View source for Liberal–National Coalition

{{Short description|Group of centre-right political parties in Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2025}}
{{About|the federal coalition|state coalitions|Liberal–National Coalition (Victoria)|and|Liberal–National Coalition (New South Wales)}}
{{redirect|Coalition (Australia)|coalitions between Labor and the Greens|Labor–Greens coalition (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Liberal–National Coalition
| native_name      = 
| logo             = File:Logo of the Liberal-National Coalition (LNP).svg
| logo_size        = 175
| caption          = 
| colorcode        = {{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}
| abbreviation     = LNP{{efn|name=LNP}}<br/>L/NP
| leader1_title    = [[Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia|Leader]]
| leader1_name     = [[Sussan Ley]]
| leader2_title    = [[National Party of Australia#List of leaders|Deputy Leader]]
| leader2_name     = [[David Littleproud]]
| leader3_title    = 
| leader3_name     = 
| leader4_title    = 
| leader4_name     = 
| leader5_title    = 
| leader5_name     = 
| founder          = 
| founded          = {{ubl|
 | 1923 ([[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist]]–Country);
 | 1934 ([[United Australia Party|United Australia]]–Country);
 | 1940 (United Australia–Country);
 | 1946 (Liberal–Country);
 | 1974 (Liberal–Country);
 | August 1987 (Liberal–National);
 | 28 May 2025 (Liberal–National)
}}
| dissolved        = {{ubl|
| 1929 (Nationalist–Country);
| 1939 (United Australia–Country);
| 1943 (United Australia–Country);
| 1972 (Liberal–Country);
| April 1987 (Liberal–National);
| 20 May 2025 (Liberal–National)
}}
| split            = 
| predecessor      = 
| merged           = 
| successor        = 
| headquarters     = 
| newspaper        = 
| think_tank       = 
| membership_year  = 
| membership       = 
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
 | [[Conservatism]] ([[Conservatism in Australia|Australian]])
 | [[Liberalism]] ([[Liberalism in Australia|Australian]])
 | [[Liberal conservatism]]
 | [[Agrarianism]]
}}
| position         = {{Nowrap|[[Centre-right politics|Centre-right]] to [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]]}}
| slogan           = 
| anthem           = 
| blank1_title     = Federal member parties
| blank1           = {{hlist|[[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]|[[National Party of Australia|National]]}}
| blank2_title     = State/territory member parties
| blank2           = '''[[List of state divisions of the Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]:'''
{{hlist|[[Canberra Liberals|ACT]]|[[New South Wales Liberal Party|NSW]]|[[South Australian Liberal Party|SA]]|[[Tasmanian Liberal Party|Tas]]|[[Victorian Liberal Party|Vic]]|[[Western Australian Liberal Party|WA]]{{efn|name=WA}}}} '''[[National Party of Australia#State and territory parties|National]]:'''
{{hlist|[[New South Wales National Party|NSW]]||[[Victorian National Party|Vic]]|[[Western Australian National Party|WA]]{{efn|name=WA|In Western Australia, the Liberals and Nationals have an agreement where each party can make independent decisions but members are still invited to join the Cabinet or (if in Opposition) the Shadow Cabinet.}}}} '''Merged:'''
{{hlist|[[Liberal National Party of Queensland|Qld (LNP)]]|[[Country Liberal Party|NT (CLP)]]}}
| blank3_title     = State coalitions
| blank3           = {{hlist|[[Liberal–National Coalition (New South Wales)|NSW]]|[[Liberal–National Coalition (Victoria)|Vic]]}}
| seats1_title     = [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| seats1           = {{composition bar|43|150|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| seats2_title     = [[Australian Senate|Senate]] 
| seats2           = {{composition bar|27|76|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| seats3           = {{composition bar|149|465|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| seats3_title     = State/territory lower houses
| seats4           = {{composition bar|50|155|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| seats4_title     = State upper houses
| colours          = {{colour box|{{party colour|Coalition (Australia)}}|border=silver}} [[Political colour#Blue|Blue]]
| website          = 
| country          = Australia
| seats5           = {{composition bar|3|8|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| seats5_title     = State/territory governments
}}
{{Conservatism in Australia|Parties}}
The '''Liberal–National Coalition''', commonly known simply as '''the Coalition''' or the '''LNP''',{{efn|name=LNP|The abbreviation "LNP" is used both for the federal Coalition<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2008 |title=Political Parties |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/13745/Website/GeneralPartyDetails-13745.htm |access-date=22 June 2022 |website=[[Australian Electoral Commission]] (AEC) |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| date=9 April 2023 |title=Why are voters abandoning the Liberal Party? What does liberalism stand for today? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-09/liberal-party-election-loss-menzies-liberalism-keynes-hayek/102201242 |access-date=10 May 2023 |website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |quote=The Liberal–National Coalition (LNP) looks increasingly on the nose with the electorate |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=28 May 2022 |title=How the Coalition vote is 'trending poor' |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/how-the-coalition-vote-is-trending-poor-20220526-p5aowk |access-date=21 June 2022  |website=[[Australian Financial Review]] |language=en}}</ref> and for the merged [[Queensland]]-based branch of the alliance, the [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|Liberal National Party]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 March 2022 |title='The LNP are feeling threatened': the growing ambition of independents challenging Coalition MPs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/13/the-lnp-are-feeling-threatened-the-growing-ambition-of-independents-challenging-coalition-mps |access-date=21 June 2022 |website=[[Guardian Australia]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-18 |title=LNP comfortably retains Queensland seat of Callide in by-election |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-19/callide-by-election-lnp-retains-seat-bryson-head/101165328 |access-date=2022-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Crockford |first=Toby |date=2022-06-19 |title=Queensland's youngest MP elected after LNP claims Callide byelection |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-s-youngest-mp-elected-after-lnp-claims-callide-byelection-20220619-p5auvw.html |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en |archive-date=21 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621023746/https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-s-youngest-mp-elected-after-lnp-claims-callide-byelection-20220619-p5auvw.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}} is an [[parliamentary group|alliance]] of [[Centre-right politics|centre-right]] to [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] political parties that forms one of the two major groupings in [[Politics of Australia|Australian federal politics]]. Its two members are the [[Liberal Party of Australia]] and the [[National Party of Australia]] (previously known as the Country Party and the National Country Party). The Coalition and its main opponent, the [[Australian Labor Party]] (ALP), are often regarded as operating in a [[two-party system]].

