Protectionist Party Facts for Kids

This article is about the Protectionist Party of 1889-1909.

Quick facts for kids Protectionist Party
Leader	Alfred Deakin
Founded	1889
Dissolved	1909
Succeeded by	Commonwealth Liberal Party
Ideology	Protectionism Liberalism Conservatism
Politics of Australia Political parties

The Protectionist Party was an important political group in Australia from 1889 to 1909. This party believed in a policy called protectionism. This meant they wanted to protect Australian businesses and jobs.

They thought that Australia should put special taxes, called tariffs, on goods coming from other countries. This would make imported goods more expensive. Then, people would buy more Australian-made products. This idea was very popular in Victoria and in country areas of New South Wales.

Two of the party's most famous leaders were Sir Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin. Sir Edmund Barton was Australia's very first Prime Minister. Alfred Deakin became the second Prime Minister.

Forming Australia's First Government
The Party's Decline and Merger
Modern Protectionist Party
Images for kids
See also

Forming Australia's First Government

The Protectionist Party helped form Australia's first national government. They did this with the help of the Labor Party. The Labor Party agreed to support the Protectionists. In return, the Protectionists agreed to introduce some social changes that Labor wanted.

However, the Labor Party's ideas were sometimes too new or different for the Protectionists. So, they often had to find a middle ground and make compromises. Because no single party had a clear majority, Australia saw several changes in government during this time.

The Party's Decline and Merger

By the 1906 federal election, fewer people were voting for the Protectionist Party. The Labor Party was growing stronger. They formed their first government in 1904. Then, they formed another one in 1908, led by Andrew Fisher.

Many people started to think that a strong group was needed to stand against the Labor Party. This new group would be "anti-socialist". So, Alfred Deakin, the Protectionist leader, began talking with Joseph Cook. Joseph Cook was the leader of the Anti-Socialist Party. They discussed joining their parties together.

Not all Protectionists agreed with this idea. Some, like Isaac Isaacs and H. B. Higgins, were more "liberal" in their views. They did not want to merge with the Anti-Socialist Party. This disagreement caused the Protectionist Party to split.

Most members, including Deakin, decided to join with the Anti-Socialist Party. They formed a new party called the Commonwealth Liberal Party. This joining of parties was known as "the Fusion." The Protectionists who disagreed with the merger chose to support the Labor Party instead.

The Fusion party formed another government for a short time. But soon after, Andrew Fisher and the Labor Party won a big victory. They formed Australia's first federal majority government in the 1910 election. They also won the most seats in the Senate.