Country Liberal Party
Encyclopedia
The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party (CLP) is a Northern Territory
political party affiliated with both the National
(formerly "Country") and Liberal
parties. The CLP contests seats for the Coalition
in the Northern Territory rather than the Liberal or National parties.
The CLP dominated the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
from its establishment in 1978 to 2001, but lost Government in 2001 and was reduced to four parliamentary members in 2005. At the 9 August 2008 Legislative Assembly general election
it gained a significant swing, gaining 11 out of the 25 Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
seats.
Senator
Nigel Scullion
and Solomon
MP
Natasha Griggs
are the CLP's only two representatives in federal parliament. Scullion is the deputy leader of the National Party and sits with the National Party in the Senate.
in 1974. The territory Country Party
members first contested the 1919 federal election
, with an established federal Country Party contesting the 1922 federal election
. The 1922 election saw the main anti-Labor party, the Nationalist Party of Australia
deprived of a majority, and were required to form a coalition in order to command a majority on the floor of parliament. The price for such support was the resignation of Nationalist (ex-Labor) Prime Minister, Billy Hughes
, who was replaced by Stanley Bruce
.
In 1966, the Country Party was established in the territory, while the Liberal Party was small. In recognition of this, the local Liberals supported the Country Party candidate for the sole NT seat from 1969 to 1972. An alliance had formed, primarily against the conservatives' arch-rivals the Australian Labor Party
(ALP).
After the 1974 federal election
and subsequent Joint Sitting of parliament
, legislation was passed to create a unicameral Legislative Assembly
, as well as members with full voting rights at a federal level. The local Country and Liberal Party members decided to form an independent "Country Liberal Party" (CLP) to field candidates for the Legislative Council in 1974.
Northern Territory Self-Government occurred on 1 July 1978.
In 1979, the CLP formally affiliated with both the then-National Country Party and Liberal Party. These affiliations remain to this day, and relations with both parties are close. However, the CLP has had no major opportunities to sway the actions of either.
Both the Nationals and Liberals receive Country Liberal Party delegations, and the party president has full voting rights with the National Party and observer status with the Liberal Party. The party also directs its federal members and senators as to which of the two other parties they should sit with in the parliamentary chamber. The CLP vote is often tabulated together with either of its coalition partners in many election results tables, or included within a single Coalition vote.
, 1977
, 1980
, 1983
, 1987
, 1990
, 1994
, 1997
, 2001, 2005 and 2008
.
The CLP won control of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly at every election until 2001, when the ALP won. The loss marked a major turning point in Northern Territory politics, a result which was exacerbated when, at the 2005 NT election, the ALP won a second landslide victory, reducing the once-dominant party to a total of just four members in the Legislative Assembly.
The Legislative Assembly general election held on 9 August 2008 saw the CLP reverse its earlier election losses, increasing its representation from four to 11 members.
The CLP has also contested many Legislative Assembly by-elections.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
political party affiliated with both the National
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
(formerly "Country") and Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
parties. The CLP contests seats for the Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
in the Northern Territory rather than the Liberal or National parties.
The CLP dominated the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
from its establishment in 1978 to 2001, but lost Government in 2001 and was reduced to four parliamentary members in 2005. At the 9 August 2008 Legislative Assembly general election
Northern Territory general election, 2008
General elections were held in the Northern Territory of Australia on 9 August 2008. 23 of the 25 seats in the Legislative Assembly were contested; two safe Labor seats were uncontested...
it gained a significant swing, gaining 11 out of the 25 Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
seats.
Senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
Nigel Scullion
Nigel Scullion
Nigel Gregory Scullion , Australian politician, has been a member of the Australian Senate for the Northern Territory since November 2001, representing the Country Liberal Party...
and Solomon
Division of Solomon
The Division of Solomon is an Australian Electoral Division in the Northern Territory. It covers the cities of Darwin and Palmerston...
MP
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Natasha Griggs
Natasha Griggs
Natasha Louise Griggs is an Australian politician elected at the 2010 Australian Federal election to represent the division of Solomon for the Country Liberal Party....
are the CLP's only two representatives in federal parliament. Scullion is the deputy leader of the National Party and sits with the National Party in the Senate.
History
The Country Liberal Party (CLP) was established in the Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
in 1974. The territory Country Party
Country Party
Country Party may refer to* Country Party of Australia, now called "National Party of Australia"* In Great Britain:** Country Party , opponents of the Court Party and the government, late 17th early 18th century** Ultra-Tories, active 1829–32...
members first contested the 1919 federal election
Australian federal election, 1919
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 December 1919. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes defeated the opposition Australian...
, with an established federal Country Party contesting the 1922 federal election
Australian federal election, 1922
Federal elections were held in Australia on 16 December 1922. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes lost its majority...
. The 1922 election saw the main anti-Labor party, the Nationalist Party of Australia
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
deprived of a majority, and were required to form a coalition in order to command a majority on the floor of parliament. The price for such support was the resignation of Nationalist (ex-Labor) Prime Minister, Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
, who was replaced by Stanley Bruce
Stanley Bruce
Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, FRS, PC , was an Australian politician and diplomat, and the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. He was the second Australian granted an hereditary peerage of the United Kingdom, but the first whose peerage was formally created...
.
In 1966, the Country Party was established in the territory, while the Liberal Party was small. In recognition of this, the local Liberals supported the Country Party candidate for the sole NT seat from 1969 to 1972. An alliance had formed, primarily against the conservatives' arch-rivals the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP).
