91-772: The New South Wales Liberal Party , officially called The Liberal Party of Australia, New South Wales Division , and colloquially known as the NSW Liberals , is the state division of the Liberal Party of Australia in New South Wales . The party is currently in Opposition in New South Wales in a coalition with the National Party . The party is part of the federal Liberal Party. Following
182-820: A double dissolution election for April 1951 , after the Labor-controlled Senate rejected his banking legislation. The Liberal-Country Coalition was returned with control of the Senate . The Government was re-elected again at the 1954 election ; the formation of the anti-Communist Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and the consequent split in the Australian Labor Party early in 1955 helped the Liberals to secure another victory in December 1955 . John McEwen replaced Arthur Fadden as leader of
273-580: A GST by the time of his 1993 election victory). Howard's premiership coincided with Al Qaeda's 11 September attacks on the United States. The Howard government invoked the ANZUS treaty in response to the attacks and supported America's campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the 2004 federal elections the party strengthened its majority in the lower house and, with its coalition partners, became
364-500: A boomerang throwing display on the lawns of Parliament. Bonner went on to win election at the 1972 election and served as a Liberal Senator for 12 years. He worked on Indigenous and social welfare issues and proved an independent minded Senator, often crossing the floor on Parliamentary votes. The McMahon government ended when Gough Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party out of its 23-year period in Opposition at
455-451: A breach in the party constitution, which meant that the state executive could not continue in office after 28 February 2022, and this would mean that the federal executive would have to step in to choose New South Wales candidates for 2022 federal election , due in May 2022. The Supreme Court of New South Wales ruled that the state executive could still continue after this date. On 2 March 2022,
546-654: 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. Outlining his vision for a new political movement, Menzies said: [W]hat we must look for, and it is a matter of desperate importance to our society, is a true revival of liberal thought which will work for social justice and security, for national power and national progress, and for
637-878: 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
728-667: A landslide at the resulting 1975 election . Fraser maintained some of the social reforms of the Whitlam era, while seeking increased fiscal restraint. His majority 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. The Fraser government also established
819-608: A larger extent during the Howard Liberal government (most famously the GST), while unemployment benefits and bulk billing were re-targeted for a time by the Abbott Liberal government. Labor's Paul Keating lost the 1996 Election to the Liberals' John Howard . The Liberals had been in Opposition for 13 years. With John Howard as prime minister, Peter Costello as treasurer and Alexander Downer as foreign minister,
910-615: A non-Labor female leader won a state election in Australia. Berejiklian stepped down on 5 October 2021 and was replaced as party leader and Premier by Perrottet. In the March 2023 state election , the Liberal Party lost to a minority Labor Government led by Chris Minns . The Liberal Party is currently led by Mark Speakman since the 2023 New South Wales Liberal Party leadership election . On 14 August 2024 after nominations for
1001-461: A number of major defence and trade treaties that set Australia on its post-war trajectory out of Britain's orbit; opened up Australia to multi-ethnic immigration; and instigated important legal reforms regarding Aboriginal Australians. Menzies was strongly opposed to Labor's plans under Ben Chifley to nationalise the Australian banking system and, following victory at the 1949 election, secured
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#17327796484981092-547: 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 nucleus of 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. In New South Wales,
1183-675: A separate party to the Democratic Party. The initial leader of the Democratic Party was the former premier Alexander Mair , but he resigned on 2 February 1944 and was replaced by Reginald Weaver on 10 February. In the lead up to the 1944 state election in May, the LDP party generated publicity disproportionate to its size and the Sydney Morning Herald commented that the Liberal Democratic Party
1274-648: A significant program of economic reform was never pursued. By 1983, the Australian economy was suffering with the early 1980s recession and 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. The Liberal Party lost to the Bob Hawke -led Australian Labor Party in
