The politics of Australia has a mild two-party system, with two dominant political groupings in the Australian political system, the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal/National Coalition. Federally, 6 of the 151 members of the lower house (Members of Parliament, or MPs) are not members of major parties, as are 15 of the 76 members of the upper house (senators).
The Parliament of Australia has a number of distinctive features including compulsory voting, with full-preference instant-runoff voting in single-member seats to elect the lower house, the Australian House of Representatives, and the use of the single transferable vote to elect the upper house, the Australian Senate.
Other parties tend to perform better in the upper houses of the various federal and state parliament since these typically use a form of proportional representation.
Two political groups dominate the Australian political spectrum, forming a de facto two-party system. One is the Australian Labor Party (ALP), a centre-left party which is formally linked to the Australian labour movement. Formed in 1893, it has been a major party federally since 1901, and has been one of the two major parties since the 1910 federal election. The ALP is in government in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
The other group is a conservative grouping of parties that are in coalition at the federal level, as well as in New South Wales, but compete in Western Australia and South Australia. The main party in this group is the centre-right Liberal Party. The Liberal Party is the modern form of a conservative grouping that has existed since the fusion of the Protectionist Party and Free Trade Party into the Commonwealth Liberal Party in 1909. Although this group has changed its nomenclature, there has been a general continuity of MPs and structure between different forms of the party. Its modern form was founded by Robert Menzies in 1944. The party's philosophy is generally liberal conservatism.
Every elected prime minister of Australia since 1910 has been a member of either the Labor Party, the Liberal Party, or one of the Liberal Party's previous incarnations (the Commonwealth Liberal Party, the Nationalist Party of Australia, or the United Australia Party).
The Liberal Party is joined by the National Party, a party that historically sought to represent rural and agricultural interests and now focuses on rural coal mining interests. The Nationals contest a limited number of seats and do not generally directly compete with the Liberal Party. Its ideology is generally more socially conservative than that of the Liberal Party. In 1987, the National Party made an abortive run for the office of prime minister in its own right, in the Joh for Canberra campaign. However, it has generally not aspired to become the majority party in the coalition, and it is generally understood that the prime minister of Australia will be a member of either the Labor or Liberal parties. On two occasions (involving Earle Page in 1939, and John McEwen from December 1967 to January 1968), the deputy prime minister, the leader of the National Party (then known as the Country Party), became the prime minister temporarily, upon the death of the incumbent prime minister. Arthur Fadden was the only other Country Party, prime minister. He assumed office in August 1941 after the resignation of Robert Menzies and served as prime minister until October of that year.
The Liberal and National parties have merged in Queensland and the Northern Territory/South Australia, although the resultant parties are different. The Liberal National Party of Queensland, formed in 2008, is a branch of the Liberal Party, but it is affiliated with the Nationals and members elected to federal parliament may sit as either Liberals or Nationals. The Country Liberal Party was formed in 1978 when the Northern Territory gained responsible government. It is a separate member of the federal coalition, but it is affiliated with the two major members and its president has voting rights in the National Party. The name refers to the older name of the National Party.
Federally, these parties are collectively known as the Coalition. The Coalition has existed continually (between the Nationals and their predecessors, and the Liberals and their predecessors) since 1923, with minor breaks in 1940, 1973, and 1987.
Historically, support for either the Coalition or the Labor Party was often viewed as being based on social class, with the upper and middle classes supporting the Coalition and the working class supporting Labor. This has been a less important factor since the 1970s and 1980s when the Labor Party gained a significant bloc of middle-class support and the Coalition gained a significant bloc of working-class support.[1] The two-party duopoly has been relatively stable, with the two groupings (Labor and Coalition) gaining at least 70% of the primary vote in every election since 1910 (including the votes of autonomous state parties). Third parties have only rarely received more than 10% of the vote for the Australian House of Representatives in a federal election, such as the Australian Democrats in the 1990 election and the Australian Greens in 2010, 2016 and 2019
