Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Western Australian Liberal Party
The Western Australian Liberal Party, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division), is the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in Western Australia. Founded in March 1949 as the Liberal and Country League of Western Australia (LCL), it simplified its name to the Liberal Party in 1968.
There was a previous Western Australian division of the Liberal Party when the Liberal Party was formed in 1945. However, it ceased to exist and merged into the LCL in May 1949.
The Liberal Party has held power in Western Australia for five separate periods in coalition with the National Party (previously the Country Party), with the longest period between 1959 and 1971.
The party was the sole opposition in the state from 2017 until the 2021 election, where the party lost eleven seats, thus losing opposition status to the National Party, marking the first time the party had failed to form either a coalition government or opposition on its own. Following the election, the Liberal Party and National Party formed an alliance opposition, with the Liberal Party being the junior party in the alliance, and each party maintaining their independence. The party regained opposition status in 2025 with Basil Zempilas the current leader.
Under the leadership of James Mitchell, the major non-Labor party in Western Australia had retained the Nationalist Party name even after the formation of the federal United Australia Party in 1931. After Mitchell's government was defeated at the 1933 election, the Nationalists had fewer seats than the Country Party and so became the junior partner in a conservative Coalition opposing the Labor government. That remained the case until 1947.
On 27 November 1944, a special conference of the National Party voted to co-operate in the formation of the new Liberal Party of Australia and nominated its parliamentary leader Ross McDonald and state president Jim Paton as delegates to the Albury conference. On 30 January 1945, McDonald announced that the parliamentary National Party would be known as the Liberal Party going forward.
In 1944–45, the Nationalist Party renamed itself the Liberal Party, adopting the new name chosen by the major conservative party federally and in most other states.[citation needed]
Following 14 years in opposition, the Liberal/Country coalition narrowly defeated the Wise Labor government at the 1947 election, winning 25 seats to Labor's 23 in the 50 seat Legislative Assembly. The coalition strengthened its majority by gaining the support of Independent MPs Harry Shearn and William Read. With the Liberal Party having won 13 seats and the Country Party 12 seats, the Liberals narrowly became the senior party of the coalition again, and the Liberal leader Ross McLarty became Premier.
Hub AI
Western Australian Liberal Party AI simulator
(@Western Australian Liberal Party_simulator)
Western Australian Liberal Party
The Western Australian Liberal Party, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division), is the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in Western Australia. Founded in March 1949 as the Liberal and Country League of Western Australia (LCL), it simplified its name to the Liberal Party in 1968.
There was a previous Western Australian division of the Liberal Party when the Liberal Party was formed in 1945. However, it ceased to exist and merged into the LCL in May 1949.
The Liberal Party has held power in Western Australia for five separate periods in coalition with the National Party (previously the Country Party), with the longest period between 1959 and 1971.
The party was the sole opposition in the state from 2017 until the 2021 election, where the party lost eleven seats, thus losing opposition status to the National Party, marking the first time the party had failed to form either a coalition government or opposition on its own. Following the election, the Liberal Party and National Party formed an alliance opposition, with the Liberal Party being the junior party in the alliance, and each party maintaining their independence. The party regained opposition status in 2025 with Basil Zempilas the current leader.
Under the leadership of James Mitchell, the major non-Labor party in Western Australia had retained the Nationalist Party name even after the formation of the federal United Australia Party in 1931. After Mitchell's government was defeated at the 1933 election, the Nationalists had fewer seats than the Country Party and so became the junior partner in a conservative Coalition opposing the Labor government. That remained the case until 1947.
On 27 November 1944, a special conference of the National Party voted to co-operate in the formation of the new Liberal Party of Australia and nominated its parliamentary leader Ross McDonald and state president Jim Paton as delegates to the Albury conference. On 30 January 1945, McDonald announced that the parliamentary National Party would be known as the Liberal Party going forward.
In 1944–45, the Nationalist Party renamed itself the Liberal Party, adopting the new name chosen by the major conservative party federally and in most other states.[citation needed]
Following 14 years in opposition, the Liberal/Country coalition narrowly defeated the Wise Labor government at the 1947 election, winning 25 seats to Labor's 23 in the 50 seat Legislative Assembly. The coalition strengthened its majority by gaining the support of Independent MPs Harry Shearn and William Read. With the Liberal Party having won 13 seats and the Country Party 12 seats, the Liberals narrowly became the senior party of the coalition again, and the Liberal leader Ross McLarty became Premier.