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, 17 of the 151 members of the lower house (Members of Parliament, or MPs) are not members of major parties, as well as 21 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 parliaments since these typically use a form of proportional representation, except for in Tasmania where the lower house is proportionally elected and the upper house is made up of single member districts.
History
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2022) |
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 New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Federal Government of Australia.
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. It is in government in Tasmania and the Northern Territory. The main party in this group is the centre-right Liberal 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.[1][2] 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.[1][3] The party's philosophy is generally liberal conservatism.[4][5]
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, and the United Australia Party).[6]
The Liberal Party is joined by the National Party, a party that represents rural and agricultural interests.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]
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.[10] The Country Liberal Party was formed in 1978 when the Northern Territory gained responsible government.[11] 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.[12]
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 between 1910 and 2019 (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, 2019 and 2022. Additionally, support for Independent politicians in Australia has resulted in major parties having to come to agreements to form government at times, including the 2010 Australian federal election.
Membership requirement
editTo maintain registration, parties must demonstrate that they have a certain number of members.
Federally, since 2022, unless a party has current parliamentary representation, they must demonstrate they have 1,500 members.[13][14]
For the state and territory elections, parties require 100 members in Tasmania and the ACT, 200 in South Australia and Northern Territory, 500 in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, and 750 in New South Wales.[14]
| State/Level | Requirement |
|---|---|
 Federal
|
1,500 |
 New South Wales
|
750 |
 Victoria
|
500 |
 Queensland
| |
 Western Australia
| |
 South Australia
|
200 |
 Northern Territory
| |
 Tasmania
|
100 |
 Australian Capital Territory
| |
Federal parties
editFederal parliamentary parties
edit- ^ David Pocock was elected as a member of a political party also named "David Pocock," formed to allow him to appear as an above-the-line group on the Senate ballot.[15] He is listed as an independent by the parliamentary website;[16] however, the party remains registered, and the AEC lists David Pocock as a parliamentary party.
- ^ The United Australia Party was voluntarily deregistered on 8 September 2022.[18] However, Ralph Babet, the party's sole parliamentary representative, stated that the change was made for "administrative reasons," and he continues to represent the deregistered UAP in the Senate.[19]
Federal non-parliamentary parties
editParties listed in alphabetical order as of March 2025:[20]
State and territory parties
editNew South Wales
editAs of the New South Wales Electoral Commission:[25]
Parliamentary parties
edit| Name | MPs | MLCs | Leader | Ideology | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW Labor Party | 45 / 93
|
15 / 42
|
Chris Minns | Social democracy, social liberalism[26] | ||
| Coalition | Liberal Party | 24 / 93
|
9 / 42
|
Mark Speakman | Liberal conservatism, economic liberalism | |
| National Party | 11 / 93
|
5 / 42
|
Dugald Saunders | Conservatism, agrarianism | ||
| The Greens NSW | 3 / 93
|
4 / 42
|
No leader | Green politics, progressivism | ||
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party | 0 / 93
|
2 / 42
|
Robert Borsak | Green conservatism, Agrarianism | ||
| Animal Justice Party | 0 / 93
|
1 / 42
|
Emma Hurst | Animal protection, animal rights | ||
| Legalise Cannabis | 0 / 93
|
1 / 42
|
Jeremy Buckingham | Cannabis legalisation | ||
| Libertarian Party | 0 / 93
|
1 / 42
|
John Ruddick | Classical liberalism, right-libertarianism | ||
Non-parliamentary parties
edit| Name[27] | Returning officer | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEART Party | Michael O'Neill | Anti-vaccination,[28] Anti-fluoridation | |
| One Nation | Pauline Hanson | ||
| Public Education Party | Glen Stelzer | Public education, social justice[29] | |
| Socialist Alliance | Kathryn Fairfax | Socialism, anti-capitalism | |
| Sustainable Australia Party | William Bourke | Environmentalism, sustainable development | |
| The Small Business Party | Eddie Dogramaci | Small business advocacy | |
Victoria
editAs of the Victorian Electoral Commission:[30]
Parliamentary parties
edit| Name | MLAs | MLCs | Leader | Ideology | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Labor Party | 55 / 88
|
15 / 40
|
Jacinta Allan | Social democracy, social liberalism[26] | ||
| Coalition | Liberal Party | 19 / 88
|
11 / 40
|
