Leslie Massey
Australia's political landscape has been described as conservative in nature, with the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia, collectively known as the Coalition, being the major conservative forces in the country. The Liberal Party is a centre-right party that broadly represents businesses, the middle classes, and many rural people. The National Party, meanwhile, is a conservative party that represents rural interests and was historically the party of conservative small farmers. In recent years, the Coalition has been criticised for its intellectual vacuum and failure to condemn instances of radical conservatism within its ranks. Aside from politics, Australian conservatism also manifests in the country's foreign policy, psychology, and media landscape.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political landscape | Centre-right parties like the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia are considered conservative. |
| Mainstream Conservatism | Liberal conservatism, including support for lower taxes, less government spending, and a constitutional monarchy. |
| Conservative Media | Newspapers like The Australian, The Australian Financial Review, The Daily Telegraph, and The West Australian take a conservative stance. |
| Indigenous Australians | Aboriginal Australians have traditionally voted for left-leaning parties, but there are prominent Aboriginal conservatives like Neville Bonner and Jacinta Price. |
| Foreign Policy | Australia's foreign policy is conservative, valuing long-standing alliances and stability, with a strong loyalty to the US. |
| Social Issues | Conservatives typically oppose legalising recreational cannabis and support traditional norms, but Australia has legalised same-sex marriage. |
| Economic Issues | Australia pursued significant economic reforms in the mid-1980s, embracing free markets, deregulation, and reduced government intervention. |
| Philosophical and Psychological Conservatism | Australia values stability and long-standing norms, but is open to change through due process. It also exhibits a strong nationalism. |
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What You'll Learn
The Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party is a big-tent party of the right, taking influence from classical conservative thinkers such as Edmund Burke. It broadly represents businesses, the middle classes, and many rural people. The party has a federal structure, with autonomous divisions in all six states and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). At the national level, its coalition partner is the National Party of Australia, formerly known as the Country Party, which represents rural interests. These two parties are collectively known as the federal Coalition.
The Liberal Party has historically positioned itself as an opponent or watchdog of the major parties, but its political representation has been increasing since the 1980s. The party last governed Australia, in coalition with the Nationals, between 2013 and 2022, forming the Abbott, Turnbull, and Morrison governments. As a centre-right party, the Liberal Party generally supports lower taxes and less government spending and a strong tie with the business community. It also tends to be socially conservative on issues such as legalising recreational cannabis and Indigenous issues. However, it has also supported some liberal reforms, such as same-sex marriage.
The Liberal Party has been led by prominent figures such as Sir Robert Menzies, who was Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister, and John Howard, the second-longest-serving Prime Minister. The party has faced internal challenges, such as the ousting of Malcolm Turnbull by the party's conservative wing in 2018. The current leader, Ley, is the first woman to hold the position and was elected in May 2025. The party faces the challenge of recovering from its recent electoral losses and re-establishing itself as a major force in Australian politics.
Overall, the Liberal Party of Australia plays a significant role in shaping the country's political landscape and has historically been the dominant force in Australian politics. The party's centre-right and conservative ideologies have influenced various aspects of Australian society and governance, including economic policies and social issues.
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Australian Conservatism vs US Conservatism
Australia is a conservative country, but not in the political sense. It is conservative in a philosophical and psychological sense. Australia values stability and has a strong and often myopic nationalism. It is generally suspicious of demagoguery and values long-standing norms and conventions. It welcomes diversity but also prizes the distance from the world that its geography provides. This conservatism is the dominant feature of its foreign policy.
Australian conservatism has a short history compared to other countries. In the late 19th century, the two major parties were the Free Trade Party and the Protectionist Party. The Free Trade Party was generally more conservative, while the Protectionist Party was more liberal. However, both parties had liberal and conservative factions. In the 1910s, politics in Australia became predominantly a contest between the Australian Labor Party and the combined forces of anti-Labor groups, primarily the Liberal-National Coalition. The anti-Labor groups identified themselves as "right of centre", "liberal", and "nationalist", among other labels. The label "conservative" was rarely used and was often used as a term of disparagement by pro-Labour forces.
The mainstream form of conservatism in Australia is liberal conservatism. Australian conservatives typically support lower taxes and less government spending. They adhere to a broad church range of views and support some liberal reforms, such as same-sex marriage. However, they remain conservative on other issues, such as legalising recreational cannabis and Indigenous issues. Australian conservatives also typically support Australia remaining a constitutional monarchy.
US conservatism, on the other hand, is often associated with social conservatism and a more traditionalist ideology. While there are conservative voices in the United States that support same-sex marriage, it is not as widely accepted among conservatives as it is in Australia. Additionally, the United States has a strong history of religious conservatism, which influences social policies and attitudes towards issues such as abortion and gender roles. The United States also has a two-party system, with the Republican Party often associated with social conservatism and the Democratic Party associated with social liberalism.
In terms of the voting system, the United States amplifies conservative voices and gives heavier weight to their votes, while discouraging and suppressing the votes of more liberal or progressive voters. This is particularly evident in rural or country electorates, where conservative values tend to be more prominent.
While Australia is considered a conservative country in terms of its foreign policy and psychology, it is important to note that there are also progressive elements within the country. For example, the Australian Labor Party is considered centre-left, and there are also parties such as the Australian Greens that hold left-leaning views. Additionally, some states in Australia, such as Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, are regarded as comparatively left-leaning.
