List of political parties in Australia
Encyclopedia
This article lists political parties in Australia.
Australia
has a mild two-party system
. There are two dominant political groupings in the Australian political system, and aspects of the Australian electoral system have made it difficult for other parties
or independents to gain parliamentary representation. Nevertheless, the system of preferential voting
used in Australian elections, combined with proportional representation
for most Upper House elections, makes it easier for minor parties and independents to gain representation in Australia than in some other two-party election systems, such as that of the United States
.
In order to register as a political party applicants must have a constitution outlining the basis of the party and either at least one member in Parliament or 500 members on the electoral roll. Parties may be "deregistered" if they no longer meet these requirements.
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
. Currently, the ALP is in government federally, and in most of Australia's states and territories, the exceptions being New South Wales
, Western Australia
and Victoria
.
The other group is a conservative grouping of parties that are in coalition at the Federal level, as well as in New South Wales
and Victoria
, 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. In its modern form, it was founded by Robert Menzies
in 1944. The party's philosophy is generally liberal conservatism
, although it has moved rightwards since the 1980s.
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 seek to represent rural interests, especially agricultural ones. The Nationals contest a limited number of seats and does 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 Prime Ministership 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 - January 1968, the leader of the National Party (then known as the Country Party) became the Prime Minister temporarily, upon the death of the incumbent P.M. Sir Arthur Fadden
was the only other Country Party P.M. He assumed office in August 1941 after the resignation of Sir 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
, 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 around class, with the middle classes supporting the Coalition and the working class supporting Labor. In more recent times, this has been a less important factor because the 1970s and 1980s saw the Labor Party gain a significant bloc of middle-class support and the Coalition gain a significant bloc of working class support.
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 Greens
in the 2010 Federal election and the
Australian Democrats
in the 1990 Federal election, which indicates the stability of the Australian two-party system.
Besides the two major party groupings, two other parties are currently of some significance in Australian political system. The first is the Australian Greens
, at present seen as being the "third force" in Australian politics. It is a left wing and environmentalist
party, generally achieving 7-13% of votes in elections conducted after 2004. The Greens party has superseded the formerly significant Australian Democrats, which was the largest third party between 1977 and 2004. The other party of some note is the Family First Party
. Family First is a relatively recent party, with a Christian-influenced platform appealing mainly to social conservatives. They have achieved some success in recent elections, polling around 2% of the national vote. The proportional representation system has allowed these parties to win seats in the Senate, but wins in the House of Representatives have been rare. Noteworthy was The Greens victory at the 2010 Federal election in the Federal seat of Melbourne
.
Other political parties which have been of some significance in the past (since World War II), in terms of shaping Australian politics, include the Democratic Labor Party, One Nation Party
, Nuclear Disarmament Party
, the Australia Party
, the Liberal Movement, and the Communist Party of Australia
.
For latest details see: http://aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Registered_parties/index.htm
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
has a mild two-party system
Two-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
. There are two dominant political groupings in the Australian political system, and aspects of the Australian electoral system have made it difficult for other parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
or independents to gain parliamentary representation. Nevertheless, the system of preferential voting
Preferential voting
Preferential voting is a type of ballot structure used in several electoral systems in which voters rank candidates in order of relative preference. For example, the voter may select their first choice as '1', their second preference a '2', and so on...
used in Australian elections, combined with proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
for most Upper House elections, makes it easier for minor parties and independents to gain representation in Australia than in some other two-party election systems, such as that of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In order to register as a political party applicants must have a constitution outlining the basis of the party and either at least one member in Parliament or 500 members on the electoral roll. Parties may be "deregistered" if they no longer meet these requirements.
Federal parliamentary parties and their leaders
Name (English) | Abbr. | Leader | Ideology | Position | International organisations | Votes (2010) | Seats in House of Representatives Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years.... |
Seats in Senate Australian Senate The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,... |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
ALP | Julia Gillard Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved... |
Social democracy Social democracy Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism... |
centre-left Centre-left Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum... |
Socialist International Socialist International The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :... |
38.0% | 72 | 31 | |
Liberal Party of Australia Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
Lib | Tony Abbott Tony Abbott Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election... |
Liberal conservatism Liberal conservatism Liberal conservatism also known as progressive conservatism is a variant of political conservatism which incorporates liberal elements. As "conservatism" and "liberalism" have had different meanings over time and across countries, the term "liberal conservatism" has been used in quite different... |
centre-right Centre-right The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist... |
International Democrat Union International Democrat Union The International Democrat Union, abbreviated to IDU, is a centre-right international alliance of conservative and liberal-conservative political parties. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, the IDU comprises 45 full or associate members... |
39.9%* | 65* | 29 | In coalition since 1944 with the National Party of Australia National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
National Party of Australia National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
Nat. | Warren Truss Warren Truss Warren Errol Truss , Australian politician, is the current leader of the National Party of Australia in the Parliament of Australia. He has held the House of Representatives seat of Wide Bay since the 1990 election... |
Rural conservatism Conservatism Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism... |
centre-right Centre-right The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist... |
none | 3.7% | 6 | 5 | In coalition since 1944 with the Liberal Party of Australia Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
Australian Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which... |
GRN | Bob Brown Bob Brown Robert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia... |
Green Politics Green politics Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy... |
left-wing | Global Greens Global Greens The Global Greens is a global network of Green parties and political movements. It was founded in 2001 in Canberra, Australia at the First Global Greens Congress, where the Global Green Charter was approved. The Second Global Greens Congress was held in 2008 in Sao Paolo, Brazil... |
11.8% | 1 | 9 | |
Democratic Labor Party Democratic Labor Party The Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal... |
DLP | John Madigan John Madigan (Australian politician) John Joseph Madigan is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Democratic Labor Party , elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal election, serving a six-year term since July 2011.-Early life:Born into a Catholic family, Madigan... |
Social conservatism Social conservatism Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role... |
Economic left-wing, social right-wing | none | 0.04% | 0 | 1 |
- Liberal Party figures include Liberal National Party of Queensland and Country Liberal PartyCountry Liberal PartyThe Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...
of Northern Territory.
