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. Federally, the Liberal Party runs in a Coalition with the National Party (formerly the Country Party), and more recently with the Country Liberal Party (in the Northern Territory) and the Liberal National Party of Queensland. Except for a few short periods, the Coalition has been in existence since the 1920s.

In federal politics, the Liberal Party has been in opposition since the Howard Government lost the 2007 federal election, having previously held power since the 1996 election.

At the state and territory level, Colin Barnett has been Premier of Western Australia since 2008, Ted Baillieu Premier of Victoria since 2010 and Barry O'Farrell Premier of New South Wales since 2011. The party is in opposition in the five other states and territories.

Since the Liberal Party of Australia leadership election of 2009, the federal leader of the party has been Tony Abbott, with Julie Bishop as deputy. Abbott and Bishop retained their party leadership positions after the 2010 election.

Philosophies and factionalism

Modern Liberalism in Australia is represented in the vast majority by the Liberal Party of Australia, who are generally an advocate of economic liberalism (see New Right). However, during Liberal governments prior to the Howard Government, the party was quite interventionist in its economic policy and maintained Australia's high tariff levels. At that time, the Liberals' coalition partner, the Country Party, the older of the two in the coalition (now known as the "National Party"), had considerable influence over the government's economic policies.

The Liberal Party has more recently been a conservative party, although it has always had a social liberal wing. In recent years, during the prime-ministership of John Howard, the party moved to a more socially conservative policy agenda. The party has mainly two unorganised factions, the majority conservative right and the minority moderate left. Historically, moderates have at times formed their own parties, most notably the Australian Democrats who gave voice to what is termed small-l liberalism in Australia.

Towards the end of his term as Prime Minister of Australia, in a last address to the Liberal Party Federal Council in 1964, Party founder, and longest serving leader Sir Robert Menzies spoke of the "Liberal Creed" as follows:

Soon after the election of the Howard Government, the second longest serving Liberal Prime Minister, John Howard, spoke of his interpretation of the "Liberal Tradition" in a Robert Menzies Lecture in 1996:

The Liberal Party is a member of the International Democrat Union, the only party with the name Liberal to do so, rather than Liberal International. Strong opposition to socialism and communism in Australia and internationally was one of the foundation principles of the Liberal Party.

Throughout their history, the Liberals have been in electoral terms largely the party of the middle class (whom Menzies, in the era of the party's formation called "The forgotten people"), though such class-based voting patterns are no longer as clear as they once were. In the 1970s a left-wing middle class emerged that no longer voted Liberal. One effect of this was the success of a breakaway party, the Australian Democrats, founded in 1977 by former Liberal minister Don Chipp and members of minor liberal parties; other members of the left-leaning section of the middle-class became Labor supporters. On the other hand, the Liberals have done increasingly well among socially conservative working-class voters in recent years. In country areas they either compete or have a truce with the Nationals, depending on various factors.

Anti-communism was a strong tenet of the early Liberal Party. Menzies was an ardent monarchist, devoted to maintaining Australia as a constitutional monarchy. Today the party is divided on continuance of the Australian monarchy, with some being minimalist republicans while others, such as Tony Abbott, remain monarchists. The Liberals have also sought to portray themselves as the party most committed to the alliance with the United States.

Domestically, Menzies presided over a fairly regulated economy in which utilities were publicly owned, and commercial activity was highly regulated through centralised wage-fixing and high tariff protection. It was not until the late 1970s and through their period out of power federally in the 1980s that the party came to be influenced by what was known as the "New Right" – neo-liberal group who advocated market deregulation, privatisation of public utilities, reductions in the size of government programs and tax cuts. This program was largely implemented by the Howard government of 1996–2007.

Socially, while liberty and freedom of enterprise form the basis of its beliefs, elements of the party have wavered between what is termed "small-l liberalism" and social conservatism. Historically, Liberal Governments have been responsible for the carriage of a number of notable "socially liberal" reforms, including Harold Holt's 1967 Referendum on Aboriginal Rights and 1966 Migration Act which opened Australia to multiethnic immigration;^[2] Sir John Gorton's establishment of the Australian Council for the Arts and Australian Film Development Corporation;^[3] selection of the first Aboriginal Senator, Neville Bonner, in 1971;^[4] Malcolm Fraser's Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976 and John Howard's gun control reform of 1997, which restricted gun ownership.^[5] West Australian Liberal, Ken Wyatt, became the first Indigenous Australian elected the Australian House of Representatives in 2010.^[6]

History

Menzies to McMahon

The Liberals' immediate predecessor was the United Australia Party, formed in 1931. Menzies had served as UAP leader and Prime Minister from 1939-1941 but resigned as leader of the minority World War II government amidst an unworkable parliamentary majority. The UAP, led by Billy Hughes, disintegrated after suffering a heavy defeat in the 1943 election. More broadly, the Liberal Party's ideological ancestry stretched back to the anti-Labor groupings in the first Commonwealth parliaments. The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a fusion of the Free Trade Party and the Protectionist Party in 1909 by the second prime minister, Alfred Deakin, in response to Labor's growing electoral prominence. The Commonwealth Liberal Party merged with several Labor dissidents (including Hughes) to form the Nationalist Party of Australia in 1917. That party, in turn, merged with Labor dissidents to form the UAP in 1931.

