Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Australian Politics and Policy
The Fraser government was defeated in 1983 and the Liberal Party spent 13
years in opposition, returning to power under the leadership of John Howard.
Howard’s government was similar to that of Menzies in that it pursued economic
reform while advancing socially conservative policies. 38 Much to the chagrin of
many rural and regional voters, the government succeeded in bringing about a
national firearms agreement following the Port Arthur shootings in 1996. In 2000,
it implemented the Goods and Services Tax. The government also introduced
welfare measures, including a first homeowner’s grant and a lump-sum payment
to new parents, known as the ‘baby bonus’. Border and national security became
defining issues for the Howard government, especially in the aftermath of the
terrorist attacks in the USA in September 2001. 39
The Liberal Party was defeated in 2007 but was returned to power in 2013, with
Tony Abbott as leader. Abbott’s prime ministership combined elements of social
conservatism and economic liberalisation. Abbott sought to reinforce Australia’s
links to Britain, supporting the monarchy by reintroducing knight and dame
honours for Australians. The government also advanced economic liberalisation
measures such as ending subsidies to vehicle manufacturers, which led to the
eventual closure of car-making plants in Australia. The Abbott government
disestablished policies of the previous Labor government, especially those
concerning climate change. 40
The Liberal Party demonstrated how the gift of leadership could be taken away
by the parliamentary wing when, in 2015, it replaced Abbott with Malcolm Turnbull.
As prime minister, Turnbull advanced a more socially progressive agenda. One of
the most significant policy changes overseen by the Turnbull government was in
2017, when, after a national public vote, legislation was changed to allow same-sex
marriage in Australia. The parliamentary wing again showed its capacity to choose
leaders at will, replacing Turnbull with Scott Morrison in 2018, following a series of
poor opinion poll results.
The National Party
The National Party (also known as the Nationals), which was originally known as
the Country Party, is Australia’s second oldest political party. It was created with
the aim of representing the interests of rural and regional areas and contested
its first federal election in 1919. The party was originally underpinned by the
primary producers in the agriculture sector, which was responsible for providing a
significant source of export income.
38 See Hollander 2008.
39 See McKay, Hall and Lippi 2017.
40 See Talberg, Hui and Loynes 2016.
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