Brad Battin | Liberal conservatism, economic liberalism | |
| National Party | 9 / 88
|
2 / 40
|
Peter Walsh | Conservatism, agrarianism | ||
| Australian Greens | 3 / 88
|
4 / 40
|
Ellen Sandell | Green politics, progressivism | ||
| Legalise Cannabis | 0 / 88
|
2 / 40
|
Cannabis legalisation | |||
| Libertarian Party | 0 / 88
|
1 / 40
|
David Limbrick | Classical liberalism, right-libertarianism | ||
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party | 0 / 88
|
1 / 40
|
Jeff Bourman | Green conservatism, agrarianism | ||
| One Nation | 0 / 88
|
1 / 40
|
Right-wing populism, Hansonism | |||
| Animal Justice Party | 0 / 88
|
1 / 40
|
Georgie Purcell | Animal protection, animal rights | ||
Non-parliamentary parties
edit| Name | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companions and Pets Party | John Hutchison | Greyhound racing advocacy, horse racing advocacy[31] | |
| Freedom Party of Victoria | Morgan Jonas | Social conservatism, right-wing populism | |
| New Democrats | Kaushaliya Vaghela | Anti-corruption | |
| Sustainable Australia Party | Clifford Hayes | Environmentalism, sustainable development | |
| Victorian Socialists | No leader | Socialism | |
Queensland
editAs of the Queensland Electoral Commission:[32]
Parliamentary parties
edit| Name | MPs | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal National Party | 52 / 93
|
David Crisafulli | Liberal conservatism, economic liberalism | |
| Australian Labor Party | 36 / 93
|
Steven Miles | Social democracy, social liberalism[26] | |
| Katter's Australian Party | 3 / 93
|
Robbie Katter | Populism, agrarian socialism | |
| Australian Greens | 1 / 93
|
N/A | Green politics, left-wing populism | |
Non-parliamentary parties
editWestern Australia
editAs of the Western Australian Electoral Commission:[33]
Parliamentary parties
edit| Name | MLAs | MLCs | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WA Labor | 46 / 59
|
16 / 37
|
Roger Cook | Social democracy, social liberalism[26] | |
| Liberal Party Western Australia | 7 / 59
|
10 / 37
|
Basil Zempilas | Liberal conservatism, economic liberalism | |
| The Nationals WA | 6 / 59
|
2 / 37
|
Shane Love | Conservatism, agrarianism | |
| The Greens (WA) | 0 / 59
|
4 / 37
|
Brad Pettitt | Green politics | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 0 / 59
|
2 / 37
|
Rod Caddies | Right-wing populism, Hansonism | |
| Legalise Cannabis Party WA | 0 / 59
|
1 / 37
|
Cannabis legalisation | ||
| Australian Christians | 0 / 59
|
1 / 37
|
Jamie van Burgel | Conservatism, Christian right | |
| Animal Justice Party | 0 / 59
|
1 / 37
|
Animal protection, animal rights | ||
Non-parlimentary parties
edit| Name | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stop Pedophiles! Protect kiddies! | |||
| Libertarian Party | Classical liberalism, right-libertarianism | ||
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | Rick Mazza | Agrarianism, green conservatism | |
| Sustainable Australia Party – Anti-corruption | |||
| Western Australia Party | |||
South Australia
editAs of the Electoral Commission of South Australia:[34]
Parliamentary parties
edit| Name | MHAs | MLCs | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Labor Party | 27 / 47
|
9 / 22
|
Peter Malinauskas | Social democracy, social liberalism[26] | |
| Liberal Party | 16 / 47
|
8 / 22
|
David Speirs | Liberal conservatism, economic liberalism | |
| Australian Greens | 0 / 47
|
2 / 22
|
Tammy Franks | Green politics | |
| One Nation | 0 / 47
|
1 / 22
|
Jennifer Game | Right-wing populism, Hansonism | |
| SA-Best | 0 / 47
|
1 / 22
|
Connie Bonaros | Social liberalism | |
Non-parliamentary parties
editTasmania
editAs of the Tasmanian Electoral Commission:[35]
Parliamentary parties
edit| Name | MHAs | MLCs | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Party | 14 / 35
|
4 / 15
|
Jeremy Rockliff | Liberal conservatism, economic liberalism | |
| Australian Labor Party | 10 / 35
|
3 / 15
|
Dean Winter | Social democracy, social liberalism[26] | |
| Australian Greens | 5 / 35
|
1 / 15
|
Rosalie Woodruff | Green politics | |
| Jacqui Lambie Network | 1 / 35
|
0 / 15
|
Jacqui Lambie | Social conservatism, veterans' rights | |
Non-parliamentary parties
edit| Name | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice Party | Animal protectionism, Animal rights | ||
| National Party of Australia | Conservatism, Agrarianism | ||
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party | Carlo Di Falco | Green conservatism, Agrarianism | |
Australian Capital Territory
editAs listed with the ACT Electoral Commission:[36]
Parliamentary parties
edit| Name | MLAs | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Labor Party | 10 / 25
|
Andrew Barr | Social democracy, social liberalism[26] | |
| Liberal Party | 9 / 25
|
Leanne Castley | Liberal conservatism, economic liberalism | |
| Australian Greens | 4 / 25
|
Shane Rattenbury | Green politics | |
| Independents for Canberra | 1 / 25
|
Thomas Emerson | ||
| Fiona Carrick Independent | 1 / 25
|
Fiona Carrick | ||
Non-parliamentary parties
edit| Name | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice Party | Animal protection, animal rights | ||
| Belco Party | Bill Stefaniak | ||
| Canberra Progressives | Kerry Markoulli | Progressivism | |
