Misplaced Pages

New South Wales National Party

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from National Party of Australia - NSW)

Political party in Australia
New South Wales National Party
LeaderDugald Saunders
Deputy LeaderGurmesh Singh
Founded1919; 105 years ago (1919)
Preceded byProgressive Party
Headquarters107 Pitt Street, Sydney
Youth wingYoung Nationals
Membership (2020)Decrease 3,036
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right
National affiliationFederal Nationals
Colours    Green and Yellow
Slogan"It's Your Time"
Legislative Assembly11 / 93
Legislative Council6 / 42
House of
Representatives
7 / 47(NSW seats)
Senate2 / 12(NSW seats)
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council1 / 9
Website
www.nswnationals.org.au

The National Party of Australia – N.S.W., commonly known as "The Nationals" or the NSW Nationals, is a political party in New South Wales which forms the state branch of the federal Nationals and has traditionally represented graziers, farmers, and rural voters generally.

The party has generally been the junior partner in a centre-right Coalition with the NSW branch of the Liberal Party of Australia. Since 1927, the Nationals have been in Coalition with the Liberals and their predecessors, the Nationalist Party of Australia (1927–1931), the United Australia Party (1931–1943), and the Democratic Party (1943–1945). During periods of conservative government, the leader of the Nationals also serves as Deputy Premier of New South Wales. When the conservatives are in opposition, the Liberal and National parties usually form a joint opposition bench. New South Wales is the only state where the Coalition has never been broken, and yet has not merged into a unified non-Labor party.

History

Name changes

The movement began as the Progressive Party, from the 1922 split until 1925. It then used the name the Country Party until 1977, when it became the National Country Party. The party's name was changed to the National Party of Australia in 1982.

  • 13 October 1919 – The Farmers' and Settlers' Association of New South Wales, the NSW Graziers' Association and the People's Party of Soldiers and Citizens meet as the first electoral council of the Progressive Party of New South Wales.
  • 15 December 1921 – Split of the Progressive Party between urban and rural wings. Rural wing (known as the "True Blues") continues as the Progressive Party.
  • 12 August 1925 – Michael Bruxner announces to the NSW Legislative Assembly that the party has changed its name to the Country Party of New South Wales.
  • 24 September 1931 – In order to clarify its support for the New England New State Movement, the party name changes to the United Country Party of New South Wales.
  • 9 February 1944 – The State Conference agrees to a further name change as the Australian Country Party (N.S.W.).
  • 26 June 1976 – The State Conference held in Broken Hill rejects a proposal to follow the federal party and rename itself as the "National Country Party of Australia – NSW".
  • 26 June 1977 – The following State Conference held in Coffs Harbour approves the name change to the National Country Party of Australia – NSW.
  • 26 June 1982 – The annual State Conference held in Wagga Wagga approves the name change to the National Party of Australia – NSW. The federal party does not make the same change until its Federal Conference on 16 October.
  • 25 October 2003 – The NSW Central Council of the party approves the 11 October decision of the federal executive to use the term, The Nationals, in all state and federal election campaigns.

Government (2010s and 2020s)

As a measure of the Coalition's then-solidity in NSW, the Liberals won enough seats to theoretically govern alone during the Coalition's massive landslide at the 2011 state election. However, new Premier Barry O'Farrell kept the Nationals in his government.

Neo-Nazi infiltration

In 2018, the party revealed that approximately 30 members of its youth wing were being investigated for alleged links to neo-Nazism. Federal Nationals leader Michael McCormack denounced these attempts stating that: "The Nationals will not tolerate extremism or the politics of hate. People found to engage with such radicalism are not welcome in our party. We are a grassroots party proudly championing what matters most to our regional and rural communities – always has been, always will be". Several suspected neo-Nazis were expelled from the party and its youth wing. John Barilaro, the leader of the NSW Nationals, also denounced racism and fascism within the party stating that: "I have no problems calling this out, this is something I'm very strong on, I do not accept racism".

Planned move to crossbench

On 10 September 2020, the Nationals NSW declared that they would no longer support the legislation of the NSW Liberal Party, and would effectively move to the crossbenches in Parliament. This was caused due to a new amendments to planning regulation which looked to class more forested area as koala habitat, restricting land clearing in such areas and increasing compliance for landowners, to which they disagreed with. In response, the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, threatened to sack Barilaro and his colleagues from cabinet. Less than 24 hours later, on the morning of 11 September 2020, the Nationals backed down and rejoined the government.