Two political groups dominate the Australian political spectrum, forming a de facto two party system.
One is the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP), a centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
party which is formally linked to the Australian labour movement
Australian labour movement
The Australian labour movement has its origins in the early 19th century and includes both trade unions and political activity. At its broadest, the movement can be defined as encompassing the industrial wing, the unions in Australia, and the political wing, the Australian Labor Party and minor...
. 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
Australian federal election, 1910
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 April 1910. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
. Currently, the ALP is in government federally, and in most of Australia's states and territories, the exceptions being New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
The other group is a conservative grouping of parties that are in coalition at the Federal level, as well as in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, but compete in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. The main party in this group is the centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
. The Liberal Party is the modern form of a conservative grouping that has existed since the fusion of the Protectionist Party
Protectionist Party
The Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in...
and Free Trade Party
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
into the Commonwealth Liberal Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
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. In its modern form, it was founded by Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
in 1944. The party's philosophy is generally liberal conservatism
Liberal conservatism
Liberal conservatism also known as progressive conservatism is a variant of political conservatism which incorporates liberal elements. As "conservatism" and "liberalism" have had different meanings over time and across countries, the term "liberal conservatism" has been used in quite different...
, although it has moved rightwards since the 1980s.
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
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
, the Nationalist Party of Australia
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
, or the United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
).
The Liberal Party is joined by the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
, a party that seek to represent rural interests, especially agricultural ones. The Nationals contest a limited number of seats and does 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 Prime Ministership in its own right, in the Joh for Canberra
Joh for Canberra
The Joh for Canberra or Joh for PM campaign was an attempt by the Queensland branch of the National Party of Australia to install Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen as Prime Minister of Australia....
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
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
will be a member of either the Labor or Liberal parties. On two occasions (involving Earle Page
Earle Page
Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page, GCMG, CH was the 11th Prime Minister of Australia, and is to date the second-longest serving federal parliamentarian in Australian history, with 41 years, 361 days in Parliament.-Early life:...
in 1939, and John McEwen
John McEwen
Sir John "Black Jack" McEwen, GCMG, CH , was an Australian politician and the 18th Prime Minister of Australia...
) from December 1967 - January 1968, the leader of the National Party (then known as the Country Party) became the Prime Minister temporarily, upon the death of the incumbent P.M. Sir Arthur Fadden
Arthur Fadden
Sir Arthur William Fadden, GCMG was an Australian politician and, briefly, the 13th Prime Minister of Australia.-Introduction:...
was the only other Country Party P.M. He assumed office in August 1941 after the resignation of Sir Robert Menzies, and served as Prime Minister until October of that year.
The Liberal and National parties have merged in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, 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
Country Liberal Party
The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...
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
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
. 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 around class, with the middle classes supporting the Coalition and the working class supporting Labor. In more recent times, this has been a less important factor because the 1970s and 1980s saw the Labor Party gain a significant bloc of middle-class support and the Coalition gain a significant bloc of working class support.
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
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
in a Federal election, such as the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
in the 2010 Federal election and the
Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
in the 1990 Federal election, which indicates the stability of the Australian two-party system.
Besides the two major party groupings, two other parties are currently of some significance in Australian political system. The first is the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
, at present seen as being the "third force" in Australian politics. It is a left wing and environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
party, generally achieving 7-13% of votes in elections conducted after 2004. The Greens party has superseded the formerly significant Australian Democrats, which was the largest third party between 1977 and 2004. The other party of some note is the Family First Party
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
. Family First is a relatively recent party, with a Christian-influenced platform appealing mainly to social conservatives. They have achieved some success in recent elections, polling around 2% of the national vote. The proportional representation system has allowed these parties to win seats in the Senate, but wins in the House of Representatives have been rare. Noteworthy was The Greens victory at the 2010 Federal election in the Federal seat of Melbourne
Division of Melbourne
The Division of Melbourne is an Australian Electoral Division of Victoria. It is represented by Adam Bandt of the Australian Greens.Created at Federation in 1900 the division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
.
Other political parties which have been of some significance in the past (since World War II), in terms of shaping Australian politics, include the Democratic Labor Party, One Nation Party
One Nation Party
One Nation is a far-right and nationalist political party in Australia. It gained 22% of the vote translating to 11 of 89 seats in Queensland's unicameral legislative assembly at the 1998 state election and made major inroads into the vote of the existing parties...
, Nuclear Disarmament Party
Nuclear Disarmament Party
The Nuclear Disarmament Party was a political party in Australia. The party was formed in 1984 and enjoyed considerable initial success.-Foundation, the 1984 election, and the split:...
, the Australia Party
Australia Party
The Australia Party was the name of a minor political party in Australia ....
, the Liberal Movement, and the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
.
Current parliamentary representation of minor parties
This is a list of parliamentary representation of minor parties at the Federal and State levels:- Australian GreensAustralian GreensThe Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
: 34 (Federal 10, NSW 6, Tasmania 5, Western Australia 4, ACT 4, Victoria 3, South Australia 2)
- Katter's Australian PartyKatter's Australian PartyKatter's Australian Party is a registered political party in Australia. It was formed by the independent Federal Member of Parliament Bob Katter with a registration application lodged to the Australian Electoral Commission on 3 June 2011...
: 3 (Federal 1, Queensland 2)
- Family First PartyFamily First PartyThe Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
: 2 (South Australia)
- Shooters and Fishers Party: 2 (NSW)
- Christian Democratic PartyChristian Democratic Party (Australia)The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...
