National Party of Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Nationals National Party of Australia
Abbreviation	NP NPA NAT
Leader	David Littleproud
Deputy Leader	Kevin Hogan
Senate Leader	Bridget McKenzie
Deputy Senate Leader	Vacant
President	Kay Hull
Founder	William McWilliams Earle Page ... and others
Founded	22 January 1920; 105 years ago (1920-01-22)
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)
Ideology	Agrarianism Conservatism (Australian)
Political position	Right-wing
National affiliation	Liberal–National Coalition
Colours	Green      Yellow
Governing body	Federal Council
Party branches	NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
House of Representatives	15 / 151
Senate	4 / 76
Politics of Australia Political parties

The National Party of Australia, often called the Nationals or Nats, is a political party in Australia. It is considered a right-wing party. It mainly represents farmers and people living in country areas. The party started in 1920 as the Australian Country Party.

Later, in 1975, its name changed to National Country Party. Then, in 1982, it became the National Party of Australia, which is its name today. A big goal for the Nationals is to support farmers. This can be through government help or community efforts. Sometimes, there have been questions about how these funds were given out.

The Nationals are part of a group called the Coalition at the national level. The other main party in this group is the Liberal Party, which mostly represents people in cities. When the Coalition forms the government, the leader of the National Party usually becomes the Deputy Prime Minister.

Sometimes, the Coalition has broken up after elections, but these splits have not lasted long. The way the Coalition works can be different in each state and territory. Because the two parties are so close, and because the Nationals' support has changed, people have sometimes suggested that the Liberals and Nationals should officially merge. For example, in Queensland, the Country Party (which became the National Party) merged with the Liberal Party in 2008 to form the Liberal National Party of Queensland.

The current leader of the National Party is David Littleproud. He represents an area in Queensland called Maranoa. He became leader in May 2022 after the Coalition lost the 2022 federal election. The party's deputy leader since May 2025 is Kevin Hogan. He represents the Page area in New South Wales.

History of the Nationals

William McWilliams, who led the Country Party from 1920 to 1921.

Sir Earle Page, who was Prime Minister of Australia for a short time in 1939.

Sir Arthur Fadden, who was Prime Minister of Australia in 1941.

Sir John McEwen, who was Prime Minister of Australia from 1967 to 1968.

The Country Party officially started in Western Australia in 1913. It became a national party in 1920. It grew from smaller state-based groups like the Victorian Farmers' Union (VFU). The VFU won a seat in the House of Representatives in 1918.

In 1919, state Country Parties won seats in federal elections. In 1920, the Country Party became a national party. William McWilliams from Tasmania was its first leader. He said the party would work hard to help farmers. However, McWilliams was replaced by Earle Page in April 1921. McWilliams later left the party.

Historians say that large sheep farmers were often conservative. They didn't like the Labor Party, which represented workers. They worried about new laws and outside influences. Small farmers, however, were the ones who started the Country Party. They wanted the government to help with prices and marketing. Large farmers often supported the Country Party, which made the party more conservative.

The Country Party's first election as a united party was in 1922. They won enough seats to be very important. They could decide which major party would form the government. Earle Page said his party would not work with the current leader, so he had to resign. Page then worked with the new leader, Stanley Bruce, to form a government.

Page asked for five positions for his party in the government, including the important role of Treasurer. These were tough demands for a new, smaller party. But Bruce agreed, and they formed the "Bruce-Page Ministry." This started the tradition of the Country Party leader being the second most important person in the government. The party has never formed a government with the Labor Party.

Page was a strong leader until 1939. He even served as a temporary Prime Minister for a short time. The Coalition was formed again in 1940 under Archie Cameron. It continued until October 1941, even after Arthur Fadden became leader. Fadden was well-liked and a loyal deputy. When the Prime Minister had to resign, Fadden briefly became Prime Minister. However, his government soon fell, and he stepped down for Labor leader John Curtin.

The Coalition led by Fadden lost badly in the 1943 election. After that, Fadden became the deputy leader of the opposition under Robert Menzies. Menzies later formed the Liberal Party of Australia. Fadden remained a loyal partner to Menzies. He helped the Coalition win the 1949 federal election. In 1949, Fadden became Treasurer and stayed in that role until he retired in 1958. His strong partnership with Menzies helped the Coalition stay in power until 1972.

John McEwen becoming Prime Minister on December 19, 1967.