The Coalition has existed in some form since 1923, initially involving the Liberal Party's predecessors the [[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist Party]] and [[United Australia Party]]. It has historically been a stable alignment for long periods in both government and opposition, including at three elections where the Liberal Party won enough seats to govern in its own right. The Coalition was last in government federally from 2013 to 2022. The stability between both the Liberal and National parties (and their predecessors) has been punctuated by six breaks in the agreement, including the [[1931 Australian federal election|1931]], [[1934 Australian federal election|1934]] and [[1987 Australian federal election|1987 federal elections]] which the parties contested separately. Most recently, the National Party withdrew from the Coalition for a brief period following the [[2025 Australian federal election|2025 election]], before a new agreement was reached and the alliance was resumed. 

The Liberal and National parties have different geographical [[political base|voter bases]], with the Liberals – the larger party – drawing most of their vote from urban areas, and the Nationals operating almost exclusively in rural and regional areas. They occupy a broadly similar place on the right of the [[political spectrum]]. The Liberals and Nationals maintain separate organisational wings and separate [[caucus|parliamentary parties]], but co-operate in various ways determined by a mixture of formal agreements and informal conventions. There is a single Coalition [[frontbencher|frontbench]], both in government and in [[Opposition (Australia)|opposition]], with each party receiving a proportionate number of positions. By convention, the leader of the Liberal Party serves as the overall leader, serving as [[Prime Minister of Australia|prime minister]] when the Coalition is in government and [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|leader of the opposition]] when the Coalition is in opposition. The leader of the National Party becomes the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia|deputy prime minister]] during periods of Coalition government. The two parties co-operate on their [[Elections in Australia|federal election]] campaigns, run joint [[Australian Senate|Senate]] tickets in New South Wales and Victoria, and generally avoid running candidates against each other in the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]].