Menzies called a conference of conservative parties and other groups opposed to the ruling Australian Labor Party which met in Canberra on 13 October 1944, and again in Albury, New South Wales in December 1944.^[7][8] From 1942 onward, Menzies had maintained his public profile with his series of “Forgotten People” radio talks, similar to Franklin Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” of the 1930s, in which he spoke of the middle class as the "backbone of Australia" but as nevertheless having been "taken for granted" by political parties.^[9][10]

Outlining his vision for a new political movement in 1944, Menzies said:

The formation of the party was formally announced at Sydney Town Hall on 31 August 1945.^[8] It took the name "Liberal" in honour of the old Commonwealth Liberal Party. The new party was dominated by the remains of the old UAP. The Australian Women's National League, a powerful conservative women's organisation, also merged with the new party. A conservative youth group Menzies had set up, the Young Nationalists, was also merged into the new party. It became the Liberal Party's youth division, the Young Liberals. By September 1945 there were more than 90,000 members, many of whom had not previously been members of any political party.^[8]

After an initial loss to Labor at the 1946 election, Menzies led the Liberals to victory at the 1949 election, and the party stayed in office for a record 23 years. Australia experienced a prolonged economic boom during the Menzies Government (1949-1966). In 1949, the Liberals appointed Dame Enid Lyons as the first woman to serve in an Australian Cabinet. Menzies remained a staunch supporter of links to the monarchy and British Commonwealth but formalised an alliance with the United States and launched post-war trade with Japan, beginning a growth of Australian exports of coal, iron ore and mineral resources that would steadily climb until Japan became Australia's largest trading partner.

Menzies came to power the year the Communist Party of Australia had led a coal strike to improve pit miners working conditions in Australia; and the same year that Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb, and that Mao Zedong led the Communist Party of China to power in China; and just a year before the invasion of South Korea by Communist North Korea. By 1955 the Labor Party had split over the issue of Communist influence over certain Unions and anti-communism was a key political issue of the 1950s and 1960s (see Democratic Labor Party^[12]). Menzies was firmly anti-Communist and committed troops to the Korean War and attempted to ban the Communist Party of Australia in an unsuccessful referendum during the course of the war. The Labor Party split over concerns about the influence of the Communist Party over the Trade Union movement, leading to the foundation of the breakaway Democratic Labor Party(DLP) whose preferences supported the Liberal and Country Party^[13]

Menzies continued the multi-national immigration program established under Chifley, and began dismantling the unofficial White Australia Policy in 1958, by replacing the Immigration Act's arbitrarily applied European language dictation test with an entry permit system, that reflected economic and skills criteria.^[14][15] In 1962, Menzies' Commonwealth Electoral Act provided that all Indigenous Australians should have the right to enrol and vote at federal elections (prior to this, indigenous people in Queensland, Western Australia and some in the Northern Territory had been excluded from voting unless they were ex-servicemen).^[16]

Harold Holt replaced the retiring Robert Menzies in 1966 and the Holt Government went on to win 82 seats to Labor's 21 in the 1966 election.^[17] Holt remained Prime Minister until 19 December 1967, when he was declared presumed dead two days after disappearing in rough surf in which he had gone for a swim. Holt increased Australian commitment to the growing War in Vietnam, which met with some public opposition. His government oversaw conversion to decimal currency. Holt faced Britain's withdrawal from Asia by visiting and hosting many Asian leaders and by expanding ties to the United States, hosting the first visit to Australia by an American President, his friend Lyndon Johnson. Holt's government introduced the Migration Act 1966, which effectively dismantled the White Australia Policy and increased access to non-European migrants, including refugees fleeing the Vietnam War. Holt also called the 1967 Referendum which removed the discriminatory clause in the Australian Constitution which excluded Aboriginal Australians from being counted in the census - the referendum was one of the few to be overwhelmingly endorsed by the Australian electorate (over 90% voted 'yes'). By the end of 1967, the Liberals initially popular support for the war in Vietnam was causing increasing public protest.^[18]