| Democratic Labour Party | Christian democracy, distributism | ||
| Family First Party | Tom Kenyon | Christian politics, social conservatism | |
| First Nation Party | Paul Girrawah House | ||
| Libertarian Party | Classical liberalism, right-libertarianism | ||
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party | Green conservatism, Agrarianism | ||
| Strong Independents | Peter Strong and Ann Bray | ||
| Sustainable Australia Party | John Haydon | Environmentalism,[37] sustainable development | |
| The Community Action Party | |||
Northern Territory
editAs of the Northern Territory Electoral Commission:[38]
Parliamentary parties
edit| Name | MLAs | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country Liberal Party | 17 / 25
|
Lia Finocchiaro | Conservatism | |
| Australian Labor Party | 4 / 25
|
Selena Uibo | Social democracy, social liberalism[26] | |
| Australian Greens | 1 / 25
|
No leader | Green politics | |
Non-parliamentary parties
edit| Name | Leader | Ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice Party | Animal protection, animal rights | ||
| Australian Federation Party | Conservatism | ||
Local government parties
editHistorical parties
editSee also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "Infosheet 22 – Political parties". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ "The Sydney Morning Herald – Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ "Robert Menzies". National Archives of Australia.
- ^ "Our Beliefs". Liberal Party of Australia. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Chapter three". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Australia's prime ministers".
- ^ "What We Stand For". The Nationals. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Simms, Marian (1988). "Political Review". The Australian Quarterly. 60 (2): 231–239. doi:10.2307/20635480. JSTOR 20635480.
- ^ "Arthur Fadden". National Archives of Australia.
- ^ "The Liberal National Party – History". Liberal National Party of Queensland. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011.
- ^ "About". Country Liberal Party. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "The Party Contest: Liberal vs. Labor". Oz Politics. Archived from the original on 28 September 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
- ^ "Changes to federal election rules including party sizes and names pass Parliament". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ a b Green, Antony. "More on Minimum Membership Requirements for Registering Political Parties". Antony Green's Election Blog. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "Wallabies star scores above the line". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Senator David Pocock". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "Wallabies great David Pocock turns to politics in post-rugby life". The Fiji Times. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "United Australia Party Voluntary Deregistration" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ Butler, Josh (9 September 2022). "Clive Palmer's United Australia party deregistered but lone senator says he still represents it". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ "Current Register of Political Parties". Australian Electoral Commission. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
- ^ "Maryka Groenewald: A Portrait of Heartfelt Leadership". 9 November 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "National anti-corruption commission urgent". Australian Democrats. 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Rorts Watch". Australian Democrats.
- ^ Johnson, Chris (18 May 2022). "Election 2022: What's going on in Canberra's senate race?". The Mandarin. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ "State Register of Parties". elections.nsw.gov.au. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Information About Registered Parties". elections.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ "No jab, no vote: new anti-vax party registered". Crikey. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ "What we stand for". Public Education Party. Public Education Party. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "Currently registered parties". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
- ^ "Upstart party takes on Animal Justice". Weekly Times Now. 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ Queensland, Electoral Commission of (26 August 2022). "Registers". ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Registered Political Parties in WA". Western Australian Electoral Commission. 29 August 2022. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Register of political parties". Electoral Commission of South Australia. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "TEC Party Register". tec.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Register of political parties". elections.act.gov.au. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Policy Platform – Sustainable Australia Party". Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- ^ Government, Northern Territory (13 July 2023). "Register of political parties". ntec.nt.gov.au. Retrieved 24 June 2024.