Nationalist Party of Australia

The Nationalist Party of Australia was an historic political party in Australia that was from 1917 to 1931 at the federal level active.

The party was founded on February 17, 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, of disappointed members of the Australian Labor Party, led by Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes which. Until its merger with another former lab members for United Australia Party in 1931, she was behind the Labor Party, the second largest party in the country.

Prehistory

In October 1915, the incumbent prime minister, Andrew Fisher resigned, whereupon Billy Hughes was determined in a meeting of the Labor Party as his successor. He was one of the great supporters of Australian participation in the First World War. After a visit to England in 1916 he realized that only with a general conscription in Australia a sufficient contribution Australia is possible. Since most of his party colleagues had a Roman Catholic background or trade union members were and it came to the Easter Rising in Ireland in the same year, hardly anyone wanted to help the British. In October Hughes tried in a referendum but even the introduction of conscription to achieve, however, was bitterly punished in the final. Hughes was not discouraged and continued to fight for an Australian war candidate. This led to a split within the Australian people and Hughes ' ​​party. On September 15, 1916 Hughes was therefore excluded from the Labor Party together with 24 other party members.

History

Hughes and his colleagues formed a minority government as the National Labor Party. He then negotiated with Joseph Cook, the leader of the Commonwealth Liberal Party and so it came to the merger of the two parties to the Nationalist Party of Australia. In May 1917, the Nationalists achieved a great victory. In December 1917, a second referendum was held to military service and refused again. After winning the vote of confidence within the party Hughes resigned. Since there was no alternative to Hughes sat the Australian Governor-General Sir Ronald Munro -Ferguson him back as prime minister, so that while he keep his promise to withdraw, but at the same time could be further Premier.

Until the elections in 1922 Hughe 's party could govern alone to the Country Party ended the majority of nationalists. The chairman of the Country Party, Earle Page, the nationalists said to his support, if Hughes would resign. Subsequently, Stanley Bruce new party leader and the Country Party joined the nationalists. The Bruce - Page - government lasted until 1929.

In 1931, after negotiations with a group of former Labor MPs to Joseph Lyons, the Nationalist Party of Australia was disbanded and its members are classified under the United Australia Party.

Party leaders

  • Billy Hughes 1917-1922
  • Stanley Bruce 1922-1929
  • John Latham 1929-1931
John Latham (judge)
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