Lexi Webster
Australia's political landscape has been described as a two-party system, with two dominant political groupings: the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal/National Coalition. The Labor Party, commonly known as the ALP, is a centre-left political party with close ties to various labour union organisations. The Liberal Party, on the other hand, is a centre-right party that broadly represents businesses, the middle classes, and many rural people. The National Party, formerly known as the Country Party, is a conservative party that represents rural and agricultural interests. These two parties are collectively known as the Coalition. While there are other minor political parties that have achieved parliamentary representation, the Labor Party and the Coalition dominate organised politics throughout Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of government parties | 2 main parties with several smaller contesting parties |
| Main parties | Australian Labor Party, Liberal/National Coalition |
| Coalition members | Liberal Party, National Party (formerly Country Party) |
| Liberal Party philosophy | Liberal conservatism |
| Liberal Party self-positioning | Centre-right |
| National Party philosophy | Conservative |
| National Party self-positioning | More socially conservative than the Liberal Party |
| Coalition existence | Since 1923 with minor breaks in 1940, 1973, and 1987 |
| Coalition dominance | 30,791 days in government compared to Labor's 14,695 days |
| Current governing party | Australian Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese |
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What You'll Learn
The two-party system
Australia has a two-party system, with two dominant political groupings: the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal/National Coalition. The Coalition is an alliance of the Liberal Party and the National Party (formerly the Country Party). The two-party system has been relatively stable, with the two groupings (Labor and Coalition) gaining at least 70% of the primary vote in every election between 1910 and 2019.
The Australian Labor Party, commonly known as the ALP, is a centre-left political party and one of the two dominant factions in Australian politics. The party was created federally on 8 May 1901 and is the oldest surviving political party in Australian history. The ALP has close ties to various labour union organisations and is historically associated with the Australian union movement. The party has historically occupied the left to centre-left ground in Australian politics, seeking to empower working people. It has a tendency towards social welfare and government assistance programs and broadly represents the urban working and middle classes. The Labor Party has been in power at the federal level for 14,695 days since federation.
The Liberal Party is a centre-right party that broadly represents businesses, the middle classes, and many rural people. Its permanent coalition partner at the national level is the National Party of Australia, a conservative party that represents rural interests. The National Party is generally more socially conservative than the Liberal Party. The two parties have officially merged in Queensland to form the Liberal National Party, and in the Northern Territory, the Country Liberal Party has associate status with both the Liberals and the Nationals. The Liberal Party has governed Australia for 51 years out of 79 since the end of World War II.
Third parties rarely receive more than 10% of the vote for the Australian House of Representatives in a federal election. Support for independent politicians has, at times, forced major parties to come to agreements to form a government, as in the 2010 Australian federal election.
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Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia (LP) is one of the two major parties in Australian politics, the other being the Australian Labor Party (ALP). The Liberal Party is a centre-right political party that broadly represents businesses, the middle classes, and many rural people. The party's philosophy is generally liberal conservatism, promoting economic liberalism and social conservatism. The party's ideology has also been referred to as conservative-liberal, classical liberal, and right-wing.
The Liberal Party was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Australia Party. The term "Liberals" was first used in federal politics in 1901 by radical protectionists who united with more conservative groups in opposition to the Australian Labor Party. In 1913, they fought an election under the Liberal label, achieving a narrow victory but losing to Labor in 1914. In 1916-17, they merged with pro-conscription elements of the Labor Party to form the Nationalist Party, which governed until 1923. In 1929, the Nationalist Party was defeated due to its hard line on unions during the bitter labour disputes of the 1920s.
In 1931, the Nationalists formed an alliance with elements of the Labor Party, coming back into office as the United Australia Party, which was dominant until 1937. Out of the remains of this party, the new Liberal Party was established in October 1944 by Robert Menzies. In 1949, Menzies led the Liberal Party back to power in coalition with the Country Party, serving as prime minister until 1966. The Liberal-Country coalition dominated Australian politics until 1972 when Labor came to power.
The Liberal Party has had a strong presence in Australian politics, with two of Australia's longest-serving prime ministers, Sir Robert Menzies and John Howard, coming from the party. The party has a federal structure, with autonomous divisions in all six states and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Liberal Party is the dominant partner in the Coalition with the National Party of Australia, formerly known as the Country Party. This Coalition has existed continually since 1923, with only minor breaks.
