LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

one of the major Australian political parties. In its current form it was founded in 1944 by Robert Gordon Menzies. The original Liberals emerged in 1910 as an alliance of radical protectionists and laissez-faire free traders who were united mainly in opposition to the growing strength of what became the Australian Labor Party. Known in 1910 as the Fusion, they first fought an election under the Liberal label in 1913, losing to Labor, against whom, at this stage, they were able to offer no distinctive program. The Liberals first came to power during World War I when, as a result of a Labor split over conscription, they merged with pro-conscription elements of that party to form the Nationalist Party. Following a general election of 1922, the Nationalists sought an alliance with the newly emerged Country Party (now the National Party). This permitted the Liberal contingent of the Nationalist Party to remove the Labor leadership of that party, which was renamed the Nationalist-Country alliance and which became more conservative. The alliance dominated federal politics until 1929, when it was defeated partly as a result of the increasingly hard line that was adopted toward the unions in the bitter labour disputes of the 1920s. At the end of 1931, however, following an alliance with elements of the Labor Party, the Nationalists came back into office as the United Australia Party. Their policy was to counter the effects of the Great Depression with a program of reduction in government expenditure. The United Australia Party, usually in coalition with the Country Party, was dominant until 1937, after which it was weakened by internal division and lack of a clear program; it eventually fell, in 1941. Out of the remains of the United Australia Party a new Liberal Party was established in October 1944. In 1949, in cooperation with the Country Party, it was led back to power by Menzies, who was prime minister of Australia from 1949 to 1966. The Liberal-Country coalition dominated Australian politics and controlled the government until 1972, when Labor came to power, and again from 1975 to 1983. Led by John Howard, the Liberal party regained power from Labor in 1996, forming a coalition government with the National Party. Important elements of the Liberal program have been strong ties with the business community and close cooperation with the United States.