Infosheet 22 - Political parties


POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

Australia’s system of government is based on the existence of political parties. While the members of the House of Representatives are individually elected to represent constituents within each electoral division, in most cases members belong to and support a political party.

Parties and the formation of government

The party (or coalition of parties) which has the support of the majority of members of the House forms the government. The party (or coalition of parties) with the greatest number of non-government members in the House forms the official opposition. Each parliamentary party (that is, all members and senators of the party) elects its own leader—the leaders of the government and opposition parties become the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, respectively.

A ‘hung Parliament’ is said to exist when no single party or coalition of parties has a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. A minority government can be formed when a party (or coalition) which does not have a majority of seats in its own right is able to achieve a majority on the floor of the House with support from independent members or minor parties.

Between 1901 and 1910, allegiances to party were more fluid than they would later become; governments were minority governments and were made and unmade on the floor of the House. Since 1910, Australia has generally had majority governments under which either the Australian Labor Party or a coalition of non-Labor parties has held office.

The House of Representatives Chamber

The main political parties in the House of Representatives

There are three main parties represented in the House of Representatives:

  • the Australian Labor Party: the Labor Party is Australia’s oldest political party, established federally in 1901.[1]

  • the Liberal Party of Australia: the present Liberal Party was formed in 1944. It united many of the non-Labor political parties and organisations in Australia.

  • the Nationals: the Country Party was formed in 1920, was renamed the National Country Party in 1975 and the National Party of Australia in 1982. Since 2003 it has been known as the Nationals.

When forming government, the Liberal Party and the Nationals (under various names) have done so as a coalition since the 1949 general election.

In 2008 the Queensland branches of the Liberal Party and the Nationals merged to form the Liberal National Party of Queensland. Liberal National Party candidates elected to the Federal Parliament have continued to sit as Liberals or Nationals.

Minor parties and independents

In recent Parliaments there have been up to 16 independent members or members of minor parties elected.

Independent members are not affiliated with any political party. Some independent members begin their career as members of a political party but leave for various reasons.

As at February 2025, the 47th Parliament includes 19 crossbench members—13 independent members, and members from the following minor parties:

  • Australian Greens—four members

  • Centre Alliance—one member

  • Katter’s Australian Party—one member

Table 1 provides a historical overview of party affiliations in the House since 1901. 

Parties and the operation of the House of Representatives

Parliamentary activity involves the parliamentary wings of the political parties—that is, the elected representatives. The extra-parliamentary or organisational wings of the political parties have no role in the formal parliamentary structure and workings of the Parliament.

Political parties are not formally recognised in the standing orders of the House. However, in many respects the functioning of the House is based on the relationship between government and opposition—that is, the opposing political parties (see Infosheet No. 19 The House, government and opposition). The working arrangements and conduct of business reflect this division. This can be seen in the physical layout of the Chamber, with government members sitting to the right of the Speaker’s Chair and opposition members to the left. Another example is the practice that opportunities for members to speak in the House are alternated between government and non‑government members.

Party meetings

The major parties have designated party rooms in Parliament House. For the 47th Parliament, these parties are the Australian Labor Party (government), the Liberal Party and the National Party of Australia (the official opposition) and the Australian Greens Party.

Parties have meetings in sitting weeks, usually at times when the House is not sitting, where all members of the party in the Parliament (that is, senators and members) meet together. These meetings are a forum for communication between backbenchers and party leaders, internal party discussion of party policy, parliamentary activity and tactics, the resolution of internal party disputes and the election of officers.

The proceedings of party meetings are regarded as confidential, and details of discussions are not normally made public.

Party committees

Both the government and the opposition parties have backbench committees to assist them in the consideration of legislative proposals and other issues of political significance. These committees provide backbenchers with the opportunity to discuss matters and influence party policy or decisions in particular subject areas. They are different from parliamentary committees.

Party whips

All parties have whips whose main function is to act as administrative officers to their parliamentary parties. Although whips, especially the Chief Government Whip, have duties in relation to the proceedings of the House, they occupy essentially party positions. Outside the Chamber, the whips may be required to provide support for such matters as party meetings and consultations, party committees, arranging party nominations to parliamentary committees and organising any party balloting which may be required. For more information, see Infosheet No. 19 The House, government and opposition.

