Progress Party (Australia)
Encyclopedia
The Progress Party was a minor Australia
n political party in the mid-to-late 1970s. Initially known as the Workers' Party, it was formed on Australia Day
1975 as a free market
libertarian
and anti-socialist party by businessmen John Singleton
and Sinclair Hill
, in reaction to the economic policies of Labor
prime minister Gough Whitlam
. It operated and ran candidates in Western Australia
, Northern Territory
, South Australia
, Queensland
and New South Wales
, but did not have a central federal structure and its Western Australian affiliate, which additionally advocated secession
from the rest of Australia, did particularly well in the area surrounding Geraldton
in the State's Mid West. However the party failed to win seats at any level of government, and passed out of existence by 1981.
The party's first electoral contest was the Greenough state by-election which took place upon the retirement from politics of former Premier
David Brand
. The candidate, Geoffrey McNeil, surprised most observers by attaining 12.96% of valid votes cast (only 0.66% less than the Labor
candidate). Buoyed by their success, the Workers' Party ran three House and five Senate candidates at the 1975 election
for Western Australia. Subsequently to this, the New South Wales party ran for 1976 by-elections in the seats of Pittwater
and The Hills
.
The party was renamed the Progress Party after objections to the name and constitution, and the "Westralian Progress Party" published its platform in 1977 ahead of the February state election
, where it contested the seats of Greenough
(16.81%), Geraldton
(5.12%), Kalgoorlie
(6.43%), Mundaring
(3.95%) and Yilgarn-Dundas
(3.63%). At the August 1977 Northern Territory assembly elections
, the party picked up a territory-wide vote of 9.76%.
The defection of Tangney
Liberal
MHR Peter Richardson
to the party in the final months of his term provided a morale boost, and at the 1977 federal election
, Richardson attempted to transfer to the Senate
, while the Progress Party contested every Western Australian seat in the Australian House of Representatives
. However, the party only managed to collect 2.83% of the State vote and Tangney returned to the Liberal Party.
It went on to contest the 1980 state election
, but with a significantly lower degree of success. The party is believed to have disbanded after this time, but was credited by academic Marian Sawer for attracting publicity for neo-liberal, economic rationalist
ideals.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n political party in the mid-to-late 1970s. Initially known as the Workers' Party, it was formed on Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
1975 as a free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
and anti-socialist party by businessmen John Singleton
John Singleton (Australian entrepreneur)
John Desmond Singleton AM is an Australian entrepreneur. He built his success and wealth in the advertising business in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s...
and Sinclair Hill
Sinclair Hill
Sinclair Hill was a British film director and screenwriter. He directed nearly fifty films between 1920 and 1939. He was born as George Sinclair-Hill in London in 1894...
, in reaction to the economic policies of Labor
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...
prime minister Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
. It operated and ran candidates in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Northern Territory
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...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, but did not have a central federal structure and its Western Australian affiliate, which additionally advocated secession
Secessionism in Western Australia
Secessionism has been a recurring feature of Western Australia's political landscape since shortly after European settlement in 1829. The idea of self governance or secession has often been discussed through local newspaper articles and editorials and on a number of occasions has surfaced as very...
from the rest of Australia, did particularly well in the area surrounding Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
in the State's Mid West. However the party failed to win seats at any level of government, and passed out of existence by 1981.
The party's first electoral contest was the Greenough state by-election which took place upon the retirement from politics of former Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
David Brand
David Brand
Sir David Brand KCMG was the 19th and longest serving Premier of Western Australia and a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1945 to 1975.-Early life:...
. The candidate, Geoffrey McNeil, surprised most observers by attaining 12.96% of valid votes cast (only 0.66% less than the Labor
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...
candidate). Buoyed by their success, the Workers' Party ran three House and five Senate candidates at the 1975 election
Australian federal election, 1975
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for election following a double dissolution of both Houses....
for Western Australia. Subsequently to this, the New South Wales party ran for 1976 by-elections in the seats of Pittwater
Electoral district of Pittwater
Pittwater is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. Located in Sydney's north-east, it is 175.32 km² in size, and comprises the local government area of Pittwater Council and parts of Warringah Council...
and The Hills
Electoral district of The Hills
The Hills was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1962 to 2007. It was a 51.08 km² urban electorate in Sydney's north-west, taking in the suburbs of Carlingford, Castle Hill, Cherrybrook, Glenhaven, Kellyville, Pennant Hills and West...
.
The party was renamed the Progress Party after objections to the name and constitution, and the "Westralian Progress Party" published its platform in 1977 ahead of the February state election
Western Australian state election, 1977
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 19 February 1977 to elect all 55 members to the Legislative Assembly and 17 members to the 32-seat Legislative Council...
, where it contested the seats of Greenough
Electoral district of Greenough
Greenough was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1890 to 2008.Greenough was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election. The district was based in the northern part of Western Australia's Wheatbelt region...
(16.81%), Geraldton
Electoral district of Geraldton
Geraldton is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.Geraldton was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election...
(5.12%), Kalgoorlie
Electoral district of Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.The district includes not only the town of Kalgoorlie, but significant parts of the outback in central and eastern Western Australia....
(6.43%), Mundaring
Electoral district of Mundaring
Mundaring was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1974 to 1989.The district was located east of Perth.-History:...
(3.95%) and Yilgarn-Dundas
Electoral district of Yilgarn-Dundas
Esperance-Dundas was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1977 to 1983.The district was located in the Goldfields-Esperance region, and was based in Boulder and took in some Kalgoorlie suburbs, while extending west to Coolgardie and...
(3.63%). At the August 1977 Northern Territory assembly elections
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...
, the party picked up a territory-wide vote of 9.76%.
The defection of Tangney
Division of Tangney
The Division of Tangney is an Australian electoral division in the state of Western Australia. Eligible voters within the Division elect a single representative, known as the member for Tangney, to the Australian House of Representatives...
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...
MHR Peter Richardson
Peter Richardson (Australian politician)
Peter Anthony Richardson is a former Australian politician. Born in Perth, Western Australia, he was educated at the University of Western Australia and the University of London, after which he became a gynaecologist. In 1975, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the...
to the party in the final months of his term provided a morale boost, and at the 1977 federal election
Australian federal election, 1977
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1977. All 124 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election....
, Richardson attempted to transfer to the Senate
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,...
, while the Progress Party contested every Western Australian seat in the Australian House of Representatives
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....
. However, the party only managed to collect 2.83% of the State vote and Tangney returned to the Liberal Party.
It went on to contest the 1980 state election
Western Australian state election, 1980
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 23 February 1980 to elect all 55 members to the Legislative Assembly and 16 members to the 32-seat Legislative Council...
, but with a significantly lower degree of success. The party is believed to have disbanded after this time, but was credited by academic Marian Sawer for attracting publicity for neo-liberal, economic rationalist
Economic rationalism
Economic rationalism is an Australian term in discussion of microeconomic policy, applicable to the economic policy of many governments around the world, in particular during the 1980s and 1990s....
ideals.