The Australian Politics Resource

Political Parties

A political party is a formally constituted organisation of people with similar views and objectives who band together in order to maximise their political influence.

The Australian Electoral Commission maintains a list of currently registered political parties on its web site.

Australia has a de-facto two-party politcal system at a state and federal level with elections deciding which of two factions from the major parties form government, the Australian Labor Party or the Liberal-National Coalition.

Major Parties

Three major Parties dominate Australian politics. The oldest is the Australian Labor Party, while the Liberal and National Parties currently form a coalition to oppose the ALP.

The Liberal Party and the National Party have merged in Queensland to form the

Minor Parties

The minor parties often represent specific interests and their lobbying is a major part of the Australian political process. Frequently, when the number of Senators from the ALP and the Coalition is closely matched, minor party Senators may hold the balance of power in the Senate and wield considerable influence in Australian politics. As of 2007 the Greens, Family First and an Independent held the balance of power in the Senate. If any of these Senators vote against a government bill alongside the Opposition the bill will fail to pass.