Back to the National Links Page A Short History of the National Party Origins: Between the late 1800s and early 1900s various farm organisations across Australia began developing a common interest – to make politicians more aware of the needs and interests of their members. There was growing dissatisfaction that political parties of the day were ignoring the issues of concern to all but those living in metropolitan areas. Farm organisations began encouraging individual politicians from existing Parties to support specific endorsements that they had drawn up. In this way, the organisations could get a guarantee from a sympathetic politician that he or she would strive for better political representation of and interest in the issues that concerned farmers, particularly such things as marketing, land tax, tariffs and trade. These loose affiliations grew to the point where something more concrete was justified – direct political representation. The First Country Party: A Farmers’ and Settlers’ Association was formed in Western Australia at a conference in Perth on 28 March, 1912. One year later the Association carried a resolution to establish a political party: ‘That this meeting of delegates of the Farmers’ and Settlers’ Association of WA, in conference assembled, hereby affirms the necessity for the primary producers of this State to embrace politics and resolves that a political party be formed for the purpose of securing direct representation in the Federal and State Houses of Legislature. That this Party be called the Country Party.’ The new Country Party contested elections in Western Australia for the Upper House, the Legislative Council, in May 1914, and for the Lower House, the Legislative Assembly, in October the same year. It won two upper house and eight lower house seats. The Party in Other States: Farm organisations in other States similarly sponsored the formation of Country Parties. The Party first appeared in Queensland in 1915, in Victoria in 1917, South Australia 1918, New South Wales in 1919 and Tasmania 1922. The National Party currently has Federal Parliamentary representation from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and State Parliamentary representation in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. The Party is associated with the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party, whose Senator sits with the National Party in Federal Parliament. The National Parties in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania are all affiliated with the Federal National Party of Australia. The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party, which was established in 1974, is strongly associated with the Federal National Party. This Association ensures close cooperation between the two Parties. The Party in Federal Parliament: The Australian Farmers’ Federal Organisation (AFFO) was formed in 1917 to provide a national political link between affiliated State farm organisations. In the lead up to the December 1919 Federal election, the AFFO provided endorsement to political candidates who supported its political objective, which was: ‘To watch over and guard the interests of primary producers; to prevent duplication of taxation and the overlapping of State and Federal administration; to obviate conflict between Commonwealth and State industrial laws and awards; to encourage scientific agricultural education and cooperative trading in the interests of primary producers.’ A total of 15 candidates supporting that objective won election to the Commonwealth Parliament in December 1919. On 22 January, 1920, 11 of those Members held a meeting and unanimously carried the following resolution to establish an independent Federal political party: ‘That the Party shall be known as the Australian Country Party and shall act independently of all other political organisations.’ The new Party elected the Tasmanian Member for Franklin, Mr. William James McWilliams as its Parliamentary Leader. On 10 March, 1920 Mr. McWilliams told the House of Representatives: "The Country Party is an independent body quite separate from the Nationalists and the Labor Party… We intend to support measures of which we approve and hold ourselves absolutely free to criticise or reject proposals with which we do not agree. We have not entered upon this course without giving the matter the most grave consideration… We have recognised that drastic action was necessary to secure closer attention to the requirements of primary producers of Australia than they have hitherto received." Mr. McWilliams relinquished the leadership to Dr. Earle Page, the Member for Cowper in New South Wales on 5th April, 