60 / 151 31 / 76 16 / 151 5 / 76 68 / 151 26 / 76 1 / 151 9 / 76 0 / 151 2 / 76 1 / 151 1 / 76 1 / 151 0 / 76 1 / 151 0 / 76 0 / 151 1 / 76 0 / 151 1 / 76 Parties listed in alphabetical order as of April 2022:[7][8] See also: Parliaments of the Australian states and territories § Current compositions Divisions of the federal parties:[14] 36 / 93 11 / 42 12 / 93 6 / 42 36 / 93 14 / 42 3 / 93 3 / 42 2 / 93 2 / 42 0 / 93 2 / 42 0 / 93 2 / 42 As of the Victorian Electoral Commission:[15] 55 / 88 18 / 40 21 / 88 10 / 40 6 / 88 1 / 40 3 / 88 1 / 40 0 / 88 2 / 40 0 / 88 2 / 40 0 / 88 1 / 40 0 / 88 1 / 40 0 / 88 1 / 40 0 / 88 1 / 40 0 / 88 1 / 40 As of the Queensland Electoral Commission:[16] 52 / 93 34 / 93 3 / 93 2 / 93 1 / 93 As of the Western Australian Electoral Commission:[17] 53 / 59 22 / 36 4 / 59 3 / 36 2 / 59 7 / 36 0 / 59 2 / 36 0 / 59 1 / 36 0 / 59 1 / 36 As of the Electoral Commission of South Australia as of 2022:[18] 24 / 47 9 / 22 19 / 47 8 / 22 0 / 47 2 / 22 0 / 47 2 / 22 0 / 47 1 / 22 As of the Tasmanian Electoral Commission:[19] 13 / 25 4 / 15 9 / 25 4 / 15 2 / 25 0 / 15 As listed with the ACT Electoral Commission:[20] 10 / 25 9 / 25 6 / 25 As of the Northern Territory Electoral Commission:[22] 14 / 25 8 / 25
Name
Leader
Ideology
MPs
Senators
Membership
The Coalition
Liberal Party of Australia
Scott Morrison
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
50,000[2]
National Party of Australia
Barnaby Joyce
Conservatism
Agrarianism
Not published
Australian Labor Party
Anthony Albanese
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]53,550[4]
Australian Greens
Adam Bandt
Green politics
15,000[5]
Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Pauline Hanson
Right-wing populism
National conservatism
Not published
Centre Alliance
No leader
Social liberalism
Populism
Not published
Katter's Australian Party
Robbie Katter
Conservatism
Developmentalism
Not published
United Australia Party
Craig Kelly
Right-wing populism
Protectionism
>83,000[6]
Jacqui Lambie Network
Jacqui Lambie
Tasmanian regionalism
Not published
Rex Patrick Team
Rex Patrick
South Australian regionalism
Anti-corruption
Not published
Name
Leader
Ideology / Objective
Animal Justice Party
Bruce Poon
Animal welfare
Australian Christians
Ray Moran
Social conservatism
Christian right
Australian Citizens Party
Craig Isherwood
LaRouche movement
Economic nationalism
Australian Democrats
Lyn Allison
Social liberalism
Anti-corruption[9][10]
Australian Federation Party
Glenn O'Rourke
Australian nationalism
Conservatism
Australian Progressives
Therese Faulkner
Australian Values Party
Heston Russell
Country Liberal Party[a]
Lia Finocchiaro
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
David Pocock
David Pocock
Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance
Drew Pavlou
Radical democracy
Libertarian socialism
Federal ICAC Now (FIN)
N/A
Federal ICAC advocacy
Anti-corruption
FUSION: Science, Pirate, Secular, Climate Emergency
Andrea Leong
Secular humanism
Techno-progressivism
Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia
'Uncle' Owen Whyman
Indigenous rights
Constitutional reform
Informed Medical Options Party
Michael O'Neill[13]
Anti-vaccination
Anti-fluoridation
Kim for Canberra
Kim Rubenstein
Legalise Cannabis Australia
Michael Balderstone
Cannabis legalisation
Liberal Democratic Party
John Humphreys
Classical liberalism
Right-libertarianism
Reason Australia
Fiona Patten
Civil libertarianism
Progressivism
Seniors United Party of Australia
Bob Patrech
Pensioners' interests
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
Robert Brown
Green conservatism
Right-wing populism
Socialist Alliance
Ryan Fitzsimmons
Socialism
Anti-capitalism
Sustainable Australia Party
William Bourke
Environmentalism
Sustainable development
The Great Australian Party
Rod Culleton
Right-wing populism
Conspiracy theorism
The Local Party
No leader
Left-wing populism
Participatory democracy
TNL
Victor Kline
Victorian Socialists
No leader
Democratic socialism
Anti-capitalism
Western Australia Party
Julie Matheson
Regionalism
Populism
Parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
MLAs
MLCs
Has federal division
The Coalition
Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division)
Dominic Perrottet
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
National Party of Australia – NSW
Paul Toole
Conservatism
Agrarianism
Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch)
Chris Minns
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]
Greens New South Wales
No leader
Green politics
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
Robert Brown
Green conservatism
Right-wing populism
Animal Justice Party
Mark Pearson
Animal rights
Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Mark Latham
Right-wing populism
Australian nationalism
Hansonism
Non-parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
Has federal division
Flux Party (NSW)
Nathan Spataro
Direct democracy
Liberal Democratic Party
Classical liberalism
Right-libertarianism
Reason Party NSW
Civil libertarianism
Progressivism
Socialist Alliance
No leader
Socialism
Anti-capitalism
Sustainable Australia Party
Environmentalism
Sustainable development
The Small Business Party
Small business advocacy
The Open Party
Anti-lockout laws
Civil libertarianism
Victoria
Parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
MLAs
MLCs
Has federal division
Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch)
Daniel Andrews
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]
