Commonwealth Liberal Party

The Commonwealth Liberal Party (CLP ) (also known as The fusion) was a political party in Australia, which emerged in 1909 from a merger of the Free Trade Party of George Reid with the Protectionist Party by Alfred Deakin.

Together they wanted to remain competitive against the strong Australian Labor Party. In her first federal election in 1910 the CLP, however, was of laboratory clearly defeated. In September 1911, the CLP merged with the Rural People's Party to found the People's Liberal Party (PLP ).

Under the new party leader Joseph Cook succeeded in the new party laboratory to hit in 1913 with only a single seat nose. A year later, Cook had premature call new elections due to a political stalemate and prevented several reforms. These were lost for the PLP. 1917, the People's Liberal Party merged with the National Labor Party of the recently expelled from the Australian Labor Party Billy Hughes for the Nationalist Party of Australia.

The Nationalist Party, in turn, mutant 1931 in the United Australia Party, which was eventually transformed in 1945 under the leadership of Robert Menzies in today's Liberal Party of Australia.

Party leaders

• Alfred Deakin 1909-1911
• Joseph Cook 1911-1916