Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

The Australian party system
Party systems vary across liberal democracies. Party systems are characterised
by the number of parties elected to parliament and forming government. 6 England,
for example, can be seen to have a two-party system as the competition for
executive control is between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. The
USA is also an example of a two-party system because of the domination of the
Democratic and Republican parties. 7 European polities such as Germany and Italy
have multiparty systems – a range of parties win representation to parliament and
government is the product of parties forming coalitions. 8
The electoral system (i.e. the method by which candidates are elected to
parliament) influences the party system. 9 In the 1950s, political scientist Maurice
Duverger hypothesised that in a system that elects a single member to represent
each geographic area through a majoritarian electoral method, two parties will
dominate. 10 In contrast, Duverger argued that proportional representation would
foster a multiparty system. 11
This chapter begins by examining the party system in the Australian House
of Representatives. It explores the major parties that have consistently won
representation in the chamber, highlighting how their origins, policy traditions
and organisation continue to be important in contemporary politics. The chapter
then considers the party system that exists in the Australian Senate. In doing so, it
examinestheevolutionofthetypesofpartieselectedtotheupperhouse.
Party system in the House of Representatives
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) and a series of non-Labor parties have dominated
the House of Representatives since Federation. 12 In fact, it was not until 2010
thatthefirstminorpartywonaseatinthechamberatageneralelectioninthe
postwar period. 13
The party system in the House of Representatives can be seen as an example
of ‘tripartism’ if the Labor, Liberal and National parties are considered as separate
entities. 14 While the National Party is numerically smaller than the other major
parties, it has held government positions thanks to its coalition deal with the
Liberals. 15 It is therefore considered to be part of the anti-Labor grouping in the
House of Representatives, which means the party system in this chamber is an
6 See Duverger 1967.
7 See Sundquist 1983.
8 Kreppel 2002.
9 See also Riker 1982.
10 Duverger 1954, 217.
11 Duverger 1954, 239.
12 Aitkin 1977; Jaensch 1989a.
13 The Australian Greens won the seat of Melbourne.
14 Duverger 1967, 235.
15 Woodward 2006.
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