: 2 (NSW)
- Democratic Labor Party (DLP)Democratic Labor PartyThe Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...
: 1 (Federal)
- Dignity for Disability: 1 (South Australia)
Registered for elections with the AEC
- Animal Justice Party
- Australian DemocratsAustralian DemocratsThe Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
- Australia First Party (NSW) IncorporatedAustralia First PartyThe Australia First Party is a minor far-right political party in Australia that is federally registered and is also registered to contest local elections in New South Wales. The Party is led by Jim Saleam. Saleam is the Chairman of the Party in New South Wales but plays a major role in the Party...
- Australian Fishing and Lifestyle PartyAustralian Fishing and Lifestyle PartyThe Australian Fishing and Lifestyle Party is a minor Australian political party, formed in 2006 from the Queensland branch of the Fishing Party and federally registered in 2007...
- Australian GreensAustralian GreensThe Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
- Australian Labor Party (ALP)Australian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
- Australian Protectionist PartyAustralian Protectionist PartyThe Australian Protectionist Party is an Australian minor political party with far–right–wing political views.-Ideology:The policies of the Australian Protectionist Party focus on economic protectionism, social conservatism, nationalism, and white nationalism...
- Australian Sex PartyAustralian Sex PartyThe Australian Sex Party is a Australian political party founded in 2009 in response to concerns over the influence of religion in politics. The party was born out of adult-industry lobby group, the Eros Association. Party leader, Fiona Patten, is CEO of Eros and the party's Registered Officer,...
- Building Australia PartyBuilding Australia PartyThe Building Australia Party is a minor political party in Australia, advocating the rights of the building industry. First registered in New South Wales, it achieved federal registration in June 2010....
- Carers AllianceCarers AllianceThe Carers Alliance is a political party in Australia. Its policies emphasise support for carers and people with disabilities.The Carers Alliance was registered as a Federal Political Party on the 7th of September 2007 by the Australian Electoral Commission....
- Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)Christian Democratic Party (Australia)The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...
- Citizens Electoral Council of AustraliaCitizens Electoral CouncilThe Citizens Electoral Council of Australia is a minor nationalist political party in Australia affiliated with the international LaRouche Movement, led by American political activist and conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche. It reported having 549 members in 2007...
- Communist AllianceCommunist AllianceThe Communist Alliance is an Australian political party. It was registered with the Australian Electoral Commission on 16 March 2009. It is an alliance of a number of Communist groups, individuals and ethnic based Communist Parties. The Communist Party of Australia is a member of the Alliance...
- Country AllianceCountry AllianceThe Country Alliance is a minor political party in the state of Victoria, Australia with a focus on "anti-green but pro-environment" policies.-Founding:...
- Country Liberals (Northern Territory)Country Liberal PartyThe Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...
- Democratic Labor Party (DLP) of AustraliaDemocratic Labor PartyThe Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...
- Family First PartyFamily First PartyThe Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
- Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) PartyHEMP PartyThe Help End Marijuana Prohibition Party is an Australian political party which advocates the legalisation of cannabis.The group was founded in 1993 by Nigel Quinlan, who ran as a candidate under the name Nigel Freemarijuana...
- Katter's Australian PartyKatter's Australian PartyKatter's Australian Party is a registered political party in Australia. It was formed by the independent Federal Member of Parliament Bob Katter with a registration application lodged to the Australian Electoral Commission on 3 June 2011...
- Liberal Democratic PartyLiberal Democratic Party (Australia)The Liberal Democratic Party is a classical liberal Australian political party founded in 2001.-Party name:In 2007 the party tried to register federally under the name "Liberal Democratic Party" but this was opposed the by the Liberal Party, so the party chose to register as the "Liberty and...
- Liberal Party of AustraliaLiberal Party of AustraliaThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
- Liberal National Party of Queensland
- National Party of AustraliaNational Party of AustraliaThe National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
- Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting)Non-Custodial Parents PartyThe Non-Custodial Parents Party is a small Australian political party. It has members in all states and territories of Australia. It supports less government control of many aspects of daily family life...
- One Nation
- Republican Party of AustraliaRepublican Party of AustraliaThe Republican Party of Australia is a minor Australian political party dedicated to ending the country's links with the United Kingdom and establishing a republic. It was formed in 1982, and achieved registration federally in 1992...
- Secular Party of AustraliaSecular Party of AustraliaThe Secular Party of Australia is a minor Australian political party founded in late 2005, and officially approved as a political party in 2010. It supports secular humanist ethical principles with its stated political aims being:...
- Senator Online (Internet Voting Bills/Issues)
- Shooters and Fishers Party
- Socialist AllianceSocialist Alliance (Australia)The Socialist Alliance was founded in 2001 as an alliance of socialist organisations and individuals in Australia, initiated by the Democratic Socialist Perspective and the International Socialist Organisation along with 6 other founding socialist organisations, to create greater left unity in the...
- Socialist Equality PartySocialist Equality Party (Australia)The Socialist Equality Party is a minor Australian political party, affiliated with the International Committee of the Fourth International...
- Stable Population Party of AustraliaStable Population Party of AustraliaThe Stable Population Party of Australia is a minor Australian political party formed in 2010. It opposes population growth and advocates a stable population for Australia. It missed out on registration for the 2010 federal election by several days, but leader William Bourke ran unsuccessfully for...
- The Climate ScepticsThe Climate ScepticsThe Climate Sceptics are an Australian political party that describes itself as the world's first political party representing climate sceptics, dedicated to "...expose the fallacy of anthropogenic climate change"....
- The First Nations Political PartyThe First Nations Political PartyThe First Nations Political Party is a minor Australian political party which aims to represent the interests of Indigenous Australians. The party was registered on 6 January 2011 with the Australian Electoral Commission....
