Liberal Party of Australia

Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
Abbreviation	LP; LIB;
Leader	Angus Taylor
Deputy Leader	Jane Hume; Andrew Hastie
Senate Leader	Michaelia Cash
Deputy Senate Leader	Anne Ruston
President	John Olsen
Founder	Robert Menzies
Founded	13 October 1944
Preceded by	United Australia
Headquarters	R. G. Menzies House, Barton, Australian Capital Territory
Think tank	Menzies Research Centre
Student wing	Liberal Students' Federation
Youth wing	Young Liberals
Women's wing	Federal Women's Committee
Overseas wing	Australian Liberals Abroad
Membership (2020)	70,000–80,000
Ideology	Conservatism (Australian); Liberalism (Australian); Liberal conservatism; Factions:; Right-wing populism; Nationalism (Australian);
Political position	Centre-right to right-wing
National affiliation	Liberal–National Coalition
Regional affiliation	Asia Pacific Democracy Union
European affiliation	European Conservatives and Reformists Party (regional partner, until 2022)
International affiliation	International Democracy Union
Factions	Moderates; Centre Right; National Right
Colours	Blue
Governing body	Federal Council
Party branches	ACT; NI; NSW; NT; Qld; SA; Tas; Vic; WA;
House of Representatives	27 / 150
Senate	23 / 76
State and territorial governments	3 / 8
State and territorial lower house members	165 / 465
State upper house members	41 / 156
Website
	www.liberal.org.au
	Politics of Australia; Political parties; Elections;

The Liberal Party of Australia is the major centre-right to right-wing political party in Australia. Historically the most electorally successful party in Australia, it was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Australia Party. It is part of the Liberal–National Coalition—one of the two major parties in Australian politics—its main rival being the Australian Labor Party.

The Liberal Party is the senior partner in a conservative alliance known in Australian politics as the Liberal–National Coalition, accompanied by the regional-based National Party, which is typically focused on issues pertinent to regional Australia. When in government, the party leader is the prime minister, with the leader of the National Party traditionally serving as deputy prime minister. The party's current leader is Angus Taylor. As leader of the Liberal Party, Taylor is also the leader of the Opposition. A leading member of the party's National Right faction, he was elected leader in 2026. Two past leaders of the party, Robert Menzies and John Howard, are Australia's two longest-serving Prime Ministers.

The Liberal Party has a federal structure, with autonomous divisions in all six states and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Country Liberal Party (CLP) of the Northern Territory is an affiliate. Both the CLP and the Liberal National Party (LNP) of Queensland were formed through mergers of the local Liberal and National parties. At the state and territory level, the Liberal Party is in office in two states and one territory. The party is in opposition in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, and in the ACT.

The party's ideology has been referred to as liberal, conservative, liberal-conservative, conservative-liberal, and classical liberal. The Liberal Party tends to promote economic liberalism and social conservatism. The Moderate faction has been referred to as centrist, while the National Right faction has also been referred to as right-wing and right-wing populist.