1365-540: A year later came the invasion of South Korea by Communist North Korea . Anti-Communism was a key political issue of the 1950s and 1960s. Menzies was firmly anti-Communist; he committed troops to the Korean War and attempted to ban the Communist Party of Australia in an unsuccessful referendum during the course of that war. The Labor Party split over concerns about the influence of the Communist Party over
1456-580: Is Peter Dutton , who replaced former prime minister Scott Morrison as leader after the Coalition's defeat at the 2022 federal election. Two past leaders of the party, Sir Robert Menzies and John Howard , are Australia's two longest-serving Prime Ministers . The Liberal Party has a federal structure, with autonomous divisions in all six states and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Country Liberal Party (CLP) of
1547-419: Is aligned with the right wing faction of the party. The rules, known as Warringah rules, gave local branches the right to hold plebiscites involving all eligible branch members to choose local, state and federal candidates. The party's state executive and the state council would still get 25% of the votes. It was reported that the right faction pushed for the rules as it believed members were more conservative than
1638-591: Is the Brisbane City Council , where both Sallyanne Atkinson and Campbell Newman have been elected Lord Mayor of Brisbane . 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 . On 1 December 2009, a subsequent leadership election saw Turnbull lose
1729-571: The 1943 federal election , the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), United Australia Party (UAP) and Commonwealth Party began discussions on a merger to form a new party, proposed to be also named Democratic Party. The Liberal Democratic Party (NSW) were new parties formed a few months prior in April and May 1943 respectively. By November 1943, discussions were almost completed and unity was likely. The County Party refused to join in
1820-568: The 1949 election , and the party stayed in office for a record 23 years— the longest unbroken run ever in government at the federal level. Australia experienced prolonged economic growth during the post-war boom period of the Menzies government (1949–66) and Menzies fulfilled his promises at the 1949 election to end rationing of butter, tea and petrol and provided a five-shilling endowment for first-born children, as well as for others. While himself an unashamed Anglophile, Menzies' government concluded
1911-548: The 1966 election . 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. His body has never been found. 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
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#17327796484982002-511: The 1983 election . 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 the early 1990s recession . Unemployment reached 11.4% in 1992. Under Dr John Hewson , in November 1991, the opposition launched the 650-page Fightback! policy document—a radical collection of dry ( economic liberal ) measures including
2093-614: The 1993 election , led by Premiers Dean Brown , John Olsen and Rob Kerin through two terms, until their defeat at the 2002 election . They remained in opposition for 16 years, under a record five opposition leaders , until Steven Marshall led the party to victory in 2018. The dual aligned Country Liberal Party governed the Northern Territory from 1978 to 2001. The party has held office in Western Australia intermittently since 1947. Liberal Richard Court
2184-590: The 2024 Local Government elections had closed at midday the Liberal Party announced they had not nominated several previously endorsed candidates. In September 2024, the state executive was suspended by the Federal Liberals. In 2018, the New South Wales Liberal Party agreed to adopt new rules for preselecting candidates, which were championed by former Prime Minister and incumbent Liberal member for Warringah Tony Abbott who
2275-689: The ANZUS Treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the United States in San Francisco in 1951. External Affairs Minister Percy Spender had put forward the proposal to work along similar lines to the NATO Alliance. The Treaty declared that any attack on one of the three parties in the Pacific area would be viewed as a threat to each, and that the common danger would be met in accordance with each nation's constitutional processes. In 1954,
2366-479: 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. The Liberals chose John Gorton to replace Holt. Gorton,
2457-705: The Howard government remained in power until their electoral defeat to Kevin Rudd in 2007. Howard generally framed the Liberals as being conservative on social policy, debt reduction and matters like maintaining Commonwealth links and the American Alliance but his premiership saw booming trade with Asia and expanding multiethnic immigration. His government concluded the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement with
2548-706: The Liberal National government in Queensland was defeated just three years after its historic landslide victory. The New South Wales Liberal-National Coalition, however, managed to win re-election in March 2015 . In 2016 the Federal Liberals narrowly won re-election in July 2016 while the Liberal-affiliated Country Liberals suffered a historic defeat in the Northern Territory and Canberra Liberals lost their fifth election in