A merger of the Liberals and Nationals has been suggested on several occasions, but has never become a serious proposition at the national level. The relationship between the two parties varies at state and territory levels. The situation in New South Wales and Victoria broadly mirrors that at the federal level, while in Western Australia the parties are more independent of each other. In the [[Northern Territory]] the territorial parties merged in 1974 to form the [[Country Liberal Party]] (CLP), and in 2008 the Queensland state-level parties merged, forming the [[Liberal National Party of Queensland]] (LNP). LNP and CLP members elected to federal parliament do not form separate parliamentary parties. CLP members may choose to sit in either of the Liberal or National party rooms, while LNP members must sit in party room associated with their seat. In [[South Australian National Party|South Australia]], [[Tasmanian National Party|Tasmania]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]], the Nationals have no sitting MPs and little or no organisational presence.

==History==
===Nationalist–Country Coalition===
The origins of the Coalition date back to the [[1922 Australian federal election|1922 federal election]], when the [[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist Party]], the main middle-class non-Labor party of the time, lost the absolute majority it had held since its formation in 1917. The Nationalists could only stay in office with the support of the two-year-old [[National Party of Australia|Country Party]]. It soon became apparent that a [[confidence and supply]] agreement would not be enough to keep the Nationalists in office.

However, Country Party leader [[Earle Page]] had never trusted the Nationalist Prime Minister, [[Billy Hughes]]. Indeed, the Country Party had been formed in part due to discontent with Hughes' rural policy. Page not only let it be known that he would not serve under Hughes, but demanded Hughes' resignation before he would even consider coalition talks. Hughes resigned, and Page then entered negotiations with the new Nationalist leader, [[Stanley Bruce]]. The Country Party's terms were unusually stiff for a prospective junior partner in a [[Westminster system]] (and especially so for a relatively new party) – five seats in an 11-member cabinet, as well as the [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]]'s post and second rank in the ministry for Page. Nonetheless, Bruce agreed rather than force a new election. Since then, the leader of the Country Party, which evolved into the National Party, has ranked second in nearly all non-Labor governments, a status formalised in 1967 when the post of Deputy Prime Minister was formally created to denote Country leader [[John McEwen]]'s status as the number-two man in the government.

The Nationalist–Country Coalition was reelected twice, and continued in office until its defeat [[1929 Australian federal election|in 1929]].

===UAP–Country Coalition===
[[File:Australia Needs A National Government (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Political advertisement in ''[[The Bulletin (Australian periodical)|The Bulletin]]'' promoting the Coalition at the [[1943 Australian federal election|1943 federal election]]]]
The Country Party and the Nationalists' successor party, the [[United Australia Party]], fought the [[1931 Australian federal election|1931 federal election]] with a joint Senate ticket, though they ran separate House tickets. The UAP came up only four seats short of a majority in its own right. The [[Emergency Committee of South Australia]], which stood for the UAP and Country Party in South Australia, joined the UAP [[Parliamentary group|party room]], giving the UAP enough support to rule alone. However, the parties once again joined in a full Coalition government following the [[1934 Australian federal election|1934 federal election]].

After the death of Prime Minister [[Joseph Lyons]] in April 1939, Page was appointed as his successor on an interim basis, pending [[1939 United Australia Party leadership election|the new election of a new UAP leader]]. Despite Page's misgivings, the UAP elected [[Robert Menzies]] – who was known to dislike the Country Party. Page subsequently made a vitriolic speech in parliament attacking Menzies's character, and withdrew his party from the coalition – the most recent occasion on which the coalition has been broken while in government. However, a number of Page's colleagues disagreed with his stance, and he resigned as leader in September 1939. He was replaced by [[Archie Cameron]], and after months of negotiations the coalition was revived in March 1940, with five Country MPs joining the [[second Menzies ministry]].

After losing eight seats at the [[1940 Australian federal election|1940 federal election]], the Coalition was plunged into [[minority government]] for the first time in its history. Archie Cameron was an immediate victim of the election result, being replaced by [[Arthur Fadden]] and later defecting to the UAP. Menzies increasingly struggled to balance his management of Australia's war effort with domestic concerns, and his party began to rebel against him. However, the UAP was bereft of leadership despite having been in power for a decade. With this in mind, in August 1941 the Coalition collectively decided that Fadden and Menzies should swap positions, with Menzies becoming [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for Defence Co-ordination]] and Fadden becoming prime minister. It was the first and only occasion on which the Coalition was led by the leader of the junior party. However, the [[Fadden government]] only lasted a few months before losing a [[motion of no confidence|confidence motion]] and being replaced by the Labor Party in the form of the [[Curtin government]].