For latest details see: http://aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Registered_parties/index.htm
Registered with state electoral bodies only
- Australian Motorist PartyAustralian Motorist PartyThe Australian Motorist Party is an Australian political party dedicated to representing motorist and road users, as well pedestrians, throughout Australia. It was founded by groups of concerned motorists...
(Australian Capital Territory) - Community Alliance Party (Australian Capital Territory)
- Daylight Saving for South East QueenslandDaylight Saving for South East QueenslandDaylight Saving for South East Queensland is a political party in Queensland, Australia. It is a single-issue party, run by volunteers, which advocates the implementation of a dual-time zone arrangement for Daylight Saving in South East Queensland while the remainder of the state maintains...
(Queensland) - Dignity For DisabilityDignity for DisabledDignity for Disability or Dignity 4 Disability is a minority political party in the Australian state of South Australia...
(South Australia) - Fair Land Tax - Tax Party (South Australia)
- FREE Australia PartyFREE Australia PartyThe FREE Australia Party, fully the Freedom Rights Environment Educate Australia Party, is a minor political party in South Australia. It opposes the Rann Labor anti-bikie laws and promotes civil liberties. It ran at the 2010 state election with negligible results....
(South Australia) - Gamers 4 CroydonGamers 4 CroydonGamers 4 Croydon is a minor political party in South Australia which contested the 2010 state election.-History:The party has a strong anti-censorship message, particularly relating to the lack of an R18+ classification for video games in Australia...
(South Australia) - No Parking Meters PartyNo Parking Meters PartyThe No Parking Meters Party is a minor Australian political party. The party is currently registered with the NSW Electoral Commission to contect state and local council elections- and has....
(New South Wales) - Outdoor Recreation PartyOutdoor Recreation PartyThe Outdoor Recreation Party is a minor political party in Australia. It largely represents the outdoor community and such interests as cycling, mountain biking, bushwalking, camping, kayaking, 4WDing, skiing, fishing lobbies, as well as similar recreational groups with an interest in the outdoors...
(New South Wales) - Restore the Workers' Rights PartyRestore the Workers' Rights PartyRestore the Workers' Rights Party is a minor Australian political party, currently registered for state elections in New South Wales.The aim of the party is to represent injured workers...
(New South Wales) - Save Our State (New South Wales)
- Save the RAHSave the RAHSave the RAH is a minor political party in South Australia, a single-issue party with the aim of stopping the relocation of Adelaide's main hospital, the Royal Adelaide Hospital . It ran candidates in 11 of the 47 seats in the House of Assembly at the 2010 state election. The party received 5,381...
(South Australia) - Stormy Summers Reform Party (South Australia)
- The Fishing PartyFishing Party (Australia)The Fishing Party is a minor Australian political party whose primary support base is found among recreational fishermen and women. The party was founded by Robert Smith in July 2000 and it has branches in several Australian states...
(New South Wales) - The Queensland PartyThe Queensland PartyThe Queensland Party is a political party based in Queensland, Australia. It is not affiliated with the North Queensland Party. The Queensland Party had one member in the Queensland Legislative Assembly and claims to be "neither left nor right with a focus on providing a balanced, moderate voice"...
(Queensland) - United Party (South Australia)
- Unity PartyUnity Party (Australia)Unity Party is a small multiculturist party in Australia, formed in 1997 with the aim of opposing the rise of controversial anti-immigration politician Pauline Hanson. Initially billed as a party to unite Australians of all ethnicities against racism, in practice it has never managed to draw...
(New South Wales)
Defunct parties
These organisations are no longer registered with any federal, state or territory political bodies, and can thus no longer contest elections. A number of these may still exist as organisations in some form, but none are any longer officially recognised as political parties.- 4Change (formerly the Climate Change Coalition)
- Abolish Self Government CoalitionAbolish Self Government CoalitionThe Abolish Self Government Coalition was a minor Australian Capital Territory political party that experienced limited success in the early years of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. It opposed self government for the ACT, supporting its re-integration into the local...
- Advance Australia PartyAdvance Australia PartyThe Advance Australia Party , originally known as the Rex Connor Labor Party, is a minor political party in Australia, formed in an attempt to provide an alternative for those voters disillusioned with the free-market "economic rationalist" policies pursued by both the Liberal and Labor parties...
(formerly the Rex Connor Labor Party) - All for Australia LeagueAll for Australia LeagueThe All for Australia League was a minor Australian political party that operated in New South Wales in 1931. It represented an alternative to the existing conservative parties the United Australia Party and the Country Party, and was generally seen as more right-wing than either. Gordon Bennett...
- Australia PartyAustralia PartyThe Australia Party was the name of a minor political party in Australia ....
- Australian Bill of Rights GroupAustralian Bill of Rights GroupThe Australian Bill of Rights Group was a minor Australian political party agitating for the creation of a Bill of Rights for Australia. Formally registered on 19 December 1995, it operated until it was deregistered for having fewer than 500 members on 15 November 1999...
- Australian Commonwealth PartyAustralian Commonwealth PartyThe Australian Commonwealth Party was formed in Sydney to contest the 1972 federal election, on a platform of wide social and administrative reform. The sole candidate, Max Fabre, sought to stand against William McMahon in the seat of Lowe but his nomination was refused over a deposit technicality....
- Australian Conservative PartyAustralian Conservative PartyThe Australian Conservative Party was a registered political party in 1989 and active until 1991 when it was deregistered by the AEC when the membership fell below the required 500 members....
- Australian Family MovementAustralian Family MovementThe Australian Family Movement was a minor Australian political party formed in 1974 and active throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It originally came out of a group created to oppose the stage show Hair in Adelaide .The party generally stood for conservative Christian principles, and was particularly...
- Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist)Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist)The Australian Labor Party was the name initially used by the right-wing group which split away from the Australian Labor Party in 1955, and which later became the Democratic Labor Party in 1957....
- Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)The Australian Labor Party was the second Lang Labor breakaway party, associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang. It operated from 1940 to 1941....
- Australian Labor Party (NSW)Australian Labor Party (NSW)The Australian Labor Party , commonly known as Lang Labor, was the name given to a major breakaway of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales that operated from 1931 to 1936....
- Australian Marijuana PartyAustralian Marijuana PartyThe Australian Marijuana Party was a minor Australian political party that operated in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It campaigned for the legalisation of marijuana. The party ran candidates in several state and federal elections but never elected a candidate....
- Australian Nationalist PartyAustralian Nationalist PartyThe Australian Nationalist Party was a minor Australian political party that contested the 1958 federal election. Its objectives included opposition to communism and socialisation, reducing taxes, restoring the proportion of British immigration to 75% of the total, deportation of migrants convicted...
- Australian PartyAustralian PartyThe Australian Party can refer to a number of political parties in Australia's history, most recently to the party started by Queensland independent MP Bob Katter known as Katter's Australian Party...
- Australian Progressive AllianceAustralian Progressive AllianceThe Australian Progressive Alliance was a minor liberal party in Australia, formed by Meg Lees, an independent senator and former leader of the Australian Democrats, in April 2003...
- Australian Reform PartyAustralian Reform PartyThe Australian Reform Party was a minor Australian political party that was registered federally from 1997 to 2002. It focused on a variety of issues, most prominently gun rights, and was associated with the right wing...
- Australian Women's Party (1995)Australian Women's Party (1995)The Australian Women's Party was a minor Australian feminist party that was first registered with the Australian Electoral Commission on 19 December 1995 and was deregistered on 22 April 2003. Its main platform consisted of a constitutional alteration to ensure equal representation of men and women...
- Australians Against Further ImmigrationAustralians Against Further ImmigrationAustralians Against Further Immigration was an Australian political party who described themselves as "eco-nationalists" and were against positive net immigration. The party was founded in 1989 and registered in 1990 by Rodney and Robyn Spencer, the parents of actor Jesse Spencer...
(AAFI) - Australia's Indigenous Peoples PartyAustralia's Indigenous Peoples PartyAustralia's Indigenous Peoples Party was an Australian political party. It was registered on 13 January 1993 prior to contesting the 1993 federal election, when its results were mediocre. The party was deregistered in 1999. The party was associated with the Australian indigenous community....
- Confederate Action Party of AustraliaConfederate Action Party of AustraliaThe Confederate Action Party of Australia was an Australian political party at the far right of the political spectrum. It appeared in the 1992 Queensland state election, but achieved only 1.4 percent of the statewide vote and was unable to win any seats...
- Centre-Line Party
- City Country AllianceCity Country AllianceThe City Country Alliance was a short lived Australian political party that briefly held six Queensland state seats.It was founded in late 1999 after the One Nation Party contingent in the Queensland Legislative Assembly split...
- Combined New Australia PartyCombined New Australia PartyThe Combined New Australia Party was a minor Australian political party that contested the 1990 federal election, but with little success....
- Commonwealth Centre PartyCommonwealth Centre PartyThe Commonwealth Centre Party was a minor Australian political party that contested the 1961 federal election. It was formed by disaffected members of the Liberal Party. It had little success and was wound up soon after the election....
- Commonwealth Liberal PartyCommonwealth Liberal PartyThe Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
- Commonwealth PartyCommonwealth Party (New South Wales)The Commonwealth Party was a short-lived, urban, conservative political party which was active in New South Wales, Australia in 1943-4.Following the defection of Joseph Lyons from the Australian Labor Party to the conservative side of politics in 1931, the opposition Nationalist Party and the five...
- Communist Party of AustraliaCommunist Party of AustraliaThe Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
(1920–1991) - Communist Party of Australia (revived)
- Conservative Party of AustraliaConservative Party of AustraliaThe Conservative Party of Australia was a registered political party in 1984, but was deregistered by the AEC on 21 October 1998 as membership had fallen below the required 500 members....
- Country and Progressive National PartyCountry and Progressive National PartyThe Country and Progressive National Party was a short-lived conservative political party in the Australian state of Queensland.-History:It was created in 1925 as the result of a merger between the state's two conservative parties, the United Party and the Country Party, in an attempt to end...
- Country Progressive PartyCountry Progressive PartyThe Country Progressive Party was a splinter group from the Victorian branch of the Australian Country Party active in the late 1920s. It was formed by federal MP Percy Stewart and future Victorian Premier Albert Dunstan. It was formed in protest over protection of sitting members and state...
- Curtin Labor AllianceCurtin Labor AllianceThe Curtin Labor Alliance was a minor Australian political coalition that was formed between two minor right-wing groups, the Citizens Electoral Council and the Western Australian Municipal Employers Union, in 2001. The name sparked outrage from the Australian Labor Party both for confusing...
- Deadly Serious PartyDeadly Serious PartyThe Deadly Serious Party is a joke party that stood candidates in Australian elections in the 1980s. Its platform included dispatching a flock of killer penguins to protect Australia's coastline from Argentine invasion, an age freeze, and the appointment of silly people to all the portfolios that...
- Defence and Ex-Services PartyDefence and Ex-Services PartyThe Defence and Ex-Services Party of Australia was a minor Australian political party operating from 1986 to 1989. Formally registered on 1 September 1986, its policies included greater investment in care for veterans, a stronger national defence system, and maintenance of high disability pensions...
- Defence of Government SchoolsDefence of Government SchoolsThe Council for Defence of Government Schools was an Australian political lobby group and political party formed in 1966, which contested federal and state elections between 1969 and 1973 . The group was primarily concerned with public education but also focused on pensions and housing policy...