Leadership

Leaders

People who served as the Leader of National Party of Australia in New South Wales are:

Leader Term start Term end Time in office Deputy Premier Notes
Michael Bruxner 1921 1925 3–4 years No
Ernest Buttenshaw 1925 1932 6–7 years No
Michael Bruxner 1932 7 May 1958 25–26 years 1932–1941
Davis Hughes 7 May 1958 26 March 1959 0–1 years No
Sir Charles Cutler 26 March 1959 16 December 1975 15–16 years 1965–1975
Leon Punch 17 December 1975 2 July 1985 9–10 years 1975–1976
Wal Murray 2 July 1985 26 May 1993 7–8 years 1988–1993
Ian Armstrong 28 June 1993 14 January 1999 5 years, 200 days 1993–1995
George Souris 14 January 1999 31 March 2003 4 years, 76 days No
Andrew Stoner 31 March 2003 16 October 2014 11 years, 199 days 2011–2014
Troy Grant 16 October 2014 15 November 2016 2 years, 30 days 2014–2016
John Barilaro 15 November 2016 6 October 2021 4 years, 325 days 2016–2021
Paul Toole 6 October 2021 8 May 2023 1 year, 214 days 2021–2023
Dugald Saunders 8 May 2023 Incumbent 1 year, 225 days

Deputy Leaders

People who served as the Deputy Leader of National Party of Australia in New South Wales are:

Deputy Leader Term start Term end Time in office Leader Notes
William Fleming 1922 1922 0 years Michael Bruxner
Ernest Buttenshaw 1922 1925 2–3 years
William Missingham 1925 1932 6–7 years Ernest Buttenshaw
David Drummond 1932 1949 16–17 years Michael Bruxner
Roy Vincent 1950 1953 2–3 years
Doug Dickson 1953 1958 4–5 years
Charles Cutler 1958 1959 0–1 years Davis Hughes
Bill Chaffey 1959 1968 8–9 years Charles Cutler
Davis Hughes 1968 1973 4–5 years
Leon Punch 1973 1975 1–2 years
Tim Bruxner 1975 1981 5–6 years Leon Punch
Wal Murray 1981 1984 2–3 years
Ian Armstrong 4 April 1984 28 June 1993 9 years, 85 days Wal Murray
George Souris 28 June 1993 14 January 1999 5 years, 200 days Ian Armstrong
John Turner 14 January 1999 31 March 2003 4 years, 76 days George Souris
Don Page 31 March 2003 28 March 2007 3 years, 362 days Andrew Stoner
Andrew Fraser 28 March 2007 22 October 2008 1 year, 208 days
Adrian Piccoli 22 October 2008 15 November 2016 8 years, 24 days
Troy Grant
Niall Blair 15 November 2016 2 April 2019 2 years, 138 days John Barilaro
Paul Toole 29 March 2019 6 October 2021 1 year, 208 days
Bronnie Taylor 12 October 2021 20 June 2024 2 years, 252 days Paul Toole
Dugald Saunders
Gurmesh Singh 20 June 2024 Incumbent 182 days

Election results

Election Seats won ± Total votes % Position Leader
1927 13 / 90 Increase4 100,963 8.89% NP-CP Coalition government Ernest Buttenshaw
1930 12 / 90 Decrease1 126,779 9.56% Opposition
1932 23 / 90 Increase11 175,862 13.16% UAP-CP Coalition government Michael Bruxner
1935 23 / 90 162,178 12.92% UAP-CP Coalition government
1938 22 / 90 Decrease1 164,045 13.86% UAP-CP Coalition government
1941 12 / 90 Decrease10 153,639 11.05% Opposition
1944 10 / 90 Decrease2 131,950 10.41% Opposition
1947 15 / 90 Increase5 162,467 10.22% Opposition
1950 17 / 94 Increase2 144,573 8.97% Opposition
1953 14 / 94 Decrease3 179,680 11.6% Opposition
1956 15 / 94 Increase1 172,020 10.16% Opposition
1959 16 / 94 Increase1 148,738 8.71% Opposition Charles Cutler
1962 14 / 94 Decrease2 180,640 9.37% Opposition
1965 16 / 94 Increase2 208,826 10.23% LP-CP Coalition government
1968 17 / 94 Increase1 229,656 10.62% LP-CP Coalition government
1971 17 / 96 193,509 8.65% LP-CP Coalition government
1973 18 / 99 Increase1 261,504 10.48% LP-CP Coalition government Leon Punch
1976 18 / 99 270,603 10.03% Opposition
1978 17 / 99 Decrease1 276,984 9.90% Opposition
1981 14 / 99 Decrease3 314,841 11.21% Opposition
1984 15 / 99 Increase1 266,095 8.85% Opposition
1988 20 / 109 Increase5 440,482 13.74% LP-NP Coalition government Wal Murray
1991 17 / 99 Decrease3 324,214 10.52% LP-NP Minority government
1995 17 / 99 378,878 11.10% Opposition Ian Armstrong
1999 13 / 93 Decrease4 331,343 8.87% Opposition George Souris
2003 12 / 93 Decrease1 368,004 9.63% Opposition
2007 13 / 93 Increase1 396,023 10.05% Opposition Andrew Stoner
2011 18 / 93 Increase5 521,864 12.56% LP-NP Coalition government
2015 17 / 93 Decrease1 464,653 10.55% LP-NP Coalition government Troy Grant
2019 13 / 93 Decrease4 436,806 9.60% LP-NP Coalition government John Barilaro
2023 11 / 93 Decrease2 403,962 8.59% Opposition Paul Toole