1921. The Country Party campaigned in its own right in the 16th December, 1922 Federal Election. It contested 32 of the 75 House of Representative seats and won 14. It also held the balance of power. The Party’s First Federal Coalition: On the night of 6th February, 1923 the new Leader of the Nationalists, Stanley Bruce together with the Australian Country Party Leader Earle Page, announced a Coalition Government: ‘The following arrangement has been arrived at: The identity of the Nationalists and Country Parties to be respectively maintained. A composite Ministry to be formed, the Cabinet to consist of eleven members. The following positions to be held by the Country Party: Treasurer, Works and Railways; Postmaster-General; Vice-President Executive Council, Hon. Minister. Dr. Earle Page to take precedence in the Ministry after the Prime Minister and to speak on behalf of the Ministry where necessary in the absence of the Prime Minister. In the event of the necessity for the appointment of an acting Prime Minister, Dr. Earle Page to occupy such position. The Ministry to be the Bruce-Page Ministry. As a result of negotiations between Bruce and Page a satisfactory arrangement has been arrived at.’ The Bruce-Page Government formally took office from 9th February, 1923. This Coalition arrangement was the forerunner of contemporary conservative Federal Coalitions. The significance of the Bruce-Page Coalition agreement is that it is fundamentally adhered to today. National Party Leaders traditionally hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister when the Coalition is in Government and act as Prime Minister when he/she is absent. In Opposition, the National Party Leader becomes acting Opposition Leader during absences of the Opposition Leader. There is also sharing of portfolio and shadow portfolio responsibilities between the two Coalition Parties on a proportional basis. The History of Federal Coalitions Back to Contents Page Overall, Coalition arrangements between the conservative Parties at the Federal level have been extremely successful in maximising the conservative vote. There have, however, been instances of disunity, which have generally acted against the conservative interests. The summary record of Federal Coalitions is as follows: Bruce-Page Ministry (1923-1929) The development of an independent Country Party at Federal level provided new opportunity. Prime Minister Billy Hughes had been leader of an ALP Government from October 27, 1915 to November 14, 1916; a National Labour Government from November 14, 1916 to February 17, 1917; and a Nationalist Government from February 17, 1917 to February 9, 1923. Following the December 16, 1922 Federal election, the new Country Party held the balance of power. It would not work in Government with Billy Hughes. As a result he resigned. Stanley Bruce revamped the Nationalists and entered into a Coalition agreement with the Country Party, enabling a Bruce-Page Government to be formed. It held office until the elections of October 12, 1929. Scullin Ministry (1929-1934) The ALP under James Scullin won the 1929 election. However, it was defeated in the election on December 19, 1931. Lyons Ministry (1932-1934) The United Australia Party, under Joseph Lyons was able to form a Government in its own right between 6th January, 1932 and 9th November, 1934. Lyons-Page Ministry (1934-1939) As a result of the election on 13th September, 1934, Lyons had to reform a Coalition to maintain office. The Lyons-Page Ministry continued from 9th November, 1934 until 7th April, 1939. Page Ministry (April 7-26, 1939) Joseph Lyons died in Office on 7th April, 1939. Page took over as Prime Minister, forming a new Ministry. The United Australia Party elected Robert Menzies as its new Leader. Page would not work with Menzies. He resigned as Prime Minister and took his Country Party out of Coalition. Menzies formed a minority Government which took office from 26th April, 1939. Menzies-Cameron Ministry (March- Oct. 1940) The Second World War was declared on 3rd September, 1939. With such a major development, it was decided to reform a Coalition. Page announced he would resign as Leader of the Country Party. The South Australian member for Barker, Archie Galbraith Cameron, was narrowly elected Leader, and the Coalition was resumed from 14th March, 1940. Menzies-Fadden Ministry (Oct. 1940- Aug. 1941) The Coalition was returned to office at the elections on 21st September, 1940. However, Cameron lacked support for his continuing leadership in the Parliamentary Country Party. He resigned and joined the UAP. Earle Page and the Victorian Member for Echuca, John McEwen tied in the subsequent