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Australia's political system operates as a de facto two-party system, with the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberal/National Coalition being the two dominant political groupings. The Australian Labor Party, a centre-left party, has been a major party since 1901 and is currently in government in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Federal Government of Australia. The Liberal Party of Australia, on the other hand, is the major right-wing political party and has been the dominant partner in the Coalition with the National Party. The Coalition was most recently in power federally from 2013 to 2022.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current Australian Government | Australian Labor Party (ALP) |
| Coalition | The Nationals and the Liberal Party of Australia |
| Leader of the Australian Government | Prime Minister Anthony Albanese |
| Leader of the Australian Labor Party | Mr Albanese |
| Leader of the Opposition | Mr Dutton |
| Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia | Mr Dutton |
| Current Monarch | King Charles III |
| Governor-General | TBA |
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What You'll Learn
The Australian Labor Party (ALP)
The ALP has a history of supporting labour and union interests, with its structure allocating 50% of delegate representation at state and national conferences to affiliated unions. The party has also been associated with democratic socialist and social democratic policies, calling for reforms such as removing property qualifications for the franchise and establishing employer liability for industrial accidents.
The ALP has had a significant presence in Australian politics, with 13 Labor Prime Ministers and 10 periods of federal Labor governments. The party has alternated between serving as the governing party and the opposition since the 1910 federal election, when it became the first party in Australia to win a majority in either house of parliament.
In recent years, the ALP has faced leadership challenges and negotiations with independent representatives to form a government. In 2010, Julia Gillard became the first female Prime Minister of Australia and led the ALP to form a minority government. However, her introduction of a carbon tax scheme and divisions within the party led to her ousting by Kevin Rudd in 2013. The party then lost the September 2013 federal election to the Liberal-National coalition, and Bill Shorten led the party until 2019.
The ALP regained power in the 2022 federal election, and Anthony Albanese became the Prime Minister. The party's current priorities include helping Australians with the cost of living and building a fairer Australia.
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The Liberal Party of Australia (LP)
The party's ideology has been referred to as liberal, conservative, liberal-conservative, conservative-liberal, and classical liberal. The Liberal Party tends to promote economic liberalism and social conservatism. The National Right faction of the Liberal Party has also been referred to as right-wing and right-wing populist. The party's immediate predecessor was the United Australia Party (UAP). More broadly, the Liberal Party's ideological ancestry stretches back to the anti-Labor groupings in the first Commonwealth parliaments.
The Liberal Party was formed through a merger of the Free Trade (Anti-socialist) Party and the Protectionist Party in 1909 by the second prime minister, Alfred Deakin. This merger was in response to the growing electoral prominence of the Labor Party. The new party took the name ""Liberal" in honour of the old Commonwealth Liberal Party. The formation of the party was formally announced at Sydney Town Hall on 31 August 1945. The party was dominated by former members of the UAP, and the UAP party room became the Liberal Party room.
The Liberal Party has a federal structure, with autonomous divisions in all six states and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Country Liberal Party (CLP) of the Northern Territory and the Liberal National Party (LNP) of Queensland are both affiliates of the Liberal Party. At the state and territory level, the Liberal Party is in office in two states and one territory, while it is in opposition in the remaining states and the ACT. The Liberal Party is currently in opposition at the federal level.
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The National Party of Australia
The Nationals traditionally represent farmers, graziers, and rural voters, and focus on supporting farmers through government grants, subsidies, or community appeals. The party has been the minor party in centre-right Coalition governments with the Liberal Party, with which it is closely integrated. The Nationals have often acted as a balance of power within the Coalition, but their influence has declined over time, with their federal vote falling from 16% in 1934 to 8% in 1975.
The Nationals have experienced the impact of demographic shifts, with their base of rural voters diminishing as the population in urban areas like Sydney and coastal New South Wales has grown faster than in remote rural areas. Despite this, the party remains committed to providing a considered and common-sense perspective on government policy and a balance between Australia's political extremes. They prioritize building stronger regional economies and secure communities, delivering opportunity and prosperity for regional Australians, and ensuring a sustainable environment.