Fadden's replacement, John McEwen, chose not to be Treasurer. He wanted to make sure Australian farmers' interests were protected. McEwen helped sign important trade agreements with Japan, New Zealand, Britain, and the USSR. He also pushed for a system to protect Australian industries that added value to farm products. This was a time when the Country Party had a lot of power.

When Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared in 1967, McEwen became interim Prime Minister. The Liberal Party's deputy leader should have taken over. However, McEwen told the Liberals that his party would not work with him. So, John Gorton became the new Liberal Prime Minister. McEwen was known for being tough in politics.

In Queensland, the Country Party, led by Frank Nicklin and Joh Bjelke-Petersen, was very strong from 1957 to 1989. For some of those years, they even governed alone. This was partly due to a system that gave rural voters more power. The party also took part in governments in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia.

However, the Country Party started losing support as fewer people lived in rural areas. In 1974, the party's members in the Northern Territory joined with Liberal members to form the Country Liberal Party. This party still represents both groups in that territory.

National Country Party and National Party

From the 1970s, the National Party faced changes as more people moved to cities. Between 1971 and 1996, the population of Sydney grew a lot, but rural areas grew much less. This reduced the National Party's support base. In 1975, the Country Party changed its name to the National Country Party of Australia. This was to try and gain support in city areas. It worked a little in Queensland but not elsewhere.

The 1980s saw a disagreement between Queensland leader Bjelke-Petersen and the federal party leader Ian Sinclair. In 1987, Bjelke-Petersen tried to become Prime Minister. This plan did not work well. It helped the Labor Party win the election. Bjelke-Petersen had to retire, and his party lost badly in Queensland in 1989. The federal National Party also lost many seats in the 1990 election.

Tim Fischer became the new leader. The Coalition won a big victory in 1996, and Fischer became Deputy Prime Minister under John Howard.

In the late 1990s, the Nationals faced challenges. The Liberal Party was winning seats, and a new party, the One Nation Party, gained support from unhappy rural voters. The Labor Party also gained support in some rural areas of Queensland. In the 1998 federal election, the National Party received its lowest ever percentage of votes.

Under leaders Fischer and John Anderson, the National Party rarely disagreed with the Liberal Party in public. This made it harder for them to show they were different. In 2001 and 2004, the party continued to get fewer votes.

Experts say that two main things have caused the National Party's decline. First, the rural sector is less important to the country's economy. Second, there are growing differences in values between people in the country and in cities. This means rural voters expect more from the National Party, but its political power has decreased.

In June 2005, John Anderson resigned as leader due to health reasons. Mark Vaile took over. In the 2007 election, the Nationals' vote dropped further. Vaile resigned, and Warren Truss became the new leader.

In 2010, the party received its lowest vote percentage ever, but they gained a few more seats. In the 2013 election, their support improved slightly. In the 2016 election, under Barnaby Joyce, the party gained more seats. In 2018, there were concerns about some members' views and actions, leading to some members being removed from the party and its youth wing.

In the 2019 Australian federal election, despite challenges like drought and other issues, the National Party's vote only dropped a little. After the 2025 federal election, the Nationals decided not to sign a new agreement with the Liberals for a short time. This meant they acted separately for eight days. However, they soon reached an agreement and formed a new shadow ministry.

State and Territory Parties

The National Party has official groups in each state and territory. Here's a look at them:

The Nationals' Role in Politics

John McEwen House, the main office for the National Party in Canberra.

The Nationals believe their main job is to speak for Australians who live outside big cities. When the National Party and the Liberal Party form a government together, the leader of the National Party usually becomes the Deputy Prime Minister. This tradition started in 1968.

The National Party gets most of its support from farmers and people in the farming community. Historically, they have been against trade unions. The party has changed its mind over time about how much the government should help farming industries. They usually support industrial development and are often against "green politics" ideas.

The idea of "countrymindedness" was important to the Country Party for many years. This idea meant focusing on rural life and supporting farmers. It also meant asking the government for help for country areas. This idea grew because country areas were not growing as fast as cities. It became less important as more people moved to cities and as technology changed.

The Nationals' support has been decreasing. Some of their traditional supporters are now voting for independent politicians. These independents are often former members of the National Party. Since 2004, the National Party has received fewer votes than the Australian Greens.

Changes in population are also affecting the party. Fewer people live and work on farms or in small towns. Larger regional centers are growing, and some city people are moving to rural areas. The Liberal Party has also gained support because the differences between the two parties at the federal level have become less clear.