- Democratic Labor Party (1955-78)
- Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (Australia)The Democratic Party was a minor Australian political party that operated in New South Wales in the early 1920s. It represented the Roman Catholic minority, and was formed by Patrick Cleary, leader of the New South Wales Catholic Federation...
- Democratic Party (New South Wales)
- Democratic Socialist Electoral LeagueDemocratic Socialist Electoral LeagueThe Democratic Socialist Electoral League was a minor Australian political party that operated from 1998 until its voluntary deregistration in 2001. It supported a broadly socialist platform.-Policy:...
- Engineered Australia Plan PartyEngineered Australia Plan PartyThe Engineered Australia Plan Party was a minor Australian political party that contested the 1983 federal election, without success.The EAPP was founded in 1982 by Laurie Hogan , the party aimed to use "engineering skill" to help achieve full employment, a higher standard of living and economic...
- Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy Australia
- Ex-Service, Service and Veterans PartyEx-Service, Service and Veterans PartyThe Ex-Service, Service and Veterans Party was a minor Australian political party that contested the 2004 federal election....
- Family Law Reform PartyFamily Law Reform PartyThe Family Law Reform Party was a minor Australian political party that contested the Lindsay by-election, 1996 resulting from the voiding of the 1996 election result due to Liberal member-elect Jackie Kelly's continuing New Zealand citizenship....
- Free Trade PartyFree Trade PartyThe Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
- Great Australians PartyGreat Australians PartyGreat Australians is an Australian political party. The party was founded in 2003 by John James Cumming, and is currently led by John Rivett, a Queensland businessman who has started and run many businesses...
- Grey PowerGrey PowerGrey Power, an Australian political party lobby group, first registered in 1983. At the federal elections of 1984 and 1987 it ran candidates, but on both occasions these candidates did poorly...
- Hear Our VoiceHear Our VoiceHear Our Voice is an Australian political party founded in 2007, based on the ideals of social justice.The party ran in the Senate in New South Wales at the 2007 federal election...
- Hope Party AustraliaHope Party AustraliaThe Hope Party Australia was a minor Australian political party active between 1997 and 2004. It was founded in 1997 in Melbourne by Tim Petherbridge and registered at both federal and state level in 1999. The party contested several elections but had little success. It was deregistered in 2006....
- Human Rights Party
- Illawarra Workers PartyIllawarra Workers PartyThe Illawarra Workers Party was an Australian political party formed by George Petersen after he was expelled from the Australian Labor Party.-External links:*...
- Independent EFFIndependent EFFIndependent EFF was a minor Australian political party that was active between 1987 and 1999. It never won any seats in any Australian parliament....
- Independent Labor GroupIndependent Labor GroupThe Independent Labor Group was a minor Australian political grouping in the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1959 to 1977. The group emerged when a number of Labor Party MLCs were expelled from the party for voting against the abolition of the Legislative Council, which was then party...
- Industrial Labor PartyIndustrial Labor PartyThe Industrial Labor Party or Heffron Labor Party was a political party active in New South Wales, Australia, between 1938 and 1939. It was a splinter group of the Australian Labor Party and was formed by Bob Heffron after he and Carlo Lazzarini attempted to depose the party leader Jack Lang...
- Industrial Socialist Labor PartyIndustrial Socialist Labor PartyThe Industrial Socialist Labor Party was a short lived socialist political party in Australia in the late 1910s and early 1920s. It was founded by radical socialist members of the industrial wing of the Australian Labor Party , at a time when the ALP's socialist ideology was a matter of intra-party...
- Lang LaborLang LaborLang Labor was the name commonly used to describe three successive break-away sections of the Australian Labor Party, all led by the New South Wales Labor leader Jack Lang premier of NSW .-Initial opposition to Lang's leadership:...
- Liberal and Country LeagueLiberal and Country LeagueThe Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...
- Liberal Country PartyLiberal Country PartyThe Liberal Country Party was a splinter group of the Victorian branch of the Australian Country Party, formed after federal MP John McEwen was expelled from the state branch, the United Country Party, for accepting a ministry in the Lyons-Page Coalition government in 1937...
- Liberal Democratic Party
- Liberal Movement
- Liberal Reform GroupLiberal Reform GroupThe Liberal Reform Group, later known as the Australian Reform Movement, was a minor Australian political party and predecessor to the Australia Party, which in turn was a predecessor to the Australian Democrats...
- Liberal Reform PartyLiberal Reform Party (Australia)The Liberal Reform Party was an Australian political party, active in New South Wales state politics between 1901 and 1916. The question of tariff policy which, had created and divided the Free Trade Party and Protectionist Party in New South Wales in the 1890s, became a federal issue at the time...
- Liberal Party (1922)Liberal Party (1922)The Liberal Party, also known as the Liberal Union or the Liberal Union Party, was a short-lived political party in Australia that operated mainly in 1922. The party was formed by disaffected Nationalists, principally Thomas Ashworth and Charles Merrett, who opposed the leadership of Prime...
- liberals for forestsLiberals for ForestsLiberals for Forests is an Australian political minor party. It has contested both state and federal elections in recent years, but has only achieved one elected representative - Janet Woollard in Western Australia...
- Libertarian Party of AustraliaLibertarian Party of AustraliaThe Libertarian Party of Australia was a minor Australian political party that contested the 1983 federal election. It was formed in 1977 as a result of a split in the Workers Party over the adoption of the new name "Progress Party". The South Australian branch originally preserved the "Workers...
- Lower Excise Fuel and Beer PartyLower Excise Fuel and Beer PartyThe Lower Excise Fuel and Beer Party is a minor Australian political party that fielded several candidates in the 2001 and 2004 Federal elections. Their main policies include repealing the Goods and Services Tax and lowering the excise on fuel and beer prices. Many of their policies are...
