On 3 May, Australians will head to the polls to elect the next government.
In the lead-up, The Daily Aus is breaking down the terms you’ll be hearing during the campaign trails.
In this piece, we’re explaining:
What are minor parties?
Minor parties
Most seats in Parliament are filled by the two major parties: the Coalition (the Liberal Party and the Nationals) and Labor.
However, minor parties are increasingly popular.
These are the parties that have members elected to parliament, but not enough members to form government or opposition.
Here’s a few...
The Greens
The Greens are one of Australia’s most prominent minor parties. At the 2022 election, they recorded their best-ever result, going from one to four seats in the House of Representatives.
The Greens are on the left of the political spectrum and are known for their socially progressive policies. This includes:
- Freezing rent increases for two years
- Stopping any new coal and gas projects
- Wiping all student debts, and making university and TAFE free for students
The Greens say their aim is to be in the balance of power in the House of Reps.
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This means they want to win enough seats that a government (most likely Labor) would need their support to pass any law opposed by the opposition.
The Gillard Labor Government was in this position after the 2010 election.
Pauline Hanson
You’ve also likely heard of One Nation, probably because of their high-profile leader: Pauline Hanson.
One Nation holds two seats in the Senate, one of which is held by Hanson herself.
It sits on the right of the political spectrum. It’s best known for its anti-immigration stance, which includes withdrawing from the UN Refugee Convention.
It also has a family tax policy it wants to introduce to allow couples with a dependent child to pay less tax.
Trumpet of Patriots
This is a new minor party, backed by mining billionaire Clive Palmer.
This came after Palmer’s previous party, the United Australia Party, was deregistered following the 2022 election, when it only secured one Senate seat.
The Trumpet of Patriots is inpired by the politics of U.S. President Donald Trump, and promises to “make Australia great again”.
Trends
Historical trends show that voters are more and more putting minor parties and independents as their first preference.
In 1949, the Labor, Liberal and National parties secured about 96% of the House of Reps first-preference vote.
In the 2022 election, just 68% of Australians voted for one of those three parties as their first preference.