The Liberals chose John Gorton to replace Holt. Gorton, a former World War II Royal Australian Air Force pilot, with a battle scarred face, said he was "Australian to the bootheels" and had a personal style which often affronted some conservatives. The Gorton Government increased funding for the arts, setting up the Australian Council for the Arts, the Australian Film Development Corporation and the National Film and Television Training School. The Gorton Government passed legislation establishing equal pay for men and women and increased pensions, allowances and education scholarships, as well as providing free health care to 250,000 of the nation's poor (but not universal health care). Gorton's government kept Australia in the Vietnam War but stopped replacing troops at the end of 1970.^[19]

Gorton maintained good relations with the United States and Britain, but pursued closer ties with Asia. The Gorton government experienced a decline in voter support at the 1969 election. State Liberal leaders saw his policies as too Centralist, while other Liberals didn't like his personal behaviour. In 1971, Defence Minister Malcolm Fraser, resigned and said Gorton was "not fit to hold the great office of Prime Minister". The Liberal party split 50/50 over a vote to replace him and he decided not to vote for himself and resigned.^[19]

Former treasurer, William McMahon, replaced Gorton as Prime Minister. Gorton remained a front bencher but relations with Fraser remained strained. The McMahon Government ended when Gough Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party out of its 23 year period in Opposition at the 1972 election. The economy was weakening. McMahon maintained Australia's diminishing commitment to Vietnam and criticised Opposition leader, Gough Whitlam, for visiting Communist China in 1972 - only to have the U.S. President Richard Nixon announce a planned visit soon after.^[20]

Following Whitlam's victory, Gorton played a further role in reform by introducing a Parliamentary motion from Opposition supporting the legalisation of same-gender sexual relations. Billy Snedden led the party against Whitlam in the 1974 federal election, which saw a return of the Labor government. When Malcolm Fraser won the Liberal Party leadership from Snedden in 1975, Gorton walked out of the Party Room.^[21]

1970s to the present

Following the 1974-75 Loans Affair, the Malcolm Fraser led Liberal-Country Party Coalition argued that the Whitlam Government was incompetent and delayed passage of the Government's money bills in the Senate, until the government would promise a new election. Whitlam refused, Fraser insisted leading to the divisive 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. The deadlock came to an end when the Whitlam government was dismissed by the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr on 11 November 1975 and Fraser was installed as caretaker Prime Minister, pending an election. Fraser won in a landslide at the resulting 1975 election. Fraser maintained some of the social reforms of the Whitlam era, while seeking increased fiscal restraint. His government included the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian, Neville Bonner, and in 1976, Parliament passed the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976, which, while limited to the Northern Territory, affirmed "inalienable" freehold title to some traditional lands. Fraser established the multicultural broadcaster SBS, accepted Vietnamese boat people refugees, opposed minority white rule in Apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia and opposed Soviet expansionism. A significant program of economic reform however was not pursued. By 1983, the Australian economy was in recession, amidst the effects of a severe drought. Fraser had promoted "states’ rights" and his government refused to use Commonwealth powers to stop the construction of the Franklin Dam in Tasmania in 1982.^[22] Liberal minister, Don Chipp split off from the party to form a new social liberal party, the Australian Democrats in 1977. Fraser won further sustantial majorities at the 1977 and 1980 elections, before losing to the Bob Hawke led Australian Labor Party in the 1983 election.^[23]

A period of division for the Liberals followed, with former Treasurer John Howard competing with former Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock for supremacy. The Australian economy was facing a deep recession by the early 1990s. Unemployment reached 11.4% in 1992. Under Dr John Hewson, the Liberal-National Opposition proposed a plan of economic reform to take to the 1993 Election, including the introduction of a Goods and Services Tax. Prime Minister Paul Keating won the 1993 Election. Keating lost the 1996 Election to the Liberals' John Howard. The Liberals had been in Opposition for 13 years.^[24] With John Howard as Prime Minister, Peter Costello as Treasurer and Alexander Downer as Foreign Minister, the Howard Government remained in power until their electoral defeat to Kevin Rudd in 2007.

At the state level, the Liberals have been dominant for long periods in all states except Queensland, where they have always held fewer seats than the National Party (not to be confused with the old Nationalist Party). The Liberals were in power in Victoria from 1955 to 1982. Initially a Liberal and Country Party affiliated party, the Liberal and Country League was in power in South Australia from 1932 to 1965, though with assistance from the Playmander. The similarly dual aligned Country Liberal Party ruled the Northern Territory from 1972 to 2001.

The Liberal Party's organisation is dominated by the six state divisions, reflecting the party's original commitment to a federalised system of government (a commitment which was strongly maintained by all Liberal governments until 1983, but had been to a large extent abandoned by the Howard government, which had shown strong centralising tendencies). Menzies deliberately created a weak national party machine and strong state divisions. Party policy is made almost entirely by the parliamentary parties, not by the party's rank-and-file members, although Liberal party members do have a degree of influence over party policy.

In the 2004 Federal elections the party strengthened its majority in the Lower House and, with its coalition partners, became the first federal government in twenty years to gain an absolute majority in the Senate. This control of both houses permitted their passing of legislation without the need to negotiate with independents or minor parties, exemplified by industrial relations legislation known as WorkChoices.

The 2007 federal election saw the defeat of the Howard federal government, and the Liberal Party was in opposition throughout Australia at the state and federal level; the highest Liberal office-holder at the time was Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman. This ended after the Western Australian state election, 2008, when Colin Barnett became Premier of that state.

Following the 2007 Federal Election, Dr Brendan Nelson was elected leader by the Parliamentary Liberal Party. On 16 September 2008, in a second contest following a spill motion, Nelson lost the leadership to Malcolm Turnbull.^[25] On 1 December 2009, a subsequent leadership election saw Turnbull lose the leadership to Tony Abbott by 42 votes to 41 on the second ballot.^[26] Abbot led the party to the 2010 federal election, which saw an increase in the Liberal Party vote and resulted in the first hung parliament since the 1940 election.^[27]

Through 2010, the party improved its vote in the Tasmanian and South Australian state elections and achieved state government in Victoria. In March 2011, the New South Wales Liberal-National Coalition led by Barry O'Farrell won government with the largest election victory in post-war Australian history at the State Election.^[28]

The Liberal Party does not officially contest most local government elections, although many members do run for office in local government as independents. An exception is the Brisbane City Council, where both Sallyanne Atkinson and Campbell Newman have been elected Lord Mayor of Brisbane.^[29]

Liberal/National merger in Queensland

Merger plans came to a head in May 2008, when the Queensland state Liberal Party gave an announcement not to wait for a federal blueprint but instead to merge now. The new party, the Liberal National Party was formed on 26 July following a joint convention of the Queensland Liberal and National parties. However, despite the change of name, the party continues to be the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia.

Liberal federal leaders

Shown by default in chronological order of leadership

Liberal federal deputy leaders

Shown in chronological order of leadership

Current Liberal state and territory parliamentary leaders

¹ The Northern Territory is represented by the Country Liberal Party, which is endorsed as the Territory division of the Liberal Party.

² Queensland is represented by the Liberal National Party of Queensland. This party is the result of a merger of the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party and the Queensland National Party to contest elections as a single party. Jeff Seeney is acting as parliamentary leader of the LNP and Leader of the Opposition pending the preselection and election of Campbell Newman.

Past Liberal state premiers and territory chief ministers

Liberal federal presidents

Shown in chronological order of presidency

• 1945 – Sir Malcolm Ritchie (first term)
• 1947 – Richard Casey
• 1950 – Sir Malcolm Ritchie (second term)
• 1951 – Sir William Anderson
• 1956 – Lyle Moore
• 1960 – Sir Philip McBride
• 1965 – Sir John Pagan
• 1970 – Sir Robert Southey
• 1975 – Sir John Atwill
• 1982 – Dr Jim Forbes
• 1985 – John Valder
• 1987 – John Elliott
• 1990 – Prof Ashley Goldsworthy
• 1993 – Tony Staley
• 1999 – Shane Stone
• 2005 – Chris McDiven
• 2008 – Alan Stockdale

See also

• Country Liberal Party (Northern Territory)
• Young Liberal Movement of Australia
• Liberal conservatism
• Liberalism in Australia
• List of political parties in Australia
• Shadow Cabinet of Australia
• New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party

Further reading

• Henderson, Gerard (1994). Menzies' Child: The Liberal Party of Australia 1944–1994, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, New South Wales.
• Jaensch, Dean (1994) The Liberals, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, New South Wales.
• Nethercote, John (ed.)(2001), Liberalism and the Australian Federation, Federation Press, Annandale, New South Wales. ISBN 1862874026
• Simms, Marian (1982) A Liberal Nation: The Liberal Party and Australian Politics, Hale and Iremonger, Sydney, New South Wales. ISBN 086806033X
• Starr, Graeme (1980) The Liberal Party of Australia: A Documentary History, Drummond/Heinemann, Richmond, Victoria. ISBN 0 85859 223 1
• Tiver, P.G. (1978), The Liberal Party. Principles and Performance, Jacaranda, Milton, Queensland. ISBN 0 7016 0996 6

References

External links

• Liberal Party of Australia official site
• Liberal Party of Australia ephemera digitised and held by the National Library of Australia
• Records of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party held at the University of Melbourne Archives