- Majority Labor PartyMajority Labor PartyThe Majority Labor Party, sometimes called the Majority Australian Labor Party, was an Australian political party formed by federal Australian Labor Party MP James Catts in 1922. It did not win any seats in parliament....
- National AllianceNational Alliance (Australia)The National Alliance was an Australian political party of the early 1970s. The party was formed in Western Australia as a result of a merger between the WA Country Party and WA Democratic Labor Party . The National Alliance contested the WA state elections in March 1974, winning more than 8.5% of...
(WA) - National Liberal PartyNational Liberal Party (Australia)The National Liberal Party was a short-lived Australian political party formed in 1974 by Victorian Liberal Senator George Hannan. The party rejected a perceived leftward trend in the Liberal Party and sought to promote conservatism. Hannan contested the Senate in Victoria for the new party at the...
- Natural Law PartyNatural Law PartyThe Natural Law Party was a transnational party based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was active in up to 74 countries, and ran candidates in at least ten. Founded in 1992, it was mostly disbanded in 2004 but continues in India and in some U.S. states.The NLP viewed "natural law" as...
- No Aircraft NoiseNo Aircraft NoiseNo Aircraft Noise, or more fully The Common Cause - No Aircraft Noise, was a minor Australian political party that operated from 1995 until 1999. It was dedicated to removing noise pollution for residents of Sydney, which was generated by the city's three airports. The party suggested that the...
- National ActionNational Action (Australia)National Action was an Australian nationalist political party. It had no representatives in any Australian parliament, at either state or national level. Its ideology dictated that it remain outside the "political system"....
- National Humanitarian PartyNational Humanitarian PartyThe National Humanitarian Party was a minor Australian political party that contested the 1983 federal election in Queensland, running one candidate for the House of Representatives and a team for the Senate....
- National Socialist Party of Australia
- Nationalist Party of AustraliaNationalist Party of AustraliaThe Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
- New Country PartyNew Country PartyThe New Country Party is a minor political party in Australia. It emerged out of the internal divisions of the One Nation Party in Queensland and Western Australia in 2003 and was registered by the Australian Electoral Commission on 9 January 2004...
- New England New State MovementNew England New State MovementThe New England New State Movement was an Australian political movement in the twentieth century. Originally called the Northern Separation Movement, the aim of the movement was to seek the secession of the New England region and surrounding areas from the State of New South Wales and the...
- New LMNew LMThe New Liberal Movement was a South Australian political party that had parliamentary representation during the mid-1970s.Formed by Robin Millhouse on 6 May 1976 following the dissolution of the Liberal Movement, the New LM sought to be the true liberal party in South Australia, arguing that the...
- No GST PartyNo GST PartyThe No Goods and Services Tax Party , known in 1998 as Abolish Child Support, is a minor Australian political party that contested candidates in the 2004 Federal election. It was largely a response to the Howard Government's implementation of the Goods and Services Tax. It polled low totals...
- Nuclear Disarmament PartyNuclear Disarmament PartyThe Nuclear Disarmament Party was a political party in Australia. The party was formed in 1984 and enjoyed considerable initial success.-Foundation, the 1984 election, and the split:...
- One Australia MovementOne Australia MovementThe One Australia Movement was a minor Australian political party that was active from 1986 to 1992. It was formally registered on 3 October 1986, having been founded earlier that year by Uniting Church minister Cedric Jacobs...
- One Australia PartyOne Australia PartyThe One Australia Party was a minor Australian political party that was registered on 19 December 1995 and deregistered on 31 May 1999. It contested the 1996 federal election without success. Many of its candidates were drawn from the defunct Confederate Action Party....
- One Nation NSWOne Nation NSWOne Nation NSW is a minor political party, which operates exclusively in the state of New South Wales . The party is a splinter group of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation...
- One Parliament for AustraliaOne Parliament for AustraliaOne Parliament for Australia was a minor Australian political party that contested several elections in 1943, including the federal, New South Wales, and Queensland elections. It was founded by butcher and company owner Alfred Anderson....
- Party! Party! Party!Party! Party! Party!Party! Party! Party! was a short-lived joke political party in Australia. It ran in only one election, the 1989 Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly election...
- Pauline's United Australia PartyPauline's United Australia PartyPauline's United Australia Party was an Australian political party launched by former One Nation founder Pauline Hanson on 24 May 2007 and registered by the Australian Electoral Commission on 20 September 2007....
- Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum AlliancePensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum AllianceThe Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum Alliance was a minor Australian political party active between 1990 and 1996. It was originally formed in 1982 as the Pensioner Party of Australia, but its name was changed in 1990. It generally supported the rights of pensioners and retirees, and was...
(formerly Pensioner Party of Australia) - People Power Party
- Progress PartyProgress Party (Australia)The Progress Party was a minor Australian political party in the mid-to-late 1970s. Initially known as the Workers' Party, it was formed on Australia Day 1975 as a free market libertarian and anti-socialist party by businessmen John Singleton and Sinclair Hill, in reaction to the economic policies...
- Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive Conservative Party (Australia)The Progressive Conservative Party was a far right Australian political party that contested the 1980 federal election. Its stated aims included the reintroduction of the White Australia Policy, an end to Asian immigration to Australia, the cessation of foreign aid, and higher tax concessions to...
- Progressive Labour Party
- Progressive PartyProgressive Party (Australia)The Progressive Party was an Australian political party, active in New South Wales state politics. The question of tariff policy which, had created and divided the Free Trade Party and Protectionist Party in New South Wales in the 1890s, became a federal issue at the time of federation...
- Progressive Party (1920)Progressive Party (1920)The Progressive Party was a New South Wales political party that operated between 1920 and 1927, achieving representation in the Legislative Assembly due to proportional representation. The party attracted support from conservative voters in both rural and urban NSW. As a result, its policies were...