Parties in the Senate

The system of proportional representation used to elect Senators results in more opportunity for the election of minority parties and independents. This has meant that minor parties with a significant and often influential Senate presence may have no or little representation in the House (for example, previously the Democratic Labor Party and the Australian Democrats).

Significant parties historically

There have been many other political parties that have run in federal general elections since 1901, most of which no longer exist.

Previous government parties

Historical parties which have formed government are:

  • Protectionist Party, 1889–1909. Formed first federal government with Labor Party support
  • Free Trade Party, 1889–1909. Renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906
  • Commonwealth Liberal Party, 1909–16. Formed from the Anti-Socialist Party and elements of the Protectionist Party (also called ‘the Fusion’)
  • National Labor Party, November 1916–February 1917. Formed from elements of the Labor Party
  • Nationalist Party, 1917–31. Formed from merger of the National Labor Party and Commonwealth Liberal Party
  • United Australia Party, 1931–45. Formed from Nationalist Party, Australian Party (former Nationalists) and elements of the Labor Party. Predecessor to the modern Liberal Party.

Other parties represented in the House

Since the formation of the Liberal–National coalition in 1949, the House of Representatives has been dominated by members of the three major political parties.

In the past 30 years, the other parties represented in the House have been:

  • Country Liberal Party (part of the Liberal–Nationals coalition—1996, 2001, 2007, 2010, 2013
  • One Nation—1997
  • Australian Greens—2002, 2010–present
  • Nationals (Western Australia)—2010
  • Katter’s Australia Party—2013–present
  • Palmer United Party—2013
  • Centre Alliance, formerly Nick Xenophon Team—from 2016–present
  • United Australia Party—2021.

Further information on political parties in the House of Representatives since 1901 is displayed in Tables 1 and 2 below.

 

[1] Established in colonial Parliaments from 1891. ‘Labour’ until 1912.


KEY TO TABLE 1

Party strengths indicated are those after general elections and do not allow for by-elections, changes in affiliation between elections or as a result of elections declared void and recontested.

  1. The Free Trade Party was renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906.
  2. Members of the Liberal and Country League (South Australia) included from 1946.
  3. The Country Party was formed after the 1919 election from members returned under endorsement of primary producers’ organisations. In 1975 party name changed to National Country Party of Australia. In 1982 party name changed to National Party of Australia and in 2003 to the Nationals.
  4. Revenue Tariff Party.
  5. Includes 4 Independent Protectionists and 2 Western Australia Party.
  6. Derived from elements of former Protectionists and Anti-Socialists. Also referred to during election as ‘Fusion’.
  7. Formed by elements of Labor Party and former Liberals.
  8. Independent Nationalist.
  9. From 1922 total figure includes a member for the Northern Territory who did not have full voting rights until 1968.
  10. Country Progressive.
  11. Includes 3 Independent Nationalists and one Country Progressive.
  12. Formed by elements of the Labor Party and former Nationalists.
  13. NSW Labor.
  14. Independent United Australia Party.
  15. Non-communist Labor.
  16. Includes one Liberal Country.
  17. From 1949 includes a member for the ACT who did not have full voting rights until 1966.
  18. In 1955 during the Australian Labor Party split, 7 members from Victoria formed the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), and sat as a minor party. All 7 members lost their seats in the general election later that year.
  19. Although the Labor Party had the same number of seats as the coalition parties (62), two of its members (Northern Territory and the ACT) did not have full voting rights.
  20.  Includes one seat filled at a supplementary election held after the first meeting of the new House.
  21. Includes one Australian Greens and one Nationals (Western Australia).
  22. Includes one Australian Greens, one Katter’s Australia Party and one Palmer United Party.

This table is based on the table at Appendix 10 of House of Representatives Practice. Note that early records and subsequent histories do not always agree on party affiliations.

 

TABLE 1: Party affiliations in the House of Representatives

 

TABLE 2: GOVERNMENT PARTIES—periods in office