leadership ballot. The Party Room had elected Queensland Member for Darling Downs, Arthur Fadden, as Deputy Leader. To break the leadership deadlock it appointed him as Acting Leader for the time being. The Menzies-Fadden Ministry took office from 28th October, 1940. With the deepening War crisis, Fadden was confirmed Country Party Leader on 12th March, 1941. Menzies, however, was losing support within his own Parliamentary Party. He resigned and on 23rd August, 1941 the joint Government Parties elected Fadden unopposed as Prime Minister. The Fadden Ministry was sworn in on 29th August, 1941. Fadden Ministry (Aug. 1941-Oct. 1941) Since the 1940 elections, the UAP-Country Party Coalition had held office with the support of two independent members. On 1st October, 1941, these independents voted against the Fadden budget, thereby putting the Government out of office. The Labor Party, under John Curtin, formed a new Government. Labor Ministry (Oct. 1941-Dec. 1949) The ALP successively, under John Curtin, Frank Forde and Ben Chifley held office until the general election on 10th December, 1949 when Robert Menzies, leading a newly formed Liberal Party of Australia, won enough seats to form a new Coalition Government with Fadden's Country Party. Coalition Ministries (1949-1972) The Federal Coalition between the Country and Liberal Party continued to govern for 23 consecutive years from 1949 to 1972, under a number of leaders - Robert Menzies, Harold Holt, John Gorton and William McMahon for the Liberal Party and John McEwen and Doug Anthony for the Country Party. McEwen Ministry (Dec. 1967-Jan. 1968) The disappearance of Prime Minister Harold Holt off Cheviot Beach, Victoria, on 17th December, 1967, caused a major crisis for the Coalition. Country Party Leader, John McEwen, took over as Prime Minister from 19th December,1967. When the Liberal Party elected John Gorton as its Leader, McEwen relinquished the Prime Ministership. The first McEwen/Gorton Ministry was sworn in from 10th January, 1968. Whitlam Ministry (1972-1975) The McMahon/Anthony Coalition Government lost office to the Labor Party under Gough Whitlam on 2nd December, 1972. The Country and Liberal Parties worked independently in Opposition. Whitlam won a Senate and House of Representatives election on 18th May, 1974, following which the Country and Liberal Parties decided to form a Coalition in Opposition. The Federal Country Party changed its name to the National Country Party of Australia on 2nd May, 1975. Fraser-Anthony Ministry (1975-1983) The Fraser-Anthony Coalition formed a caretaker Government following the dismissal by the Governor-General of the Whitlam Government on 11th November,1975. The Fraser-Anthony Government was subsequently elected to office at the elections on 13th December, 1975. The Federal National Country Party changed its name to National Party of Australia on 16th October, 1982. The Fraser-Anthony Government continued in Office until its defeat at the polls on 5th March, 1983. Hawke Ministry (1983-1991) Following the election of the Hawke Labor Government on 5th March, 1983, the Liberal and National Parties decided to continue a Coalition in Opposition. As a result of dissatisfaction with the Coalition in Opposition arrangement, particularly among some sections of the National Party, the Coalition was broken on April 28, 1987. A Federal election on 11th July, 1987 saw the return of the Hawke Government. As a result, the National and Liberal Parties reformed a Coalition in Opposition from 6th August, 1987. The Coalition in Opposition arrangement was reconfirmed by the Liberal and National Parties following the 24th March, 1990 Federal election. Keating Ministry (1991-1996) Paul Keating became Prime Minister on 21st December 1991, after a vote by the Federal Labor Caucus. The Coalition continued under John Hewson and National Party Leader Tim Fischer. On 13th March, 1993 Paul Keating won the Federal election after campaigning against the Coalition's Goods and Services Tax (GST). John Hewson continued as Liberal Party leader until May 1994 when Alexander Downer, member for Mayo and Shadow Treasurer was elected as the Liberal Parliamentary Leader and Leader of the Opposition. In 1995 John Howard was elected as the Leader of the Liberal Party and Peter Costello became his deputy. Howard-Fischer Ministry (1996- ) On 3rd March, 1996 John Howard was elected as Prime Minister. Tim Fischer, Leader of the National Party became the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade. On 3rd October, 1998 Mr. Fischer and Mr. Howard were again elected to office. Mr. Fischer retains his Trade portfoflio and is also Deputy Prime Minister of Australia