In Queensland, the Nationals leader Lawrence Springborg suggested merging the National and Liberal parties in the state. This was to create a stronger opposition to the Labor Party. This idea was first rejected but later gained support from the Liberals. However, the federal leader said the Nationals would not merge at the national level. The plan was stopped in 2006. After losing the 2006 Queensland election, Springborg was replaced by Jeff Seeney. He said he was not interested in merging unless it was a federal issue.

In September 2008, Barnaby Joyce became the leader of the Nationals in the Senate. He said his party in the Senate would not always vote with the Liberals. This gave the Labor government another way to pass laws. Joyce became the party leader in 2016. He was one of several politicians who had to leave parliament in 2017 because they held dual citizenship.

The 1987 Australian federal election was the last time the National Party received over 10% of the vote. The 2007 Australian federal election was the last time they received over 5% of the vote for the House of Representatives.

Queensland Liberal/National Merger

Plans for a merger became serious in May 2008. The Queensland state Liberal Party announced they would merge right away. The new party, called the Liberal National Party, was created in July 2008.

Election Results

House of Representatives

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Status
1919	None	176,884	8.7	11 / 75	11	3rd	Crossbench
1922	Earle Page	197,513	12.5	14 / 75	3	3rd	Coalition
1925		313,363	10.7	13 / 75	1	3rd	Coalition
1928		271,686	10.4	13 / 75		3rd	Coalition
1929		295,640	10.2	10 / 75	3	3rd	Opposition
1931		388,544	12.2	16 / 75	6	2nd	Crossbench
1934		447,968	12.6	14 / 74	2	3rd	Coalition
1937		560,279	15.5	16 / 74	2	3rd	Coalition
1940	Archie Cameron	531,397	13.7	13 / 74	3	3rd	Coalition
1943	Arthur Fadden	287,000	6.9	7 / 74	6	3rd	Opposition
1946		464,737	10.7	11 / 76	4	3rd	Opposition
1949		500,349	10.8	19 / 121	8	3rd	Coalition
1951		443,713	9.7	17 / 121	2	3rd	Coalition
1954		388,171	8.5	17 / 121		3rd	Coalition
1955		347,445	7.9	18 / 122	1	3rd	Coalition
1958	John McEwen	465,320	9.3	19 / 122	1	3rd	Coalition
1961		446,475	8.5	17 / 122	2	3rd	Coalition
1963		489,498	8.9	20 / 122	3	3rd	Coalition
1966		561,926	9.8	21 / 124	1	3rd	Coalition
1969		523,232	8.5	20 / 125	1	3rd	Coalition
1972	Doug Anthony	622,826	9.4	20 / 125		3rd	Opposition
1974		736,252	9.9	21 / 127	1	3rd	Opposition
1975		869,919	11.2	23 / 127	2	3rd	Coalition
1977		793,444	10.0	19 / 124	4	3rd	Coalition
1980		745,037	8.9	20 / 125	1	3rd	Coalition
1983		799,609	9.2	17 / 125	3	3rd	Opposition
1984	Ian Sinclair	921,151	10.6	21 / 148	4	3rd	Opposition
1987		1,060,976	11.5	19 / 148	2	3rd	Opposition
1990	Charles Blunt	833,557	8.4	14 / 148	5	3rd	Opposition
1993	Tim Fischer	758,036	7.1	16 / 147	2	3rd	Opposition
1996		893,170	7.1	18 / 148	2	3rd	Coalition
1998		588,088	5.2	16 / 148	2	3rd	Coalition
2001	John Anderson	643,926	5.6	13 / 150	3	3rd	Coalition
2004		690,275	5.8	12 / 150	1	3rd	Coalition
2007	Mark Vaile	682,424	5.4	10 / 150	2	3rd	Opposition
2010	Warren Truss	419,286	3.4	12 / 150	2	3rd	Opposition
2013		554,268	4.2	15 / 150	3	3rd	Coalition
2016	Barnaby Joyce	624,555	4.6	16 / 150	1	3rd	Coalition
2019	Michael McCormack	642,233	4.5	16 / 151		3rd	Coalition
2022	Barnaby Joyce	528,442	3.6	16 / 151		3rd	Opposition
2025	David Littleproud	588,778	3.8	15 / 150	1	3rd	Opposition