2639-458: The Liberal Party of Australia during a conference in Canberra as announced in August, attended by LDP and Democratic Party delegates. The New South Wales division of the Liberal Party was formed on 4 January 1945 with a provisional executive appointed, consisting of 20 LDP and Democratic Party members including White, Weaver and Bill Spooner . Spooner, who was nominated by the LDP, was appointed as
2730-696: The Nationalist Party of Australia in 1917. That party, in turn, merged with Labor dissidents to form the UAP in 1931. The UAP had been formed as a new conservative alliance in 1931, with Labor defector Joseph Lyons as its leader. The stance of Lyons and other Labor rebels against the more radical proposals of the Labor movement to deal the Great Depression had attracted the support of prominent Australian conservatives. With Australia still suffering
2821-536: The New South Wales division of the Liberal Party replaced the Liberal Democratic Party and Democratic Party between January and April 1945. In Queensland, the Queensland People's Party did not become part of the Liberal Party until July 1949, when it became the Queensland division of the Liberal Party. After an initial loss to Labor at the 1946 election , Menzies led the Liberals to victory at
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2912-540: The Northern Territory is an affiliate. Both the CLP and the Liberal National Party (LNP), the Queensland state division, were formed through mergers of the local Liberal and National parties. At state and territory level, the Liberal Party is in office in two states and one territory. The party is in opposition in the states of New South Wales , Victoria , South Australia , and Western Australia , and in
3003-596: The Playmander . The LCL's Steele Hall governed for one term from the 1968 election to the 1970 election and during this time began the process of dismantling the Playmander. David Tonkin , as leader of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia , became premier at the 1979 election for one term, losing office at the 1982 election . The Liberals returned to power at
3094-651: The United Australia Party . Historically the most successful political party in Australia’s history, the Liberal Party is now in opposition at a federal level, although it presently holds government in Tasmania , Queensland and the Northern Territory at a sub-national level. The Liberal Party is the dominant partner in the Coalition with the National Party of Australia . At the federal level,
3185-454: The 1972 election. Following Whitlam's victory, John Gorton played a further role in reform in October 1973 by successfully moving a motion, seconded by Labor minister Moss Cass , which decriminalised homosexuality on a federal and territory level . Billy Snedden led the party against Whitlam in the 1974 federal election , which saw a return of the Labor government. When Malcolm Fraser won
3276-464: The ACT. The party's ideology has been referred to as liberal , conservative , liberal-conservative , conservative-liberal , and classical liberal . The Liberal Party tends to promote economic liberalism and social conservatism . The National Right faction of the Liberal Party has also been referred to as right-wing , and right-wing populist . The Liberals' immediate predecessor
3367-463: The Bush administration in 2004. Howard differed from his Labor predecessor Paul Keating in that he supported traditional Australian institutions like the monarchy in Australia , the commemoration of ANZAC Day and the design of the Australian flag, but like Keating he pursued privatisation of public utilities and the introduction of a broad based consumption tax (although Keating had dropped support for
3458-661: The Coalition winning back its losses in the House of Representatives. Menzies went on to resign from parliament on 26 January 1966. Menzies came to power the year the Communist Party of Australia had led a coal strike to improve pit miners' working conditions. That same year Joseph Stalin 's Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb , and Mao Zedong led the Chinese Communist Party to power in China;
3549-655: The Country Party in March 1958 and the Menzies-McEwen Coalition was returned again at elections in November 1958 —their third victory against Labor's H. V. Evatt . The Coalition was narrowly returned against Labor's Arthur Calwell in the December 1961 election , in the midst of a credit squeeze. Menzies stood for office for the last time at the November 1963 election , again defeating Calwell, with
3640-522: The Fightback package, and particularly against the GST, which he described as an attack on the working class in that it shifted the tax burden from direct taxation of the wealthy to indirect taxation as a broad-based consumption tax . Pressure group activity and public opinion was relentless, which led Hewson to exempt food from the proposed GST—leading to questions surrounding the complexity of what food
