Minor Parties and Independents
As well as the major parties, minor parties and independents will also be seeking our votes in the upcoming election - so who are they and why are they important?
We know about the two major parties in Australian politics - the Liberal Party and the Australian Labor Party. But minor parties and independents will also be seeking our votes in the upcoming election - so who are they and why are they important?
Minor Parties
Minor parties are those without enough seats to form a government. There are minor parties with seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as 20+ minor parties which don’t have seats in the current parliament. When you think of the minor parties, you're most likely thinking of the Australian Greens or the National Party of Australia.
Australian Greens
Formed in 1992, the Australian Greens were largely built around the personality of well-known Tasmanian politician Bob Brown, before expanding its representation substantially in the early part of the 21st century. The party cites four core values as its ideology: namely ecological sustainability, social justice, grassroots democracy, and peace and non-violence.
National Party of Australia
In the Australian Parliament, political parties can choose to work together to achieve their aims or create a bigger group by working together. When parties work together it is called a coalition. The Liberals and the Nationals (commonly referred to as the Coalition) have the longest-running coalition in the Parliament. While they generally vote the same way, each party may have different ideas on particular bills – proposed laws. Each party holds separate party meetings and elects the leaders of their own party.
Independents
Independent candidates do not belong to a political party. They still act in the same way as members of political parties, representing an electorate in the House of Representatives and a state or territory in the Senate. As of 2023, ten independents sit in the Australian House of Representatives and 6 independents in the Senate.
Why are independents and minor parties important?
Independents hold major parties to account!
Independent MPs can vote on bills and introduce their own legislation in Parliament. When the ruling government has a slim majority, it often relies on independents for support to pass bills. While independent bills are frequently defeated, they still spark important conversations —Zali Steggall’s Climate Change Bills are a great example.
Minor parties and independents can shift the balance of power.
In Australia’s parliamentary system, a majority in the House of Representatives is needed to form government. Minor parties can play a crucial role in tipping this balance —just look at the Coalition: the Liberals couldn’t form government without the Nationals.
They truly represent their communities.
Unlike party-aligned politicians, independents aren’t bound by party ideology. This allows them to genuinely reflect the views and needs of their constituents. As Helen Haines, the independent MP for Indi, puts it: “I assess each bill on its merits and work with all sides of politics to get the best outcomes for Indi.”
