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OTHER PARTIES
There are many other small political parties in Australia. They usually only attract small proportions of the vote and rarely have members elected to parliament. They can broaden electoral debate but have limited influence on government. Generally there are three types of small parties: a party of a particular doctrine or way of thinking, a party that is a break-away or 'splinter' group of a major party or a party set up to campaign on a particular issue – a 'single issue party'. Some examples are
- Australians Against Further Immigration
- The Communist Party of Australia
- The Democratic Labor Party
- Nuclear Disarmament Party
- Progressive Labour Party
- Australian Shooters Party
- Common Cause – No Aircraft Noise Party
INDEPENDENTS
Independents are individual citizens who are elected to federal and State Parliaments but do not belong to a political party. They are 'independent' of any binding party policy or party organisation. These representatives usually have strong local electoral support built around local issues. At times, when these members hold 'the balance of power', they can wield considerable influence on a government which is dependent on their support.
Please Note: The party lists in the "Select a Party" drop down menu and "Parties at a Glance" are not exhaustive. To find parties not on these lists and their representatives, please use either the "Select a Parliament" option and scroll down the list, or select "Text" to perform a keyword search of the database.
Political Parties in Australia
Political parties have become an essential part of Australia's parliamentary democracy. In Australia, governments work from a 'party system'. This means that the party or the coalition of parties with the largest number of elected members in parliament usually forms the government of the day.
Political parties are formed by groups of people with common interests and outlook who come together with the aim of either forming government or strengthening their influence on government. Each party creates policies that will achieve its aims and then presents candidates for election to parliament. If a party's policies are attractive to enough voters they will achieve a majority of members in the parliament and then form the government. As the government they can then put their ideas into action. The party with the second largest number of members usually forms the official 'opposition'. Parties with only a few seats in parliament are referred to as 'minor parties'. Individual citizens who are not members of a party may also be elected to parliament and they become known as 'independents'. Independents and minor parties can have considerable influence on what a government can do but it is the party or coalition of parties with the majority of seats which forms government.
Parties vary in their size and ways of organising as well as in their policies. Some parties operate both nationally and in each of the States. Others operate only at a State level. Also, as society and issues change, so do the parties. They can change their policies, their support base, their organisation – and sometimes, their name! Some parties have a very short life span while others seem able to maintain themselves as long-term players on the political stage.
Currently there are 70 political parties registered with the Australian Electoral Commission. The parties described here are the main parties currently operating in Australian parliaments.
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