- Protectionist PartyProtectionist PartyThe Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in...
- Protestant Labor PartyProtestant Labor PartyThe Protestant Labor Party was a minor Australian political party that operated mainly in New South Wales and Queensland in the 1920s and 1930s. It was formed by Independent MP Walter Skelton, member for Newcastle in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1922–27...
- Protestant People's PartyProtestant People's PartyThe Protestant People's Party was a minor Australian political party which operated in the state of New South Wales in the 1940s.The party contested the 1946 Australian federal election for election to the Senate, in which it gained 7.7% of the vote in NSW...
- Queensland Farmers' Union
- Queensland Labor PartyQueensland Labor PartyThe Queensland Labor Party was a political party of Queensland, Australia formed in 1957 by a breakaway group of the then ruling Australian Labor Party Government after the expulsion of Premier Vince Gair...
- Reclaim Australia: Reduce ImmigrationReclaim Australia: Reduce ImmigrationReclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration was a minor Australian political party that was active from 1996 to 1999. The party advocated reducing immigration to Australia and was associated with the far right of Australian politics...
- Referendum First GroupReferendum First GroupThe Referendum First Group was a minor Australian political party that operated in the Australian Capital Territory in 1984. It was a single-issue party, demanding a referendum before granting the ACT self-government. After contesting the 1984 federal election the party faded out of existence....
- Reform the Legal SystemReform the Legal SystemReform the Legal System, later known as the Human Rights Party, was a political party in New South Wales. It was largely associated with MLC Peter Breen, its leader, who was elected in the 1999 state election. The party was renamed the "Human Rights Party" after Breen's brief membership of the...
- Revenue Tariff PartyRevenue Tariff PartyThe Revenue Tariff Party, also known as the Tariff Reform Party, was a minor Australian political party that operated in Tasmania in 1903. It elected one member, William McWilliams, to the House of Representatives, and one member, Henry Dobson, to the Senate in the 1903 federal election. Both...
- SA FirstSA FirstSA First is a now-defunct South Australian political party formed in 1999 by dissident Labor Member of Parliament Terry Cameron. The Party contested the 2002 South Australian legislative election, but failed to have any candidates elected to the Parliament of South Australia.-Ideology and policy:SA...
- Single Tax LeagueSingle Tax LeagueThe Single Tax League was an Australian political party that flourished throughout the 1920s and 30s.Based upon the ideas of Henry George, who argued that all taxes should be abolished, save for a single tax on unimproved land values, the Single Tax League was founded shortly after World War I, and...
- Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party (Australia)The Social Democratic Party were a minor Australian political party active from 1980 to 1983. Formed in 1980, it drew inspiration from the social democratic governments of Western Europe, notably Switzerland, and advocated harmony between trade unions and big business. The party unsuccessfully...
- State Labor PartyState Labor PartyThe State Labor Party , was an Australian political party which operated exclusively in the state of New South Wales in the early 1940s. The party was initially a far-left faction of the Australian Labor Party, strongly opposed to the right-wing faction of the party dominated by Jack Lang, former...
- Sun Ripened Warm Tomato PartySun Ripened Warm Tomato PartyThe Sun-Ripened Warm Tomato Party is a joke party that stood candidates in the first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly elections in 1989. It received 1.17 percent of the vote and its preferences went to elect Residents Rally candidates to the Assembly...
- Surprise Party
- Tasmania First PartyTasmania First PartyThe Tasmania First Party is a minor Australian political party which operates exclusively in the state of Tasmania. The party was begun by members of the Tasmanian Firearms Owners Association in response to the Howard Government's 1996 National Firearms Agreement, which the party called a...
- Tasmania Senate TeamTasmania Senate TeamThe Tasmania Senate Team was a minor Australian political party that operated from 1992 to 1996. Formally registered on 22 December 1992, it aimed to elect candidates who would "be committed to put Tasmania first and who will work for those measures which have received the approval of both houses...
- Taxi Operators Political ServiceTaxi Operators Political ServiceThe Taxi Operators Political Service was a minor Australian political party that was active from 1997 to 2001. Formally registered on 25 July 1997 with the Australian Electoral Commission, it was deregistered after the 2001 federal election on 21 December. It contested the Senate in Western...
- Unite Australia PartyUnite Australia PartyThe Unite Australia Party was a short-lived Australian political party that existed in the late 1980s.In December 1986, Senator John Siddons, former deputy leader of the Australian Democrats, quit the Democrats to form the UAP, arguing that the Democrats under leader Janine Haines had moved too...
- United Australia PartyUnited Australia PartyThe United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
- United Christian PartyUnited Christian Party (Australia)The United Christian Party was a minor Australian political party active between 1972 and 1974, and again in 1980. Following 1980 it was renamed the Australian Christian Party and contested the 1983 election as such....
- United Country PartyUnited Country Party (Australia)The United Country Party was the name given to the "loyalist" faction of the Victorian branch of the Australian Country Party following a split in 1937 resulting from the expulsion of federal MP John McEwen for supporting the federal Coalition government...
- United Tasmania GroupUnited Tasmania GroupThe United Tasmania Group is generally acknowledged as the world's first Green party. The party was formed on 23 March 1972, during a meeting of the Lake Pedder Action Group at the Hobart town hall in order to field political candidates in the April 1972 state election. They received 3.9% of the...
- Western Australian PartyWestern Australian PartyThe Western Australian Party was a short-lived Australian political party that operated in 1906. It was intended as a liberal party to protect the rights of Western Australians and to oppose the increasingly successful Labour Party, and drew its supporters from the Protectionist Party and the...
- What Women WantWhat Women Want (Australia)What Women Want was an Australian political organisation launched in April 2007 which, its website says, "aims to be Australia’s first female political party dedicated to advancing issues affecting Australian women"...