The Liberals are the fifth iteration of Australia's main centre-right party. Could the Voice campaign hasten a sixth?

Party stability on the progressive side of politics, and repeated party reconfiguration on the conservative side of politics, is a marked contrast in the history of Australia’s two-party political system.

Metadata
Provider: 
The ConversationThe Conversation
URL: 
https://theconversation.com/the-liberals-are-the-fifth-iteration-of-australias-main-centre-right-party-could-the-voice-campaign-hasten-a-sixth-203654https://theconversation.com/the-liberals-are-the-fifth-iteration-of-australias-main-centre-right-party-could-the-voice-campaign-hasten-a-sixth-203654
Retrieved on: 
Monday, May 1, 2023
Information
Tags: 
People, Aston, History of the Australian Labor Party, United Australia Party, Teal, Protectionist Party, Free Trade Party, WhatsApp, Female, Entropy, Failure, Liberal Party, Politics, Labour Party, Policy, Liberal Party (Australia, 1909), Nationalist Party (Australia), Sky News, Woman, Nationalist Party, National Labor Party, Indigenous Voice to Parliament, History, Government, Human voice, Parliament, Bullying, Chemistry, Australia Party, Federation, Curtin Labor Alliance, Menzies, UAP, Risk, Frustration, MP, Redbridge, Liberal, Commonwealth, Death, Trade, Nightclub, Employment agency, Risk management, Film industry, Management, Indigenous, Labour
Geotags: 
AUSTRALIA
Summary
Key Points: 
  • Party stability on the progressive side of politics, and repeated party reconfiguration on the conservative side of politics, is a marked contrast in the history of Australia’s two-party political system.
  • That history is relevant now, as the Liberals find themselves in the electoral wilderness, and as a schism emerges over its stance on the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to the Australian parliament.

A party of many iterations


    In contrast to the Australian Labor Party, which predates Federation in 1901 and has existed continuously since, the Liberal Party was formed in 1944 and formally launched in 1945. It is the fifth iteration of the main vehicles through which the centre-right has sought federal parliamentary representation. Federally, the Liberal Party’s genealogy is:
    • They were the Deakin-led Protectionist Party, the Free Trade Party (later renamed the Anti-Socialist Party) and the Labor Party.
    • In 1909 the Protectionist Party and Anti-Socialist Party united to create the Commonwealth Liberal Party to compete with Labor, ushering in the “two party” era.
    • The next two iterations saw the main anti-Labor party unite, from opposition, with Labor breakaways to form a new party.
    • In 1931, the Nationalist Party opposition and Labor defector Joseph Lyons and his allies joined to form the United Australia Party (UAP).

Could the Liberal Party be reborn again?

    • Holding the Liberal Party together has since become established as the benchmark for Dutton’s success or failure as opposition leader.
    • This is either a low bar or it’s a sign that the Liberal Party is indeed at risk of breaking apart.
    • Howard and conservative Liberal leadership successors since demanded the selling out of principled centrist policy positions as the price of moderates’ inclusion in cabinet and shadow cabinet.
    • The party become less and less reflective of mainstream Australia even as some visible moderates survived and rose through the ministerial ranks.
    • Former prime minister Scott Morrison’s misogynistic handling of sexual violence allegations concerning Liberal Party figures followed.
    • Read more:
      Will a preoccupation with party unity destroy the Liberal Party?
Copyright: 
2023 The Conversation. All Rights Reserved.