National Party of Australia
The Nationals National Party of Australia | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | NP[1] NAT |
| Leader | David Littleproud |
| Deputy Leader | Kevin Hogan |
| Senate Leader | Bridget McKenzie |
| Deputy Senate Leader | Vacant |
| President | Kay Hull |
| Founder |
|
| Founded | 22 January 1920[2] |
| Headquarters | John McEwen House, Barton, Australian Capital Territory |
| Think tank | Page Research Centre |
| Youth wing | Young Nationals |
| Women's wing | Nationals Women |
| Membership (2021) | 9,631 (estimate)[3] |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Right-wing[10] |
| National affiliation | Liberal–National Coalition[a] |
| Colours | |
| Governing body | Federal Council |
| Party branches | |
| House of Representatives | 15 / 151 [d] |
| Senate | 4 / 76 [e] |
| Website | |
| nationals | |
| |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Conservatism in Australia |
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The National Party of Australia, commonly known as the Nationals or simply the Nats, is a right-wing and agrarian political party in Australia. Traditionally representing graziers, farmers, and rural voters generally, it began as the Australian Country Party in 1920 at a federal level. In 1975, it adopted the name National Country Party, before taking its current name in 1982.
Ensuring support for farmers, either through government grants and subsidies or through community appeals, is a major focus of National Party policy. The process for obtaining these funds has come into question in recent years, such as during the Sports Rorts Affair. According to Ian McAllister, the Nationals are the only remaining party from the "wave of agrarian socialist parties set up around the Western world in the 1920s".[11]
Federally, the Nationals are the junior party in a centre-right grouping known in Australian politics as the Coalition, accompanied by the Liberal Party, which is predominantly an urban-based party. When in government the National Party leader has usually served as Deputy Prime Minister. The coalition has occasionally been dissolved on various occasions following electoral defeats, though the splits have not been permanent.[12] The coalition arrangement varies in each state and territory.
Due to the closeness and integration of the two parties, as well as the declining vote of the Nationals in recent years, it has been proposed several times that the Liberals and the Nationals formally merge. In Queensland, for instance, the Country Party (later National Party) was the senior coalition party between 1925 and 2008, after which it merged with the junior Liberal Party to form the Liberal National Party of Queensland.
The current leader of the National Party is David Littleproud, who represents the Queensland electorate of Maranoa. He replaced Barnaby Joyce following a leadership spill in May 2022, after the Coalition's defeat in the 2022 federal election. The party's deputy leader since May 2025 is Kevin Hogan, who represents the electorate of Page in New South Wales.
- ^ "Political party name abbreviations & codes, demographic ratings and seat status". Australian Electoral Commission. 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Key Dates in the Party's Development". The Nationals.
- ^ Hardaker, David (30 July 2021). "National party membership tumbles in NSW, Greens now have more". Crikey. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021.
- ^ Cockfield, Geoff; Curtin, Jennifer (2016). "The National Party of Australia's Campaign: Further 'Back from the Brink'" (PDF). press-files.anu.edu.au. Australia National University.
- ^ Merlan, Francesca; Raftery, David (2009). Tracking Rural Change: Community, Policy and Technology in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. ANU Press.
- ^ Gauja, Anika; Chen, Peter; Curtin, Jennifer; Pietsch, Juliet, eds. (2018). Double Disillusion: The 2016 Australian Federal Election. ANU Press. pp. 687–688. doi:10.22459/DD.04.2018. hdl:10072/415462. ISBN 978-1-76046-186-7.
- ^ [4][5][6]
- ^ Colvin, R. M.; Jotzo, Frank (24 March 2021). Ali, Ghaffar (ed.). "Australian voters' attitudes to climate action and their social-political determinants". PLOS ONE. 16 (3) e0248268. Bibcode:2021PLoSO..1648268C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0248268. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 7990191. PMID 33760842.
- ^ "Generation Left: young voters are deserting the right". The Centre for Independent Studies. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ [8][9]
- ^ Manning, Paddy (1 April 2020). "Inside the Nationals". The Monthly. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ Maani Truu (20 May 2025). "Nationals won't re-enter into Coalition agreement". ABC News.
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