The Coalition
Liberal Party of Australia (Victorian Division)
Matthew Guy
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
National Party of Australia – Victoria
Peter Walsh
Conservatism
Agrarianism
Australian Greens Victoria
Samantha Ratnam
Green politics
Derryn Hinch's Justice Party
Stuart Grimley
Justice reform
Anti-paedophilia
Liberal Democratic Party
Tim Quilty
Classical liberalism
Right-libertarianism
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (Victoria)
Jeff Bourman
Green conservatism
Right-wing populism
Fiona Patten's Reason Party
Fiona Patten
Civil libertarianism
Sustainable Australia Party
Clifford Hayes
Environmentalism
Sustainable development
Animal Justice Party
Andy Meddick
Animal rights
Transport Matters Party
Rod Barton
Taxi industry advocacy
Non-parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
Has federal division
Democratic Labour Party
Rosemary Lorrimar
Social conservatism
Christian democracy
Health Australia Party
Kerry Bone
Naturopathy
Anti-vaccination
Pauline Hanson's One Nation
No leader
Right-wing populism
Australian nationalism
Victorian Socialists
No leader
Democratic socialism
Queensland
Parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
MPs
Has federal division
Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)
Annastacia Palaszczuk
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]
Liberal National Party of Queensland
David Crisafulli
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
Katter's Australian Party
Robbie Katter
Right-wing populism
Developmentalism
Queensland Greens
No leader
Green politics
Left-wing populism
Pauline Hanson's One Nation
No state leader
Right-wing populism
Australian nationalism
Non-parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
Has federal division
Animal Justice Party (Queensland)
Animal rights
Civil Liberties & Motorists Party
Jeffrey Hodges
Public ownership
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (QLD)
Andrew Pope
Green conservatism
Right-wing populism
Informed Medical Options Party
Anti-vaccination
Anti-fluoridation
Legalise Cannabis Qld (Party)
Cannabis legalisation
North Queensland First
Jason Costigan
North Queensland statehood
Western Australia
Parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
MLAs
MLCs
Has federal division
Australian Labor Party (WA Branch)
Mark McGowan
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]
National Party of Australia (WA)
Mia Davies
Conservatism
Agrarianism
Liberal Party of Australia (WA Division)
David Honey
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
Legalise Cannabis Western Australia Party
Sophia Moermond
Cannabis legalisation
Greens Western Australia
Brad Pettitt
Green politics
Daylight Saving Party
Wilson Tucker
Daylight savings advocacy
Non-parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
Has federal division
Australian Christians (WA)
Jamie van Burgel
Conservatism
Christian right
Animal Justice Party
Katrina Love
Animal rights
The Great Australian Party
Rod Culleton
Constitutional conspiracy
Right-wing populism
Health Australia Party
Naturopathy
Anti-fluoridation
Liberal Democratic Party
Aaron Stonehouse
Classical liberalism
Right-libertarianism
Flux
Daithi Gleeson
Direct democracy
No Mandatory Vaccination Party
Cam Tinley
Anti-mandatory vaccination
Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Colin Tincknell
Right-wing populism
Australian nationalism
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (WA)
Rick Mazza
Green conservatism
Right-wing populism
Socialist Alliance WA
No leader
Socialism
Anti-capitalism
Sustainable Australia Party
John Haydon
Environmentalism
Sustainable development
WAxit Party
Russell Sewell
Western Australia independence
Western Australia Party
Julie Matheson
Regionalism
Populism
South Australia
Parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
MHAs
MLCs
Has federal division
Liberal Party of Australia (SA Division)
Steven Marshall
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
Australian Labor Party (SA Branch)
Peter Malinauskas
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]
Greens South Australia
Mark Parnell
Green politics
SA-BEST
Connie Bonaros
Social liberalism
Advance SA
John Darley
Centrism
Non-parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
Has federal division
Animal Justice Party
Louise Pfeiffer
Animal rights
Child Protection Party
Tony Tonkin
Child protection advocacy
National Party of Australia (SA)
Jonathon Pietzsch
Conservatism
Agrarianism
Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Right-wing populism
Australian nationalism
Australian Family Party
Bob Day
Christian politics
Right-wing populism
Conservatism
Family First Party
Tom Kenyon
Christian politics
SA Party - Stop Overdevelopment & Corruption
Real Change SA
Stephen Pallaras
Legalise Cannabis South Australia
Damon Adams
Cannabis legalisation
Liberal Democratic Party
Classical liberalism
Right-libertarianism Tasmania
Parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
MHAs
MLCs
Has federal division
Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division)
Jeremy Rockcliff
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch)
Rebecca White
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]
Tasmanian Greens
Cassy O'Connor
Green politics
Non-parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
Has federal division
Australian Federation Party Tasmania