After the demise of the Fadden government, the Coalition voted to continue on under his leadership in opposition. Menzies had opposed this, and resigned as UAP leader, [[1941 United Australia Party leadership election|to be replaced]] by the ageing [[Billy Hughes]]. Up until the [[1943 Australian federal election|1943 election]], the Coalition effectively operated as a single unit, with separate party meetings being extremely rare. However, the landslide defeat it suffered – under Fadden as opposition leader – led to an immediate change in strategy. The UAP voted to break off its ties with the Country Party in opposition, and [[1943 United Australia Party leadership election|re-elected]] Menzies as its leader. This is the most recent occasion on which the senior partner in the Coalition has opted to withdraw.

===Liberal–Country Coalition===
The UAP was folded into the Liberal Party in 1945, with Menzies as leader. In the lead-up to the [[1946 Australian federal election|1946 federal election]], Menzies renewed the Coalition with the Country Party, which was still led by Fadden. They won the [[1949 Australian federal election|1949 federal election]] as a Coalition, and stayed in office for a record 23 years. Since 1946, the Coalition has remained intact with three exceptions, all in opposition. The parties decided not to form a coalition opposition following their defeat in [[1972 Australian federal election|1972]], but went into the [[1974 Australian federal election|1974 federal election]] as a Coalition.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Nationals: The Progressive, Country, and National Party in New South Wales 1919–2006 |author=Paul Davey |pages=39–40 |publisher=Federation Press |year=2006 |location=Annandale, NSW |access-date=18 August 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fpyw6Oncs5QC&q=coalition+opposition+1974&pg=PA40|isbn=9781862875265 }}</ref>

===Liberal–National Coalition===
Shortly after the reestablishment of the Coalition, the Country Party was rebadged as the National Country Party in 1975. The solidity of the Coalition was so strong in this period that despite the Liberals winning parliamentary majorities in their own right in the [[1975 Australian federal election|1975]] and [[1977 Australian federal election|1977 federal elections]], the Coalition agreement was retained, and the Coalition remained together upon entering opposition in the [[1983 Australian federal election|1983 federal election]], shortly after the National Country Party rebadged again to simply the National Party in 1982. The Coalition suffered another break, related to the "[[Joh for Canberra]]" campaign, from April to August 1987, the rift healing after the [[1987 Australian federal election|1987 federal election]] in July.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationals.org.au/AboutTheNationals/OurHistory/Origins.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827225224/http://www.nationals.org.au/AboutTheNationals/OurHistory/Origins.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 August 2009 |title=Origins |publisher=The Nationals |access-date=18 August 2013 }}</ref> At the [[1996 Australian federal election|1996 federal election]], the Coalition was retained despite the Liberal Party again winning a parliamentary majority in its own right.

In the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 federal election]], the Coalition lost to the Labor Party and went into opposition. The Coalition regained office in the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 federal election]] as a majority government. This election was the most recent election ({{as of|2025|lc=y}}) in which the Coalition saw an increase in their first preference vote in the House of Representatives, increasing to 45% from 43% in the previous [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 federal election]]. The Coalition began to lose support from the [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 federal election]], with its first preference decreased to 42.04%,

In October 2018, the Coalition went into minority government for the second time in its history, when the seat of [[Division of Wentworth|Wentworth]] was won by Independent [[Kerryn Phelps]] in the [[2018 Wentworth by-election|by-election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/morrison-committed-to-making-minority-government-work|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002144557/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/morrison-committed-to-making-minority-government-work|archive-date=2 October 2023|url-status=live|title=Morrison committed to making minority government work|work=[[SBS News]]|date=21 October 2018|access-date=10 April 2019}}</ref> The by-election was triggered by the resignation of incumbent Liberal MP [[Malcolm Turnbull]], who was ousted as Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader during a [[2018 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spills|spill motion]] earlier in August 2018. The coalition formed majority government again following the [[2019 Australian federal election|2019 federal election]], despite having its first preference vote further reduced to 41.44%. In the lead-up to the [[2022 Australian federal election|2022 federal election]], the Coalition briefly entered minority government for the third time after two members resigned to sit on the crossbench. In the election, the Coalition had its first preference vote reduced to 35.70%, lost to the Labor Party at the election and returned to opposition. 

