Liberal Party, Australia

THE LIBERAL PARTY of Australia is a left-of-center party that has governed Australia for most of the period since the end of World War II. It was founded in 1944 in Canberra under the inspiring leadership of Robert Menzies. On October 16, 1944, the name “The Liberal Party of Australia” was deliberately adopted at the Albury Conference because of the associations the name had with 19th-century progressive political thinking. In 1946, the Liberal Party had some limited success. In 1947, it won elections in Victoria and other states. In 1949, it won national office in a coalition with the Country Party. Under Menzies's leadership, it governed Australia for the next 17 years.

Leaders of the party since its inception have been Robert Menzies (1944–66); Harold Holt, (1966–67) until he disappeared while swimming; John Gorton (1968–71); William McMahon (1971–72); Bill Snedden (1972–75); Malcolm Fraser (1975–83); Andrew Peacock (1983–85 and 1989–90); John Howard (1989–90 and 1995–2004); and Alexander Downer (1994–95). Menzies, Holt, Gorton, McMahon, Fraser, and Howard all served as prime minister, while the others were leaders of the opposition. For most of its history, the Liberal Party has governed Australia. It has also been very successful in governing in the state governments of Australia.

The Liberal Party's political philosophy combines individualist liberalism, conservatism, and practical action. It is oriented toward individual rights, free enterprise, high quality of life for all the citizens of Australia, environmental protection, and a sound foreign policy. It has tied Australia's security closely with both the United Kingdom and the United States in the postWorld War II years. The party views the Menzies years as a golden era in Australian history. It was a period in which many policies of social welfare were instituted, but as the same time the period solidified defensive alliances with both the United Kingdom and the United States. These included the ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty) and SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organization) agreements. Other important achievements were improvements in education, transportation, old age assistance, and economic development.

The Liberal Party of Australia is organized on a federal basis, reflecting the federal system of government of Australia. The party has two basic wings—the Organizational and the Parliamentary. The Organizational wing is composed of the party's paid membership.

These are more than 80,000 in number and are organized into 2,000 local branches in the several Australian states. It develops the party's platform as a broad statement of the Liberal Party's beliefs. It also aids in the selection of candidates, manages elections, and conducts fund raising. The Parliamentary wing is composed of those who hold offices in the parliament. This group engages in the actual work of representation. It also develops specific policies, strategies, and priorities for implementing the party's political philosophy.

The Liberal Party of Australia is organized on a federal basis into separate divisions. The Federal Secretariat is the national headquarters of the Liberal Party. It is the national center for party administration, research, and election campaign coordination. It also gives assistance to the state parties. It is managed by the federal director and is located in R. G. Menzies House in Canberra. The Liberal Party is aided in its activities by a network of committees and by the federal council. The Liberal Party's major supporters are business and professional people. It has also allied with the National Country Party, which represents agricultural interests. The major opposition party is the Labor Party, which is supported by labor unions and allied often with the Australian Democratic Party, an environmental party.

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