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Conservative Coalition in Australia
Australia's political landscape is largely dominated by the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition of the Liberals and Nationals. The Liberal Party of Australia is a centre-right party that represents businesses, the middle classes, and many rural people. Its coalition partner is the National Party of Australia, a conservative party that represents rural interests. These two parties are collectively known as the federal Coalition.
The Coalition has never achieved control of the entirety of mainland Australia at the federal and mainland state levels simultaneously, as of 2024. Queensland is regarded as comparatively conservative, while Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory are regarded as comparatively left-leaning. New South Wales, the largest state by population, and South Australia are often regarded as politically moderate bellwether states. Western Australia tends to be more politically volatile; it was once regarded as the most conservative state but has recently swung towards the left.
The mainstream form of conservatism in Australia is liberal conservatism, which typically supports lower taxes and less government spending. Australian conservatives generally adhere to a broad church of views, supporting some liberal reforms such as same-sex marriage while maintaining conservative stances on issues like legalising recreational cannabis and Indigenous issues. They also typically support Australia remaining a constitutional monarchy.
Australian conservatism has been criticised for succumbing to radical tendencies, with former Prime Minister Scott Morrison being accused of an intellectual vacuum and a disregard for transparency requirements. The Coalition's failure to unequivocally condemn Morrison's behaviour has been described as damaging to the conservative cause.
In addition to its political conservatism, Australia has also been described as a conservative country in a philosophical and psychological sense. It values stability, has a strong nationalism, and is generally suspicious of demagoguery. It welcomes diversity but also prizes its geographical distance from the rest of the world. This conservatism influences Australia's foreign policy, which is characterised by loyalty to traditional allies and vigilance towards revisionist actors.
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Conservatism in Australian media
Australia's mainstream form of conservatism is liberal conservatism, with economic conservatism being a key tenet. Conservatives typically support lower taxes, less government spending, and less government intervention in markets. However, Australian conservatives also support certain liberal reforms, such as same-sex marriage, which sets them apart from their American counterparts.
Australian conservatism is largely represented by the Liberal Party of Australia, along with Australian liberalism. The party has a base in business and the middle classes, and broadly represents the centre-right of Australian politics. The party's coalition partner at the national level is the National Party of Australia, a conservative party that represents rural interests. These two parties are collectively known as the federal Coalition.
The media plays a significant role in Australian conservatism. Two national newspapers, *The Australian* and *The Australian Financial Review*, take a conservative stance. Since the 1970s, the *Financial Review* has advocated for economic liberalism, favouring small government, deregulation, privatisation, lower taxes, and trade liberalisation. Other conservative regional newspapers include *The Daily Telegraph*, *The West Australian*, *The Mercury*, and *The Courier-Mail*.
The media's influence on conservatism in Australia is also evident in the rise of conservative politicians. For example, Neville Bonner, the first Aboriginal Australian elected to federal Parliament, and Jacinta Price, a conservative activist of Warlpiri descent who was elected to the Senate in 2022, both represent the Country Liberal Party. Additionally, the former journalist and Arrernte woman, Kerrynne Liddle, was elected as a Liberal Senator for South Australia in 2022.
While Australia has a strong conservative presence in its media and politics, it is important to note that the country also values stability and gradual social change. This philosophical and psychological conservatism influence Australia's foreign policy, which is characterised by loyalty to longstanding alliances and a tendency to be suspicious of revisionist actors.
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Conservative psychology in foreign policy
Australia's foreign policy is influenced by a conservative psychology that values stability and longstanding norms. This conservatism is reflected in the country's political landscape, with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia and the conservative National Party of Australia forming a dominant coalition. This conservative coalition has historically represented rural and business interests, and advocated for lower taxes and less government spending.
The conservative psychology in Australia's foreign policy is characterised by a strong nationalism and a focus on maintaining long-standing alliances. Australia has traditionally been loyal to its primary security partner, the United States, even following the US into the war in Iraq. This loyalty has led to a complacent attitude towards the current political instability in the US, with Australia choosing to ignore warning signs of its primary security partner becoming a destabilising force. This loyalty also extends to India, which Australia has enthusiastically courted as a major security partner due to shared adversarial relationships with China.
However, Australia's conservative psychology has also created challenges in its foreign policy. The country has struggled to engage with nearby Indonesia due to a lack of common cultural entry points, which has limited Australia's ability to build meaningful relationships with its closest neighbours. This conservative tendency to stick to familiar alliances and norms can hinder Australia's ability to adapt to changing global dynamics and engage with diverse cultures.
Additionally, Australian conservatism has been criticised for succumbing to radical tendencies, with former Prime Minister Scott Morrison being accused of disregarding transparency requirements and failing to offer new policy ideas. This has contributed to a decline in public confidence and raised questions about the durability of established political norms and conventions.
Overall, while Australia's conservative psychology values stability and longstanding alliances, it can also lead to complacency and a reluctance to engage with complex global issues that fall outside the country's psychological comfort zone.
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Frequently asked questions
The mainstream form of conservatism in Australia is liberal conservatism. Australian conservatism is largely represented by the Liberal Party of Australia, a centre-right party that represents businesses, the middle classes, and many rural people.
Australian conservatives typically support a reduction in government spending and lower taxes. They also tend to support Australia remaining a constitutional monarchy. While they support some liberal reforms, such as same-sex marriage, they are more conservative on issues such as legalising recreational cannabis and Indigenous issues.
Australia's conservatism influences its foreign policy by prioritising stability and long-standing alliances. Australia has a strong nationalism and tends to be suspicious of revisionist actors. Its foreign policy is also shaped by its loyalty to its primary security partner, the United States, and its burgeoning partnership with India.