The Coalition had another loss in the [[2025 Australian federal election|May 2025 federal election]], with a first preference vote of 31.70%, the lowest in the Coalition's history. Following the election, Nationals leader [[David Littleproud]] announced that the party would split from the Coalition, with policy differences around [[Nuclear power in Australia|nuclear power]], a future fund for regional Australia and supermarket [[divestment|divestiture]] powers the main sticking points.<ref name=ABC2025>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-20/nationals-wont-reenter-coalition-agreement/105313818|url-status=live|archive-date=28 May 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250528022238/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-20/nationals-will-not-re-enter-coalition-agreement/105313818?future=true&|title=Nationals call it quits on decades-long coalition with Liberals|work=ABC News|date=20 May 2025|first=Maani |last=Truu|access-date=20 May 2025}}</ref> Littleproud stated "I gave her {{bracket|[[Sussan Ley]]}} the commitment that I'll work with her every day to help to try to rebuild the relationship to the point we can re-enter a coalition before the next election."<ref>{{cite web|at=Littleproud leaves door open to re-joining Coalition in the future|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-20/federal-politics-live-may-20/105311448#live-blog-post-181847|access-date=20 May 2025|date=20 May 2025|title=Federal politics: Nationals to split from Liberals, abandoning Coalition — as it happened|first1=Courtney|last1=Gould|first2=Joshua|last2=Boscaini|website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|url-status=live|archive-date=20 May 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250520091736/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-20/federal-politics-may-20/105311448?future=true&#live-blog-post-181847}}</ref> Nationals deputy leader [[Kevin Hogan (politician)|Kevin Hogan]] later claimed that this was the decision of the party room rather than the party leadership, and admitted the party room's decision wasn't unanimous.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-21/federal-politics-may-21-coalition-liberal-nationals-labor/105315946#live-blog-post-182243|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250528/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-21/federal-politics-may-21-coalition-liberal-nationals-labor/105315946#live-blog-post-182243|archive-date=28 May 2025|access-date=28 May 2025|url-status=live|first1=Courtney|last1=Gould|last2=Boscaini|first2=Joshua|name-list-style=and|title=Federal politics: Tony Abbott says he 'deeply regrets' Coalition split — as it happened|at=Nationals deputy leader says Coalition split not unanimous|publisher=ABC News|date=21 May 2025}}</ref> On 23 May, it was reported that the Liberal party room had agreed "in principle" to the Nationals’ demands to re-establish a coalition agreement. These included lifting the national moratorium on nuclear energy, divestment powers for supermarkets and hardware retailers, a $20 billion off-budget investment fund for regional Australians and "tougher service obligations for mobile and internet providers". This was seen as leaving open the possibility of a renewed agreement before the resumption of parliament.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Norman |first1=Jane |last2=Crowley |first2=Tom |date=23 May 2025 |title=Liberals agree to 'suck it up' and back Nationals' demands in principle, leaving Coalition on the table |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-23/liberals-agree-to-nationals-demands-in-principle/105329370 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250523060026/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-23/liberals-agree-to-nationals-demands-in-principle/105329370 |archive-date=23 May 2025 |access-date=23 May 2025 |name-list-style=and |work=ABC News}}</ref> On 28 May, the parties announced a renewed Coalition agreement, and a new [[Ley shadow ministry|shadow ministry]] was revealed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Godsell |first=Oscar |last2=Clennell |first2=Andrew |date=2025-05-28 |title=Liberals and Nationals officially back together after Sussan Ley and David Littleproud reach Coalition agreement |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/liberals-and-nationals-official-back-together-after-sussan-ley-and-david-littleproud-reach-coalition-agreement/news-story/7a791d04b5bdabae258ea94c256f4127 |access-date=2025-05-28 |work=[[Sky News Australia]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250528021838/https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/liberals-and-nationals-official-back-together-after-sussan-ley-and-david-littleproud-reach-coalition-agreement/news-story/7a791d04b5bdabae258ea94c256f4127|archive-date=28 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |access-date=28 May 2025 |archive-date=28 May 2025 |date=28 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250528021103/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-28/coalition-gets-back-together-after-week-long-split/105346446 |url-status=live |first=Jake |last=Evans |title=Coalition gets back together after week-long split |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-28/coalition-gets-back-together-after-week-long-split/105346446}}</ref>