Australian nationalism
Conservatism
Animal Justice Party
Karen Bevis
Animal rights
Jacqui Lambie Network
Jacqui Lambie
Populism
Regionalism
The Local Party
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party Tasmania
Rebecca Byfield
Green conservatism
Right-wing populism
Australian Capital Territory
Parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
MPs
Has federal division
Australian Labor Party (ACT Branch)
Andrew Barr
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]
Liberal Party of Australia (A.C.T. Division)
Elizabeth Lee
Liberal conservatism
Economic liberalism
ACT Greens
Shane Rattenbury
Green politics
Non-parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
Has federal division
Animal Justice Party
Animal rights
Australian Climate Change Justice Party
Australian Federation Party (ACT)
Australian nationalism
Conservatism
Belco Party
Bill Stefaniak
Canberra Progressives
Kerry Markoulli
Progressivism
David Pollard Independent
Democratic Labour Party (DLP)
Christian democracy
Distributism
Liberal Democratic Party
Classical liberalism
Right-libertarianism
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (ACT)
Green conservatism
Right-wing populism
Sustainable Australia Party
John Haydon
Environmentalism[21]
Sustainable development
The Canberra Party
The Community Action Party (ACT)
The Flux Party – ACT
Nathan Spataro
Direct democracy
Northern Territory
Parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
MPs
Has federal division
Australian Labor Party (NT Branch)
Michael Gunner
Social democracy
Social liberalism[3]
Country Liberal Party
Lia Finocchiaro
Liberal conservatism
Agrarianism
Non-parliamentary parties
Name
Leader
Ideology
Has federal division
Australian Federation Party NT
Australian nationalism
Conservatism
Animal Justice Party
Animal welfare
Ban Fracking Fix Crime Protect Water
Braedon Earley
Regionalism
Northern Territory Greens
No leader
Green politics
Shooters and Fishers Party
Green conservatism
Right-wing populism
Territory Alliance
Terry Mills
Regionalism
- List of historical political parties in Australia
- List of political parties by country
- Politics of Australia
- ^ "OzPolitics.info". OzPolitics.info. Archived from the original on 28 September 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
- ^ Crowe, David (21 February 2019). "The incredibly shrunken Liberal Party and its structural challenge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Sources:
- Judith Brett (1994). "Ideology". In Judith Brett; James A. Gillespie; Murray Goot (eds.). Developments in Australian Politics. Macmillan Education AU. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-7329-2009-8.
- Gwenda Tavan (2005). The Long, Slow Death of White Australia. Scribe Publications. p. 193.
- Huo, Jingjing (2009). Third Way Reforms: Social Democracy After the Golden Age. Cambridge University Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-521-51843-7.
- Leigh, Andrew (29 June 2019). "Social liberalism fits Labor". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ Crowe, David (21 February 2019). "The incredibly shrunken Liberal Party and its structural challenge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ Harris, Rob (22 April 2020). "Old Greens wounds reopen as members vote on directly electing leader". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ^ Karp, Paul (4 March 2022). "Doubts raised about UAP's 80,000 membership amid complaints over unsolicited emails". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ "Current Register of Political Parties". Australian Electoral Commission. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^ "Party registration decisions and changes". Australian Electoral Commission. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
- ^ Australian Democrats. Australian Democrats //www.democrats.org.au/national-anti-corruption-commission-urgent/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
- ^ "Rorts Watch". Australian Democrats. Australian Democrats.
- ^ "Change to the Register of Political Parties – Country Liberal Party (NT)" (PDF). aec.gov.au. Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). 28 January 2022.
- ^ Garrick, Matt (6 February 2022). "Senator Sam McMahon's resignation hurt the CLP. But can the party rebound?". ABC News.
- ^ "No jab, no vote: new anti-vax party registered". Crikey. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ "Information About Registered Parties". www.elections.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Currently registered parties". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ "Political party register". Electoral Commission Queensland. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ "Registered Political Parties in WA". Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Register of political parties". Electoral Commission of South Australia. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "Party Register". Tec.tas.gov.au. Tasmanian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ "Register of political parties". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ "Policy Platform - Sustainable Australia Party". Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- ^ "Register of political parties in the Northern Territory". NTEC. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
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