After the 1974 federal election
Australian federal election, 1974
Federal elections were held in Australia on 18 May 1974. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, due to a double dissolution...
and subsequent Joint Sitting of parliament
Joint Sitting, Australian parliament, 1974
A joint sitting of the Australian parliament was convened in 1974, in which members of the Senate and House of Representatives sat together as a single legislative body...
, legislation was passed to create a unicameral Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
, as well as members with full voting rights at a federal level. The local Country and Liberal Party members decided to form an independent "Country Liberal Party" (CLP) to field candidates for the Legislative Council in 1974.
Northern Territory Self-Government occurred on 1 July 1978.
In 1979, the CLP formally affiliated with both the then-National Country Party and Liberal Party. These affiliations remain to this day, and relations with both parties are close. However, the CLP has had no major opportunities to sway the actions of either.
Both the Nationals and Liberals receive Country Liberal Party delegations, and the party president has full voting rights with the National Party and observer status with the Liberal Party. The party also directs its federal members and senators as to which of the two other parties they should sit with in the parliamentary chamber. The CLP vote is often tabulated together with either of its coalition partners in many election results tables, or included within a single Coalition vote.
Northern Territory politics
The CLP has contested Northern Territory Legislative Assembly elections since 1974. General elections were held in 1974Northern Territory general election, 1974
The first general election for the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 19 October 1974, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party ....
, 1977
Northern Territory general election, 1977
A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 13 August 1977. Though the election was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party , the party lost five of its seven executive members, including Majority Leader Goff Letts...
, 1980
Northern Territory general election, 1980
A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday June 7, 1980, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party under Chief Minister Paul Everingham....
, 1983
Northern Territory general election, 1983
A general election was held in the Northern Territory state of Australia on Saturday December 3, 1983. The result was a landslide victory for the incumbent Country Liberal Party under Chief Minister Paul Everingham....
, 1987
Northern Territory general election, 1987
A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 7 March 1987. Although the incumbent Country Liberal Party won a majority under new leader Stephen Hatton, the party's vote was down almost 20 percentage points....
, 1990
Northern Territory general election, 1990
A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 27 October 1990, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party under Chief Minister Marshall Perron....
, 1994
Northern Territory general election, 1994
A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday June 4, 1994, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party . Marshall Perron continued as Chief Minister....
, 1997
Northern Territory general election, 1997
A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday August 30, 1997, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party .Shane Stone continued as Chief Minister....
, 2001, 2005 and 2008
Northern Territory general election, 2008
General elections were held in the Northern Territory of Australia on 9 August 2008. 23 of the 25 seats in the Legislative Assembly were contested; two safe Labor seats were uncontested...
.
The CLP won control of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly at every election until 2001, when the ALP won. The loss marked a major turning point in Northern Territory politics, a result which was exacerbated when, at the 2005 NT election, the ALP won a second landslide victory, reducing the once-dominant party to a total of just four members in the Legislative Assembly.
The Legislative Assembly general election held on 9 August 2008 saw the CLP reverse its earlier election losses, increasing its representation from four to 11 members.
The CLP has also contested many Legislative Assembly by-elections.
Parliamentary Leaders
| Year | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Goff Letts Goff Letts Dr Godfrey Alan Letts CBE was the Majority Leader of the Northern Territory of Australia from 1974 to 1977.Born in Donald, Victoria, Letts attended Melbourne Grammar and Melbourne and Sydney Universities, graduating with a Bachelor of Veterinarian Science in 1950... |
Majority Leader |
| 1977 | Paul Everingham Paul Everingham Paul Anthony Edward Everingham AO was the first Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia when it was granted self-government in 1978.... |
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Chief Minister of the Northern Territory The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory is appointed by the Administrator, who in normal circumstances will appoint the head of whatever party holds the majority of seats in the legislature of the territory... |
| 1984 | Ian Tuxworth Ian Tuxworth Ian Lindsay Tuxworth is an Australian politician, who was Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia from 17 October 1984 until he resigned on 10 May 1986.... |
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory |
| 1986 | Stephen Hatton Stephen Hatton Stephen Paul Hatton is an Australian politician, who was Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia from 1986 to 1988. From 1983 until his retirement in 2001, he was MLA for the seat of Nightcliff... |
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory |
| 1988 | Marshall Perron Marshall Perron Marshall Bruce Perron is a former Australian politician, who was a Country Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northern Territory from the formation of the Assembly in 1974 until his resignation in 1995. From 1988 to 1995, Perron was the Chief Minister of the Northern... |
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory |
| 1995 | Shane Stone Shane Stone Shane Leslie Stone AC, QC is an Australian political figure. From 26 May 1995 to 8 February 1999 he was Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, representing the Country Liberal Party.-Biography:Stone was born in Bendigo, Victoria... |
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory |
| 1999 | Denis Burke | Chief Minister of the Northern Territory |
| 2003 | Terry Mills Terry Mills (politician) Terrence Kennedy Mills is the current Country Liberal Party leader and opposition leader in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly since 29 January 2008... |
First time |
| 2005 | Denis Burke | |
| 2005 | Jodeen Carney Jodeen Carney Jodeen Terese Carney is an Australian politician. She was a Country Liberal Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from September 2001 to September 2010, representing the Alice Springs-based electorate of Araluen... |
|
| 2008 | Terry Mills Terry Mills (politician) Terrence Kennedy Mills is the current Country Liberal Party leader and opposition leader in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly since 29 January 2008... |
Incumbent |