The National Party Prospects for the Great Survivors

After a decade of declining votes and marginalization within the Coalition, the future of National Party is uncertain. Will its insistence on its agrarian identity lead to its demise, will it amalgamate with federal and state Liberal parties across the country, or will it continue to be the great survivor of Australian politics? The National Party of Australia is under challenge. Will it be able to adapt and survive or will it become increasingly irrelevant in Australian politics? With population growth in some coastal and hinterland areas and decline in inland agricultural areas, the face of rural and regional Australia is changing. As a result, the National Party's traditional support is being eroded. Within the longstanding Coalition, the influence of the Nationals appears to be in decline, yet they continue to resist amalgamation with the Liberal Party. The authors describe a small party, with a strong agrarian identity, surviving amongst major parties that are deeply rooted in an increasingly dominant urban political landscape. They consider the policy and political options and potential electoral strategies for survival and perhaps, renewal.

Linda Botterill is a Fellow in the Political Science Program at the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. Geoff Cockfield lectures in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Southern Queensland.