In recent years, the Liberal Party has faced challenges, with the election of a group of climate-conscious and economically liberal independents, known as the "teals," in 2022. The party is currently in opposition at the federal level but holds government in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Tasmania at the sub-national level. The current party leader is Peter Dutton, who aims to get Australia "back on track" with policies focused on a strong economy, low inflation, and tax relief.
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Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) is a centre-left political party with historical links to the Australian labour movement. It was founded in the 1890s and is the oldest party in Australian politics. The ALP has been one of the two traditionally dominant parties in the country, along with the Coalition.
The Labor Party is often called the party of unions due to its close ties to the labour movement in Australia and its historical founding by trade unions. The majority of Australian trade unions are affiliated with the Labor Party. The party's structure allocates 50% of delegate representation at state and national conferences to affiliated unions, with the remaining 50% to rank-and-file party members.
The ALP has a legacy of forming governments, notably achieving a majority for the first time in 1910. It has served as the governing party or the opposition in every election since 1910. There have been 13 Labor prime ministers and 10 periods of federal Labor governments. The party has also operated as the primary opposition party for around 70 years.
The contemporary ALP has two primary voting blocs: the Socialist Left and the Labor Unity (or Labor Left and Labor Right), which represent its left- and right-leaning factions. Ideologically, the right-leaning members of the ALP favour greater economic freedoms, while the left-leaning members tend to be more socially liberal.
The priorities of the Labor Party include supporting Australians with the cost of living by making childcare and medicine more affordable, investing in Medicare, building new homes and investing in affordable housing, managing the economy to create jobs, and tackling climate change for future generations.
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The Coalition
The two major partners in the Coalition are the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia (formerly known as the Country Party). The Liberal Party is the modern form of a conservative group that has existed since the combination of the Protectionist Party and Free Trade Party into the Commonwealth Liberal Party in 1909. The party's philosophy is generally liberal conservatism, and it broadly represents businesses, the middle classes, and many rural people. The National Party, on the other hand, represents rural and agricultural interests and is generally more socially conservative than the Liberal Party.
The partnership between the two parties dates back to 1946, shortly after the Liberal Party was formed, and has continued almost uninterrupted since then. The Country Party also maintained similar alliances with the predecessors of the Liberal Party, such as the United Australia Party and the Nationalist Party. The first federal arrangement between the two parties was formed in 1923 as a solution to the hung parliament that resulted from the 1922 federal election.
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Minor political parties
Australia's political landscape is dominated by a two-party system, with the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal/National Coalition being the two major groupings. However, there are several minor political parties that have achieved parliamentary representation and played a role in government formation.
One notable minor party is the Australian Greens, who have gained support in recent years, receiving more than 10% of the vote in federal elections in 2010, 2016, 2019, and 2022. The Greens have influenced major party agreements and government formation, such as in the 2010 federal election. They advocate for environmental protection, renewable energy, and social justice issues.
The Australian Democrats are another minor party that has made an impact, receiving over 10% of the vote in the 1990 federal election.
Additionally, independent politicians have gained traction, with a group of climate-conscious and economically liberal independents, known as the "teals," winning seats in the 2022 election. These independents have influenced major party agreements and, at times, held the balance of power in the Senate, where minor parties tend to perform better due to proportional representation.
Other minor parties include the United Australia Party, which was deregistered in 2022, and various state-based parties that have achieved representation in their respective state elections. The formation and registration of political parties in Australia are relatively accessible, allowing for a diverse range of voices and interests to be represented in the political landscape.
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Frequently asked questions
There are two main political groupings in Australia: the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal/National Coalition.
The Labor Party is centre-left and was founded by the Australian labour movement. The Liberal Party is centre-right and generally represents businesses, the middle classes, and rural people.
Australia has a two-party system, with two dominant political groupings. This is similar to other anglophone countries such as the US and Canada, but Australia's party system has been described as more ideologically driven.
The two-party duopoly has been relatively stable, with the two groupings gaining at least 70% of the primary vote in every election between 1910 and 2019. Third parties rarely receive more than 10% of the vote.