3731-439: The Government's money bills in the Senate , until the government would promise a new election. Whitlam refused, yet Fraser insisted, leading to the divisive 1975 Australian constitutional crisis . The deadlock came to an end when the Whitlam government was controversially 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
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3822-460: The LDP, still led by Ernest White , initially agreed to merge with the Democratic Party and the new party to be known as the United Democratic Party. However, two days after federal UAP leader Robert Menzies announced that he was planning to set up a new "political movement with a Liberal policy" at an October conference, negotiations between LDP and Democratic Party broke down and the party merger did not take place. In October 1944, Menzies founded
3913-426: The Liberal Party executive's attitude towards Democratic Party members and supporters, with Weaver tendering his resignation from the provisional council of the state Liberal Party in February 1945. However, he withdrew his resignation in March 1945, and announced that all Democratic Party parliamentary members would join the Liberal Party. In the 1945 Ryde state by-election in February, Liberal member Eric Hearnshaw
4004-399: The Liberal Party has been in coalition with the National Party (under various names) in both government and opposition since its creation, with only brief interruptions. The Coalition was most recently in power from the 2013 federal election to the 2022 federal election , forming the Abbott (2013–2015), Turnbull (2015–2018) and Morrison (2018–2022) governments. The current party leader
4095-432: The Liberal Party leadership from Snedden in 1975, Gorton walked out of the Party Room, and quit the party shortly afterwards; he would go on to denounce the dismissal of the Whitlam Government , and endorsed and voted for Labor in the 1975 election . Following the 1974–75 Loans Affair , the Malcolm Fraser -led Liberal-Country Party Coalition argued that the Whitlam government was incompetent and so delayed passage of
4186-443: The Liberal Party was in opposition throughout Australia at the state and federal level; the highest Liberal office-holder at the time was Lord Mayor of Brisbane Campbell Newman . This ended after the 2008 Western Australian state election , when Colin Barnett became premier of that state. 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
4277-681: The Liberal Party's formation in October 1944, the NSW division of the Liberal Party was formed in January 1945. For the following months, the Democratic Party and Liberal Democratic Party joined the Liberal Party and were replaced by the new party's NSW division. In the 74 years since its foundation, the party has won eight state elections to the Labor Party 's 13, and has spent 27 years in office (1965 to 1976, 1988 to 1995 and 2011 to 2023) to Labor's 46. Eight leaders have become Premier of New South Wales ; of those, five, Sir Robert Askin , Nick Greiner , Barry O'Farrell , Mike Baird and Gladys Berejiklian , have won at least one state election. After
4368-421: The Menzies government signed the South East Asia Collective Defence Treaty ( SEATO ) as a South East Asian counterpart to NATO. That same year, Soviet diplomat Vladimir Petrov and his wife defected from the Soviet embassy in Canberra , revealing evidence of Russian spying activities; Menzies called a Royal Commission to investigate. In 1956, a committee headed by Sir Keith Murray was established to inquire into
4459-414: The NSW Liberal Party. On the same day, Albert Reid , independent member for Manly and a former UAP member, also joined the Liberal Party. This brought the total number of Liberal Party legislative assembly members to 14. Weaver died later in the year in November and he was succeeded by Mair as NSW Liberal Party leader. Mair resigned four months later in March 1946 to contest the Australian Senate , and
4550-506: The National Party. The Liberals were in power in Victoria from 1955 to 1982. Jeff Kennett led the party back to office in that state in 1992, and remained premier until 1999. In South Australia, initially a Liberal and Country Party affiliated party, the Liberal and Country League (LCL), mostly led by Premier of South Australia Tom Playford , was in power from the 1933 election to the 1965 election , though with assistance from an electoral malapportionment , or gerrymander , known as
4641-519: 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 . In Queensland, the Liberal and National parties merged in 2008 to form the new Liberal National Party of Queensland (registered as the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia). In March 2012, the new party achieved Government in an historic landslide, led by former Brisbane Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman . In March 2013,
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#17327796484984732-409: The Northern Territory had been excluded from voting unless they were ex-servicemen). 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 concluded the Agreement on Commerce between Australia and Japan which
4823-405: The Opposition , depending on the majority or minority respectively of the party. The current leader of the Liberal Party is Mark Speakman , and the deputy leader is Natalie Ward . The role is selected by state members of the parliamentary party, but the position is non-fixed in duration, and is usually only vacated upon resignation, retirement from politics, or a spill motion with the support of
4914-418: The Prime Ministership on the eve of war. Menzies served as Prime Minister from 1939 to 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 . In New South Wales, the party merged with the Commonwealth Party to form the Democratic Party , In Queensland
5005-399: The United States, hosting the first visit to Australia by an American president, his friend Lyndon B. 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
5096-460: The Western Australian Liberal-National government won re-election, and Tony Abbott led the party to government at the 2013 Australian federal election . The party won government in Tasmania in 2014 and lost their fourth election in a row at the South Australian election . However, the Victorian Liberal-National government, now led by Denis Napthine , became the first one term government in Victoria in 60 years. Similarly, just two months later,
5187-417: The abolition of state payroll taxes and the privatisation of a large number of government owned enterprises − representing the start of a very different future direction to the keynesian economic policies practised by previous Liberal/National Coalition governments. The 15 percent GST was the centrepiece of the policy document. Through 1992, Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating mounted a campaign against
5278-478: The coming week were all cancelled. Members who opposed overriding local branch preselection include Sydney businessman Matthew Camenzuli, who was a member of the state executive. As of 30 March 2022, these members had brought the matter to court, seeking to challenge the legitimacy of the committee's preselection of the three incumbent members of parliament on 8 March 2022 and nine other candidates on 2 April 2022. Morrison and Perrottet have urged them to take
5369-467: The communist People's Republic of China in July 1971 — only to have the US President Richard Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger announce a planned visit soon after. During McMahon's period in office, Neville Bonner joined the Senate and became the first Indigenous Australian in the Australian Parliament . Bonner was chosen by the Liberal Party to fill a Senate vacancy in 1971 and celebrated his maiden parliamentary speech with
5460-412: The effects of the Great Depression, the newly formed party won a landslide victory at the 1931 Election, and the Lyons government went on to win three consecutive elections. It largely avoided Keynesian pump-priming and pursued a more conservative fiscal policy of debt reduction and balanced budgets as a means of stewarding Australia out of the Depression. Lyons' death in 1939 saw Robert Menzies assume
5551-565: The financial plight of Australia's universities, and Menzies injected funds into the sector under conditions which preserved the autonomy of universities. Menzies continued the expanded immigration programme established under Chifley, and took important steps towards dismantling the White Australia Policy . In the early-1950s, external affairs minister Percy Spender helped to establish the Colombo Plan for providing economic aid to underdeveloped nations in Australia's region. Under that scheme many future Asian leaders studied in Australia. In 1958,
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#17327796484985642-404: The first chairman on 9 January. The LDP was willing to support the formation of the Liberal Party and dissolved itself on 15 January 1945, officially joining the Liberal Party. The Democratic Party also supported the formation but held off dissolution until a state branch of the Liberal Party had been fully constituted. Weaver and parliamentary members of the Democratic Party were dissatisfied with
5733-558: 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 , a wide-ranging effort to increase deregulation of industrial laws in Australia. In 2005, Howard reflected on his government's cultural and foreign policy outlook in oft repeated terms: When I became Prime Minister nine years ago, I believed that this nation
5824-400: The former two winning the 2015 state election and 2019 state election respectively. The 2019 election was significant as it was the first time that the Coalition won a third consecutive term in office in New South Wales since the 1971 state election . It was also the first that a female leader (Gladys Berejiklian) led a party to a state election victory in New South Wales, and the first time
5915-454: The full development of the individual citizen, though not through the dull and deadening process of socialism. The formation of the party was formally announced at Sydney Town Hall on 31 August 1945. 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; with few exceptions, the UAP party room became the Liberal Party room. The Australian Women's National League ,
