Political parties are groups of people who band together because they share the same views that they think are important.
Their main aim of parties is to get candidates elected into Parliament so as to influence the decisions of government.
All political parties must be registered with the AEC (Australian Electoral Commission). There are two requirements for this registration:
- The aims of the party must be submitted.
- The party must have at least 500 eligible voters, unless the party already has a member in parliament.
Not all candidates belong to a political party. Some may be independents.
Labor
- The Australian Labour Party (ALP) was established in the 1980s.
The ALP’s policies promote social justice, compassion and a fair go for all. Its main aims are to:
- Ensure wealth and power are more evenly and fairly shared in society.
- Provide jobs for everyone who wants to work.
- Abolish poverty and improve the living standards of all Australians.
- Ensure that all Australians can obtain the education, housing and community services they need.
Liberal
- The Liberal Party was formed in 1944 by Robert Menzies Liberal policies are based on the absolute rights and freedom of all people. The party believes in incentive, individual freedom and free enterprise. Its main aims are to create:
- A lean government that minimises interference and minimises taxes
- Encourages private businesses and does not compete with them
- A just and humane society in which the family and the role of law and justice are maintained.
National Party of Australia
- The National Party was founded in 1914, originally as the Country Party. It mainly represents people living in rural and regional Australia.
It’s main aims are to:
- Provide strong local community representation
- Advocate for policies that support agriculture, rural development and infrastructure improvements.
The Nationals typically align with the Liberal Party, forming the Coalition, to enhance their influence in the Parliament.
The Greens
- Formed in 1992, The Australian Green (The Greens) is a progressive, national party founded on four main principles: ecological sustainability, social and economic justice, peace and nonviolence and grassroots democracy. Its main aims are to:
- Protect and preserve the government
- Ensure that everyone in our society is treated fairly and with respect
- Create a safe, harmonious world
- Resolve differences
- Ensure that society is governed by people, and not by the wealthy and powerful.