Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia logo.

The Liberal Party of Australia is a conservative-leaning political party based in the Commonwealth of Australia. The Liberal Party was founded in 1944 by Sir Robert Menzies. "Pig Iron Bob" as he was known to his detractors kept the Liberal Party in power during much of the post-war boom. As with many other Western democracies the winds of change swept through Australia and the Liberal Party was ousted from power by Gough Whitlam and the Australian Labor Party in 1972.

The Liberals in general believe in low levels of government interference in the economy and are understood to be more socially conservative than their more left wing political foes, the Labor Party.

Until the 1970s the Liberal Party occupied the centre of Australian politics. However, the breakway of left-wing groups meant that the Liberals have moved to the right of politics with the Labor Party occupying the centre-left.

The Liberal Party is divided into state-based divisions. The Liberals contest both state and federal elections, but do not officially contest local government elections. However many party members stand for local council elections in their own right.

Since 1996 the Liberals have governed Australia (at a federal level), in coalition with the smaller National Party, under the leadership of Prime Minister John Howard, a champion of neo-liberal ideas.