Leadership

List of Leaders

#	Leader	Portrait	Electorate	Took office	Left office	Portfolio	Prime Minister (term)
1		McWilliams, WilliamWilliam McWilliams	Franklin, Tas.	24 February 1920	5 April 1921			Hughes 1917–1923
2		Page, EarleEarle Page	Cowper, NSW	5 April 1921	13 September 1939	Treasurer 1923–1929 Minister for Commerce 1934–1939 Minister for Health 1938—1939		Hughes 1917–1923
								Bruce 1923–1929
								Scullin 1929–1932
								Lyons 1932–1939
								Himself 1939
								Menzies 1939–1941
3		Cameron, ArchieArchie Cameron	Barker, SA	13 September 1939	16 October 1940	Minister for Commerce 1940 Minister for the Navy 1940		Menzies 1939–1941
4		Fadden, ArthurArthur Fadden	Darling Downs, Qld. McPherson, Qld.	16 October 1940 acting until 12 March 1941	12 March 1958	Treasurer of Australia 1940–1941, 1949–1958		Menzies 1939–1941
								Himself 1941
								Curtin 1941–1945
								Forde 1945
								Chifley 1941–1945
								Menzies 1949–1966
5		McEwen, JohnJohn McEwen	Murray, Vic.	26 March 1958	1 February 1971	Minister for Trade 1956–1963 Minister for Trade and Industry 1963–1971		Menzies 1949–1966
								Holt 1966–1967
								Himself 1968
								Gorton 1968–1971
								McMahon 1971–1972
6		Anthony, DougDoug Anthony	Richmond, NSW	2 February 1971	17 January 1984	1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983		McMahon 1971–1972
								Whitlam 1972–1975
								Fraser 1975–1983
								Hawke 1983–1991
7		Sinclair, IanIan Sinclair	Richmond, NSW	17 January 1984	9 May 1989	1984, 1987		Hawke 1983–1991
8		Blunt, CharlesCharles Blunt	Richmond, NSW	9 May 1989	6 April 1990	1990		Hawke 1983–1991
9		Fischer, TimTim Fischer	Farrer, NSW	19 April 1990	1 July 1999	1993, 1996, 1998		Hawke 1983–1991
								Keating 1991–1996
								Howard 1996–2007
10		Anderson, JohnJohn Anderson	Gwydir, NSW	1 July 1999	23 June 2005	2001, 2005		Howard 1996–2007
11		Vaile, MarkMark Vaile	Lyne, NSW	23 June 2005	3 December 2007	2007		Howard 1996–2007
12		Truss, WarrenWarren Truss	Wide Bay, Qld.	7 December 2007	11 February 2016	2010, 2013		Rudd 2007–2010
								Gillard 2010–2013
								Rudd 2007–2010
								Rudd 2013
								Abbott 2013–2015
								Turnbull 2015–2018
13		Joyce, BarnabyBarnaby Joyce	New England, NSW	11 February 2016	26 February 2018	2016		Turnbull 2015–2018
14		McCormack, MichaelMichael McCormack	Riverina, NSW	26 February 2018	21 June 2021	2019		Turnbull 2015–2018
								Morrison 2018–2022
(13)		Joyce, BarnabyBarnaby Joyce	New England, NSW	21 June 2021	30 May 2022	2022		Morrison 2018–2022
								Albanese 2022-2025
15		Littleproud, DavidDavid Littleproud	Maranoa, Qld.	30 May 2022	Incumbent	2025		Albanese 2025–present

List of Deputy Leaders

List of Senate Leaders

The Country Party's first senators started in 1926. But the party did not have an official leader in the Senate until 1935. Before that, they had a "representative" or "liaison officer." This was so that senators could speak freely and not be told what to do by a party leader. On October 3, 1935, Charles Hardy was chosen as the first "Leader of the Country Party in the Senate." However, after Hardy's term ended in 1938, the party did not elect another Senate leader until 1949. This was likely because they had only a few senators.

The Senate leader is not always a member of the government's or opposition's main team.

Past Government and Opposition Leaders

Party Donors

Political parties receive money from different sources. For the 2015–2016 financial year, some of the biggest known donors to the National Party included: Manildra Group, Ognis Pty Ltd, Trepang Services, Northwake Pty Ltd, Hancock Prospecting, Bindaree Beef, Mowburn Nominees, Retail Guild of Australia, CropLife International, and Macquarie Group.

The National Party also receives money in ways that are not always publicly known. This can happen through groups like John McEwen House, Pilliwinks, and Doogary.

See also

In Spanish: Partido Nacional de Australia para niños

• Young Nationals (Australia)
• Leader of the New South Wales National Party
• Katter's Australian Party
• National Party of Australia leadership spill, 2007