6006-404: The government replaced the Immigration Act's arbitrarily applied European language dictation test with an entry permit system, that reflected economic and skills criteria. 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
6097-495: The grounds of "disloyalty". Treasurer Billy Snedden replaced Gorton as deputy and Fraser was reinstated into the ministry, although Fraser remained unpopular within Liberal ranks for some time over the events of March 1971; Gorton never forgave Fraser and never spoke to him again. The economy was weakening as the post-war economic boom was drawing to a close. McMahon withdrew Australia's remaining combat troops from Vietnam, but criticised Opposition leader Gough Whitlam for visiting
6188-439: The introduction of a goods and services Tax (GST), various changes to Medicare including the abolition of bulk billing for non- concession holders , the introduction of a nine-month limit on unemployment benefits , various changes to industrial relations including the abolition of awards , a $ 13 billion personal income tax cut directed at middle and upper income earners, $ 10 billion in government spending cuts,
6279-412: The leadership to Tony Abbott by 42 votes to 41 on the second ballot. Abbott 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 . Through 2010, the party remained in opposition at the Tasmanian and South Australian state elections and achieved state government in Victoria . In March 2011,
6370-408: The majority of the parliamentary members. The leader only has a role in a parliamentary context; the party division as a whole is governed by a President and Vice-Presidents, who act on the advice of the party division's Director and Deputy Directors. The division also gathers annually at a State Conference to vote on and develop policy to be used by the party's elected representatives. The majority of
6461-424: The matter to the High Court of Australia instead so that the result cannot be appealed further. On 5 April, the New South Wales Court of Appeal ruled that the court had no jurisdiction to make decisions relating to the constitutions of political parties, thereby ruling the preselection of the 12 candidates valid. Camenzuli brought the matter further to High Court for appeal but it was dismissed on 8 April. Camenzuli
6552-609: The merger but expressed they would co-operate with the new party. However, during the unity conference on 24 November 1943, the LDP walked out of the conference as they were not willing to support retaining the secretary of the UAP, H. W. Horsfield, as the secretary of the new party, as well as retaining members of his staff. Instead, during the same conference, the Commonwealth Party and the New South Wales Democratic Party. As such, LDP remained
6643-482: The multicultural broadcaster SBS , accepted Vietnamese refugees, opposed minority white rule in apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia and opposed Soviet expansionism, but Liberal minister Don Chipp split off from the party to form a new centrist - social liberal party, the Australian Democrats in 1977. The Liberals under Fraser won substantial majorities at the 1977 and 1980 elections, but
6734-590: 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. 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
6825-415: The state executive tried to fast-track pre-selection plebiscites in seats that did not have candidates finalised, by overriding the constitutional requirements for plebiscites with special powers. However, this did not attain the required 90% state executive support to do so. On 4 March, the federal executive voted to temporarily dissolve the state party and a committee was set up to take over the management of
6916-501: The state executive which were controlled by moderate members of the party. On 30 November 2021, the party was unable to hold its scheduled Annual General Meeting (AGM) to select members of the state executive due to complications from COVID-19. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke , who was the representative of federal party leader and Prime Minister Scott Morrison , also allegedly failed to attend internal Liberal Party nomination review committee meetings. Not holding an AGM could constitute
7007-479: The state party was absorbed into the Queensland People's Party . From 1942 onward Menzies had maintained his public profile with his series of "The Forgotten People" radio talks—similar to Franklin D. 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. Menzies called
7098-511: The state party until 25 March 2022 to finalise candidates in other federal seats. While the Senate candidates could be finalised, the state party was still unable to do so for a number of seats by 27 March 2022. As a result, on that day, the federal executive voted to temporarily dissolve the state party for the second time and appointed the same Morrison-led committee to preselect candidates in other remaining unfinalised seats until 2 April. Pre-selection ballots intended to be held for these seats in