At the state level, the Nationals dominated governments in Queensland from 1957 to 1989, ruling independently of the Liberals for the last six years of that period. However, they have lost ground to the Liberals in some states due to the declining rural population and changing nature of parliamentary seats. The Nationals have considered merging with the Liberal Party on several occasions but have maintained their independence. The current leader of the National Party is David Littleproud, who replaced Barnaby Joyce after the Coalition's defeat in the 2022 federal election.
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The Coalition
The partnership between the two parties dates back to 1946, shortly after the Liberal Party was formed. The Country Party, which later became the National Party, had previously maintained alliances with the Liberal Party's predecessors, the United Australia Party and the Nationalist Party. The first federal arrangement was formed in 1923 as a solution to the hung parliament that resulted from the 1922 federal election. The Nationalists, having lost their absolute majority, needed the support of the Country Party to stay in office.
The Liberal and National parties have merged in Queensland and the Northern Territory/South Australia, although the resultant parties are different. In Queensland, the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) was formed in 2008 and is a branch of the Liberal Party. In the Northern Territory, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) was formed in 1978 when the territory gained responsible government. LNP and CLP members elected to federal parliament may sit as either Liberals or Nationals.
By convention, the leader of the Liberal Party serves as the overall leader of the Coalition, serving as prime minister when the Coalition is in government and as leader of the opposition when it is not. The leader of the National Party becomes the deputy prime minister during periods of Coalition government. The two parties cooperate on federal election campaigns and generally avoid running candidates against each other in the House of Representatives.
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The two-party system
Australian politics operates as a de facto two-party system, with two dominant political groupings: the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberal/National Coalition. The Labor Party is a centre-left party that has been linked to the Australian labour movement, while the Coalition is a conservative grouping of parties, including the centre-right Liberal Party and the National Party, which represents rural and agricultural interests. This two-party system has been relatively stable, with the two groupings consistently gaining at least 70% of the primary vote in every election between 1910 and 2019.
The Australian Labor Party, formed in 1893, has been a major party since 1901 and is currently the governing party at the federal level, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The party has traditionally represented the interests of the working class and has advocated for policies such as the nationalisation of the Australian banking system and social welfare programs. In recent years, the Labor Party has also embraced issues like climate change and renewable energy, and has supported the monarchy, the commemoration of ANZAC Day, and the design of the Australian flag.
The Liberal Party of Australia, on the other hand, is the major right-wing political party in the country and is currently the main opposition party. Founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Australia Party, the Liberal Party has historically been the most electorally successful party in Australia. It has been in coalition with the National Party (under various names) since its creation, with only brief interruptions. The Coalition was most recently in power from 2013 to 2022, forming the Abbott, Turnbull, and Morrison governments.
The National Party of Australia, also known as the Country Party, is a rural or agrarian conservative party. The National Party has generally not aspired to become the majority party in the coalition, and it is understood that the prime minister of Australia will typically be a member of either the Labor or Liberal parties. However, on two occasions, the leader of the National Party has become the prime minister temporarily due to the death of the incumbent.
While the two-party system dominates Australian politics, there are also third parties and independent politicians that have gained support and influenced government formation. For example, the Australian Democrats in the 1990 election and the Australian Greens in several recent elections have received more than 10% of the vote for the Australian House of Representatives. Additionally, support for independent politicians has sometimes led to major parties having to form agreements to govern.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) is the current federal government of Australia. The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, is the leader of the ALP.
The ALP is a centre-left party that is formally linked to the Australian labour movement. It was formed in 1893 and has been a major party since 1901.
The Liberal Party of Australia (LP) is the main opposition party to the ALP. The LP is a major right-wing political party and has been the most electorally successful party in Australia's history. The National Party of Australia is a rural or agrarian conservative party and is in permanent coalition with the LP.
Australia operates as a two-party system, with a lower house (House of Representatives) and an upper house (Senate). The two-party system is made up of the ALP and the coalition of the LP and the National Party.
The Liberal Party currently controls the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania.
