
As well, Mr Smith said, the party could take the unusual step of backing the formation of a -public company to buy back Vegemite from its US owners Kraft Foods.
He said Australia's current population growth of 316,000 a year was not sustainable.
"I'm concerned for my grandchildren that Sydney, when they are older, will be more like Shanghai," he said.
"We are going to destroy Australia as we know it today. The country of backyards with swings and free-range kids will all go, as we all live in termite mound homes, like Shanghai." The party would not be anti-immigration, but would seek to slash the intake - currently 190,000 a year - to about 70,000.
"That is about the average we've had over the last 80 years or so â€¦ which would end up with Australia having about 26 million people," he said.
At 71, he did not want to stand for election, but would hit the campaign trail to spruik the party's policies and candidates, and consider joining Mr Turner and Mr Harris in funding it.
Mr Turner said it was hoped Mr Smith would get on board and transform public awareness of the need for sustainable population growth.
"With Dick Smith's name and some financial support I do -believe we'll get a few people into politics, into the Senate," Mr -Turner said.
"Dick Smith is well regarded and people will take notice of his views â€¦ We hope he can help us put the issue on the map.
"It's one of the biggest issues facing Australia and the world. Australia has one of the highest population growths of anywhere and if you are looking for a -sustainable Australia - where people's standard of living doesn't suffer, and the quality of life, the biodiversity and native flora and fauna and the countryside as well - you can't have perpetual population growth."The businessmen insisted that they were not anti-growth, but -rather believed population growth should be slowed and economic growth focused on improved productivity and innovation.