7189-443: The state party until 8 March, "in accordance with clause 12.3 of the federal constitution of the Liberal Party". The committee, made up of Morrison, Perrottet, and former party president Chris McDiven , had direct control in endorsing candidates without preselection challenges. The committee confirmed the pre-selection of three incumbent federal members of parliament, two of whom were ministers on 8 March. The federal executive also gave
7280-582: The trade union movement, leading to the foundation of the breakaway Democratic Labor Party whose preferences supported the Liberal and Country parties. In 1951, during the early stages of the Cold War , Menzies spoke of the possibility of a looming third world war. The Menzies government entered Australia's first formal military alliance outside of the British Commonwealth with the signing of
7371-400: The twenty Liberal Leaders resigned after losing elections or were deposed by other parliamentary members. Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is a centre-right political party in Australia . It is one of the two major parties in Australian politics , the other being the Australian Labor Party . The Liberal Party was founded in 1944 as the successor to
7462-488: Was "a mouse" attempting to "swallow the Democratic Party lion". At the election, the Democratic Party led by Weaver won 19% of the vote and 12 of the 90 seats in the Legislative Assembly . However, the LDP received less than 4% of the primary vote and did not win a seat. Horsfield, the secretary of the Democratic Party, resigned on 26 July 1944, paving the way for a LDP-Democratic merger again. In August 1944,
7553-488: Was "not fit to hold the great office of Prime Minister". In a vote on the leadership the Liberal Party split 50/50, and although this was insufficient to remove him as the leader, Gorton decided this was also insufficient support for him, and he resigned. Foreign Affairs minister William McMahon replaced Gorton as prime minister. Gorton initially served as McMahon's deputy leader as well as Defence Minister, although Gorton would be forced to resign in August 1971 by McMahon on
7644-669: Was also expelled from the party. The position of leader of the Liberal Party of Australia New South Wales Division is a formal role held by a Liberal member of the Parliament of New South Wales . As the Liberal Party has, since its foundation in 1945, been either the largest or second largest party in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly , its leader is usually either the Premier or the Leader of
7735-488: Was and wasn't to be exempt from the GST. Hewson's difficulty in explaining this to the electorate was exemplified in the infamous birthday cake interview , considered by some as a turning point in the election campaign. Keating won a record fifth consecutive Labor term at the 1993 election . A number of the proposals were later adopted into law in some form, to a small extent during the Keating Labor government, and to
7826-476: Was defining its place in the world too narrowly. My Government has rebalanced Australia's foreign policy to better reflect the unique intersection of history, geography, culture and economic opportunity that our country represents. Time has only strengthened my conviction that we do not face a choice between our history and our geography. The 2007 federal election saw the defeat of the Howard federal government, and
7917-400: Was elected to the New South Wales parliament . As Democratic Party parliamentary members including Weaver at that time had not yet joined the Liberal Party, this made Hearnshaw the first Liberal Party member in the New South Wales parliament. Weaver and other Democratic parliamentary members finally joined the Liberal Party on 20 April 1945, with Weaver becoming the first parliamentary leader of
8008-595: Was premier of the state for most of the 1990s. In New South Wales, the Liberal Party has not been in office as much as its Labor rival, and just three leaders have led the party from opposition to government in that state: Sir Robert Askin , who was premier from 1965 to 1975, Nick Greiner , who came to office in 1988 and resigned in 1992, and Barry O'Farrell who led the party out of 16 years in opposition in 2011. 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
8099-543: Was signed in July 1957 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 retired in 1966 as Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister in history. Harold Holt replaced the retiring Robert Menzies in 1966 and the Holt government went on to win 82 seats to Labor's 41 at
8190-524: Was succeeded by Vernon Treatt as party leader. Treatt led the Liberal Party opposition in the state parliament for the next eight years. The Liberal/National Coalition won a landslide victory in the 2011 state election , with the Liberal Party winning 51 of the 93 lower house seats, enough for a majority in its own right. Liberal leader Barry O'Farrell opted to retain the Coalition. The Coalition has since governed New South Wales under Liberal leaders Mike Baird , Gladys Berejiklian and Dominic Perrottet ,
8281-636: Was the United Australia Party (UAP). 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 (Anti-socialist) 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 Billy Hughes ) to form
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