Notes

  1. The membership figures were reportedly 7,779 in 2011 and dropped to 5,802 by June 2019. In 2021 it was reported by Crikey, citing supplied figures from the Grattan Institute, that the party's membership was numbered at 3,036, as of 2020. The total membership figures of the Liberal–National Coalition in New South Wales are 14,942 as of 2020.
  2. The party name includes the periods in "N.S.W." according to the Australian Electoral Commission.

References

  1. Hannam, Peter (4 October 2020). "'Shocked': quarter of Nationals members quit since coming to power". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  2. Hardaker, David (30 July 2021). "National party membership tumbles in NSW, Greens now have more". Crikey. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  3. "National Party Constitution" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  4. "Current register of political parties". Australian Electoral Commission. 22 March 2017.
  5. Davey, Paul (2006). The Nationals: The Progressive, Country, and National Party in New South Wales 1919–2006. Leichhardt: Federation Press. pp. 452–453.
  6. An abridged list of articles discussing neo-Nazi infiltration:
  7. "NSW Government in turmoil as 'betrayed' Nationals effectively leave Coalition over koala bill". abc.net.au. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  8. Smith, Alexandra (11 September 2020). "NSW Nationals back down after Berejiklian's ultimatum". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  9. ^ Aitkin, Don. "Bruxner, Sir Michael Frederick (1882–1970)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
  10. ^ Kingston, Beverley. "Buttenshaw, Ernest Albert (1876–1950)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Sir Davis Hughes (1910–2003)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  12. "Sir Charles Benjamin Cutler (1918–2006)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  13. ^ "The Hon. Leon Ashton Punch (1928–1991)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Mr (Wal) Wallace Telford John Murray (1931-2004)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  15. ^ "The Hon. Ian Morton Armstrong". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  16. ^ "The Hon. George Souris". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  17. "The Hon. Andrew John Stoner (1960- )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  18. "The Hon. Troy Wayne Grant (1970- )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  19. "The Hon. (John) Giovanni Domenic Barilaro, MP". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  20. "The Hon. Paul Lawrence Toole, MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  21. Piggin, Stuart. "Fleming, William Montgomerie (1874–1961)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  22. "Mr William Thomas Missingham (1868–1933)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  23. Belshaw, Jim. "Drummond, David Henry (1890-1965)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  24. Sturma, Michael. "Vincent, Roy Stanley (1892–1965)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  25. "Mr Samuel Douglas Dickson (1894-1960)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  26. "Sir Charles Benjamin Cutler (1918–2006)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  27. Connors, Tom. "Chaffey, William Adolphus (Bill) (1915–1987)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  28. "The Hon. James Caird Bruxner". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  29. "Mr John Harcourt Turner (1949- )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  30. "The Hon. Donald Loftus Page". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  31. "Mr Andrew Raymond Gordon Fraser, MP (1952 - )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  32. "Mr Adrian Piccoli (1970 - )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  33. "The Hon. Niall Mark Blair MLC". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  34. "The Hon. Paul Lawrence Toole MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  35. "The Hon. (Bronnie) Bronwyn Taylor, MLC". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 April 2019.

External links

National Party of Australia
Leaders
Deputy leaders
Ministries
State & Territory Divisions
Organisations
History
Current members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Labor (45)
Coalition (35)
Liberal (24)
Nationals (11)
Greens (3)
Independents (10)
Current members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Labor (15)
Coalition (14)
Liberal (9)
Nationals (5)
Greens (4)
SFF (2)
Other (7)
Political parties in New South Wales
Parliamentary parties
Extra-Parliamentary
NSWEC-registered parties
Defunct parties
Government of New South Wales
Executive Coat of arms New South Wales
Legislative
Judicial
Elections
Political parties
Categories: