National Party of Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids National Party of Australia
Abbreviation	NP NPA
Leader	David Littleproud
Deputy Leader	Perin Davey
Senate Leader	Bridget McKenzie
Deputy Senate Leader	Perin Davey
President	Kay Hull
Founder	Eleven co-founders
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
Ideology	Conservatism (Australian) Agrarianism
Political position	Centre-right to right-wing
National affiliation	Liberal–National Coalition
Colours	Green      Yellow
Governing body	Federal Council
Party branches	NSW Qld SA Tas Vic WA
House of Representatives	15 / 151
Senate	6 / 76

The National Party of Australia, often called The Nationals or The Nats, is an Australian political party. It is known for supporting people in regional areas, especially farmers. The party started in 1920 as the Australian Country Party.

In 1975, its name changed to the National Country Party. Then, in 1982, it became the National Party of Australia. A main goal of the Nationals is to support farmers. They do this through government help or community efforts.

The Nationals often work with the Liberal Party to form a group called the Liberal–National Coalition. When the Coalition is in power, the leader of the Nationals usually becomes the Deputy Prime Minister. This shows how closely the two parties work together. Sometimes, people have suggested that the Liberal and National parties should officially join. For example, in Queensland, the Country Party (later National Party) joined 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 the area of Maranoa in Queensland. He became leader in May 2022. The party's deputy leader is Perin Davey, who is a Senator for New South Wales.

The History of the National Party

The Country Party, which is now the National Party, officially began in 1913 in Western Australia. It became a national party in 1920. It grew from smaller state groups like the Victorian Farmers' Union (VFU).

The VFU won a seat in the House of Representatives in 1918. This was helped by a new way of voting called preferential voting. In the 1919 federal election, Country Parties in different states won seats. In 1920, William McWilliams from Tasmania became the first national leader of the Country Party. He said the party would work hard to help primary producers, like farmers. McWilliams was replaced by Earle Page in April 1921.

Early Power and Coalitions

In the 1922 election, the Country Party gained a lot of power. They won enough seats to stop the Nationalist Party from having a majority. Earle Page, the new leader, said his party would only work with the Nationalists if their leader, Hughes, stepped down. Hughes resigned, and Page then worked with the new Nationalist leader, Stanley Bruce.

Page asked for a lot for his party to join the government. He wanted five spots in the Cabinet (the main group of government ministers), including the Treasurer role. He also wanted to be the second most important person in the government. Bruce agreed, and the "Bruce-Page Ministry" was formed. This started the tradition of the Country Party leader being the second most important person in Coalition governments.

Page led the party until 1939. He even briefly served as Prime Minister in 1939 after Joseph Lyons passed away. The Coalition government was formed again in 1940 under Archie Cameron. It continued even when Arthur Fadden became leader after the 1940 election. Fadden was a strong supporter of Menzies. When Menzies had to resign as Prime Minister, Fadden briefly took over. However, his government soon fell.

After losing the 1943 election, Fadden became the Deputy Leader of the Opposition under Menzies. Menzies later created the Liberal Party of Australia. Fadden remained a loyal partner to Menzies. In the lead-up to the 1949 federal election, Fadden played a big part in helping the Coalition win. He often made strong statements about the Labor Party, which Menzies could then make sound more moderate. 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.

The McEwen Era and Party Changes

John McEwen took over from Fadden as leader in 1958. He was the Trade Minister. McEwen focused on helping Australian primary producers. He signed important trade deals with Japan, New Zealand, Britain, and the USSR. He also pushed for a system to protect Australian industries that added value to raw products. This was known as "McEwenism." This was a time when the Country Party had a lot of power.

When Menzies retired in 1966, Harold Holt became Prime Minister. McEwen was the longest-serving member of the government. He had a lot of influence on government decisions. When Holt disappeared in 1967, McEwen became interim Prime Minister. McEwen was known for being tough in politics, earning him the nickname "Black Jack."

At the state level, the Country Party was very strong in Queensland from 1957 to 1989. This was partly due to a system called the "bjelkemander," which gave rural voters more power. The party also took part in governments in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia.

However, over time, the Country Party started to lose support. This was because fewer people lived in rural areas, and some areas near cities changed. In 1974, the party's members in the Northern Territory joined with Liberal members to form the Country Liberal Party. This new party still represents both groups in that territory.

Becoming the National Party

In the 1970s, Australia's population changed. Cities grew much faster than remote rural areas. This meant fewer people lived in the National Party's traditional strongholds. On May 2, 1975, the Country Party changed its name to the National Country Party of Australia. This was an attempt to gain more support in urban areas. This worked somewhat in Queensland, but not elsewhere.

The 1980s saw disagreements between the federal party and the Queensland leader, Joh Bjelke-Petersen. In 1987, Bjelke-Petersen tried to become Prime Minister, which caused the Nationals to break their agreement with the Liberals. This plan, known as "Joh for Canberra," did not work out. The Labor Party won the election. After this, Bjelke-Petersen retired, and the Queensland Nationals lost heavily in 1989.

The federal National Party also had a tough time in the 1990 election. Their leader, Charles Blunt, lost his seat. His successor, Tim Fischer, helped the party recover some seats in the 1993 election. In 1996, the Coalition won a big victory, and Fischer became Deputy Prime Minister under John Howard.

In the late 1990s, the Nationals faced challenges. Some people felt the party was too similar to the Liberal Party. Also, a new party, the One Nation Party, gained support from unhappy rural voters. At the 1998 federal election, the National Party had its lowest ever share of the vote.

Under leaders like Fischer and John Anderson, the Nationals rarely disagreed publicly with the Liberal Party. This made it harder for them to show they were a separate party for rural Australia. In the 2001 and 2004 elections, the party's vote continued to decline.

Experts like Antony Green say that the National Party's decline is due to two main reasons. First, the rural sector is less important to the national economy than it used to be. Second, there are growing differences in values between people in rural and urban Australia.

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

In 2010, the party received its lowest vote share ever, but they gained a few more seats. In the 2013 election, their fortunes improved slightly. In the 2016 election, under Barnaby Joyce, the party gained more seats. In 2018, Barnaby Joyce resigned as leader and Deputy Prime Minister.

In the 2019 federal election, the National Party's vote only slightly decreased, despite challenges like drought.

State and Territory Parties

The National Party has different groups in each state and territory. These groups work together with the federal party.

The Role of the National Party

John McEwen House, The National Party's headquarters in Canberra

The Nationals believe their main job is to speak for Australians who live outside big cities. This includes people in regional and rural areas.

When the Coalition is in government, the leader of the National Party usually becomes the Deputy Prime Minister. This tradition started in 1968.

The National Party gets a lot of its support from the farming community. Historically, the party has supported farmers through government help. They have also pushed for free trade in agriculture. They often oppose rules that protect manufacturing industries. The party generally supports industrial development and is not usually focused on green politics.

The idea of "countrymindedness" was important to the Country Party from 1920 to the early 1970s. This idea meant that people in rural areas felt connected and supported each other. It also led to calls for government help for rural areas. This idea grew because rural areas did not grow as fast as cities after 1890. It declined as more people moved from the country to cities for jobs.

The Nationals' vote 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 the 2004 federal election, the National Party has received fewer votes than the Australian Greens.

Changes in where people live are also affecting the party. Fewer people live and work on farms or in small towns. Larger regional centers are growing, and sometimes people from cities move to rural areas. The Liberal Party has also gained support. This is because the differences between the two parties in the Coalition have become less clear. In 2006, a Nationals Senator, Julian McGauran, even joined the Liberals. He said there was "no longer any real distinguishing policy or philosophical difference."

In Queensland, the Nationals leader, Lawrence Springborg, suggested that the National and Liberal parties should merge at the state level. This was to create a stronger opposition to the Labor Party. This idea was initially rejected by the Queensland Liberal Party. However, it later gained some support. The federal leader, Mark Vaile, said the Nationals would not merge with the Liberal Party at the federal level. The merger plan was stopped in 2006. After losing the 2006 Queensland election, Lawrence Springborg was replaced by Jeff Seeney. Seeney 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. In 2017, Joyce and former deputy leader Fiona Nash were disqualified from parliament. This was because they held dual citizenship, which is not allowed for Australian politicians.

Queensland Liberal/National Merger

Plans for a merger became serious in May 2008. The Queensland state Liberal Party announced they would merge right away. They did not wait for a federal plan. The new party, the Liberal National Party, was formed in July 2008.

Election Results Over Time

This table shows how the National Party has performed in federal elections over the years. It lists the leader, the percentage of votes received, and how many seats they won in the House of Representatives.

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
1919*	none	176,884	9.3	11 / 75	11	Crossbench
1922	Earle Page	197,513	12.5	14 / 75	3	Coalition
1925		313,363	10.7	13 / 75	1	Coalition
1928		271,686	10.4	13 / 75	0	Coalition
1929		295,640	10.2	10 / 75	3	Opposition
1931		388,544	12.2	16 / 75	6	Crossbench
1934		447,968	12.6	14 / 74	2	Coalition
1937		560,279	15.5	16 / 74	2	Coalition
1940	Archie Cameron	531,397	13.7	13 / 74	3	Coalition
1943	Arthur Fadden	287,000	6.9	7 / 74	6	Opposition
1946		464,737	10.7	11 / 76	4	Opposition
1949		500,349	10.8	19 / 121	8	Coalition
1951		443,713	9.7	17 / 121	2	Coalition
1954		388,171	8.5	17 / 121	0	Coalition
1955		347,445	7.9	18 / 122	1	Coalition
1958	John McEwen	465,320	9.3	19 / 122	1	Coalition
1961		446,475	8.5	17 / 122	2	Coalition
1963		489,498	8.9	20 / 122	3	Coalition
1966		561,926	9.8	21 / 124	1	Coalition
1969		523,232	8.5	20 / 125	1	Coalition
1972	Doug Anthony	622,826	9.4	20 / 125	0	Opposition
1974		736,252	9.9	21 / 127	1	Opposition
1975		869,919	11.2	23 / 127	2	Coalition
1977		793,444	10.0	19 / 124	4	Coalition
1980		745,037	8.9	20 / 125	1	Coalition
1983		799,609	9.2	17 / 125	3	Opposition
1984	Ian Sinclair	921,151	10.6	21 / 148	4	Opposition
1987		1,060,976	11.5	19 / 148	2	Opposition
1990	Charles Blunt	833,557	8.4	14 / 148	5	Opposition
1993	Tim Fischer	758,036	7.1	16 / 147	2	Opposition
1996		893,170	7.1	18 / 148	2	Coalition
1998		588,088	5.2	16 / 148	2	Coalition
2001	John Anderson	643,926	5.6	13 / 150	3	Coalition
2004		690,275	5.8	12 / 150	1	Coalition
2007	Mark Vaile	682,424	5.4	10 / 150	2	Opposition
2010	Warren Truss	419,286	3.4	12 / 150	2	Opposition
2013		554,268	4.2	15 / 150	3	Coalition
2016	Barnaby Joyce	624,555	4.6	16 / 150	1	Coalition
2019	Michael McCormack	642,233	4.5	16 / 151	0	Coalition
2022	Barnaby Joyce	528,442	3.6	16 / 151	0	Opposition

Leadership

This section lists the people who have led the National Party of Australia.

List of Leaders

#	Leader		Term start	Term end	Time in office	Notes
1		McWilliams, WilliamWilliam McWilliams	24 February 1920	5 April 1921	1 year, 40 days
2		Page, EarleEarle Page	5 April 1921	13 September 1939	18 years, 161 days	Prime Minister: 1939 Deputy PM: 1923–29, 1934–39
3		Cameron, ArchieArchie Cameron	13 September 1939	16 October 1940	1 year, 33 days	Deputy PM: 1940
4		Fadden, ArthurArthur Fadden	16 October 1940 acting until 12 March 1941	12 March 1958	17 years, 147 days	Prime Minister: 1941 Deputy PM: 1940–41, 1949–58
5		McEwen, JohnJohn McEwen	26 March 1958	1 February 1971	12 years, 312 days	Prime Minister: 1967–68 Deputy PM: 1958–67, 1968–71
6		Anthony, DougDoug Anthony	2 February 1971	17 January 1984	12 years, 349 days	Deputy PM: 1971–72, 1975–83
7		Sinclair, IanIan Sinclair	17 January 1984	9 May 1989	5 years, 112 days
8		Blunt, CharlesCharles Blunt	9 May 1989	6 April 1990	332 days
9		Fischer, TimTim Fischer	19 April 1990	1 July 1999	9 years, 73 days	Deputy PM: 1996–99
10		Anderson, JohnJohn Anderson	1 July 1999	23 June 2005	5 years, 357 days	Deputy PM: 1999–2005
11		Vaile, MarkMark Vaile	23 June 2005	3 December 2007	2 years, 163 days	Deputy PM: 2005–07
12		Truss, WarrenWarren Truss	7 December 2007	11 February 2016	8 years, 66 days	Deputy PM: 2013–16
13		Joyce, BarnabyBarnaby Joyce	11 February 2016	26 February 2018	2 years, 14 days	Deputy PM: 2016–18
14		McCormack, MichaelMichael McCormack	26 February 2018	21 June 2021	3 years, 116 days	Deputy PM: 2018–21
(13)		Joyce, BarnabyBarnaby Joyce	21 June 2021	30 May 2022	343 days	Deputy PM: 2021–22
15		Littleproud, DavidDavid Littleproud	30 May 2022	Incumbent	3 years, 54 days

List of Deputy Leaders

List of Senate Leaders

The Country Party's first Senators started their terms in 1926. However, the party did not have an official leader in the Senate until 1935. Before that, they had a "representative" if needed. This was so Senators could speak freely and not be told what to do by a party leader. On October 3, 1935, Charles Hardy was elected as the first "Leader of the Country Party in the Senate." After Hardy's term ended in 1938, the party did not elect another Senate leader until 1949. This was likely because they had very few Senators.

Unlike the leader in the House of Representatives, the Senate leader has not always been part of the government's main group of ministers.

Past Government and Opposition Leaders

This section lists National Party members who have held important leadership roles in government or opposition.

Federal Leaders

Queensland Leaders

Victoria Leaders

Western Australia Leaders

Images for kids

• 

  William McWilliams, Country Party leader 1920–1921

• 

  Sir Earle Page, Prime Minister of Australia 1939

• 

  Sir Arthur Fadden, Prime Minister of Australia 1941

• 

  Sir John McEwen, Prime Minister of Australia 1967–68

• 

  John McEwen being sworn in as Prime Minister on 19 December 1967.

• 

  Prime Minister John Gorton and new Deputy Prime Minister Doug Anthony at the swearing-in of new Country Party ministers to the Second Gorton Ministry on 5 February 1971 following the retirement of McEwen.

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