In September and October 2025, the Coalition polled at record lows in Resolve and Newspoll.<ref name="newspoll2nov">{{cite web |last1=Chambers |first1=Geoff |title=Newspoll: Coalition hits historic low of 24pc amid Sussan Ley’s struggles |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/newspoll-coalition-hits-historic-low-of-24pc-amid-sussan-leys-struggles/news-story/739877883ee405aeab0fc34c2d7b5218 |publisher=The Australian |access-date=2 November 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251102091150/https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/newspoll-coalition-hits-historic-low-of-24pc-amid-sussan-leys-struggles/news-story/739877883ee405aeab0fc34c2d7b5218?amp |archive-date=2 November 2025 |date=2 November 2025}}</ref><ref name="QR">{{Cite news |date=14 September 2025 |title=As Coalition slumps to new low, poll shows minor party reaping the benefits |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/as-coalition-slumps-to-new-low-poll-shows-minor-party-reaping-the-benefits-20250914-p5muuu.html |access-date=14 September 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Newspoll: Coalition slumps to worst-ever primary vote in days after Jacinta Price dumped from frontbench|url=https://thenightly.com.au/politics/australia/newspoll-coalition-slumps-to-worst-ever-primary-vote-in-days-after-jacinta-price-dumped-from-frontbench-c-20017489 |publisher=Seven West Media Limited |access-date=15 September 2025 |date=15 September 2025}}</ref>

==Suggestions to merge==
In March 1973, former [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[William McMahon]] publicly announced his support for a merger.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136965562|title=Mr McMahon wanted merger|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|date=13 March 1973}}</ref> McMahon reiterated his view after Labor won the [[1974 Australian federal election|1974 election]], and [[Billy Snedden]], his successor as leader of the Liberal Party, also stated that he favoured a merger.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110779742|title=PARTY MERGER FAVOURED|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|date=23 May 1974}}</ref>

During the 1980s, former Nationals MP [[Peter Nixon]] reviewed the party and "concluded it should seriously consider amalgamating with the Liberals".<ref name="MultiRef1" /> Former Nationals leader [[Doug Anthony]] wrote not long afterward, "Any objective and rational National Party member who read this report would have to accept that amalgamation was the only realistic course. Regrettably, there are still too many who don't want to read it and who don't want to face reality, that the role of a specialist party looking after the needs of rural people is in decline."<ref name="MultiRef1" /> Nationals leader [[Ian Sinclair]] publicly rejected calls for a merger, citing the incompatibility of the National Party's conservatism and the "small-l liberal" wing of the Liberal Party.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122516635|title=Sinclair douses suggested National-Liberal merger|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=17 June 1985}}</ref>

In July 1989, Senator [[Fred Chaney]], the deputy leader of the Liberal Party, stated his tentative support for a merger, but noted that it could not be led by politicians and should come from the grassroots.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122283167|date=17 July 1989|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|title=Liberals and Nationals should look at merger, says Chaney}}</ref>

In the wake of their [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 federal election]] loss, there was again talk of a merger in 2007 and 2008,<ref name="MultiRef1">{{Cite web|last=Steketee |first=Mike |url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23136822-5007146,00.html |title=Too many conservatives spoil the amalgamation |publisher=NEWS.com.au |date=31 January 2008 |accessdate=30 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203180456/http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C23599%2C23136822-5007146%2C00.html |archivedate= 3 February 2008 }}</ref> as a result of a shrinking National Party vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1651370.htm |title=7.30 Report – 30 May 2006: Coalition parties mull action against Qld merger plan |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=30 May 2006 |accessdate=30 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/rising-chorus-for-coalition-merger/2007/12/17/1197740182444.html |title=Rising chorus for Coalition merger – National |newspaper=The Age|date=17 December 2007 |accessdate=30 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.smh.com.au/federal-qld-coalitions-unelectable-mp/20071217-1hjq.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711172627/http://news.smh.com.au/federal-qld-coalitions-unelectable-mp/20071217-1hjq.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 July 2012 |title=Federal, Qld coalitions unelectable: MP – Breaking News – National – Breaking News |publisher=News.smh.com.au |date=17 December 2007 |accessdate=30 June 2010 }}</ref> It was argued that the decline in the National vote is linked to a declining rural population, and National Party policies have become increasingly similar to those of the Liberal Party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1559345.htm |title=7.30 Report – 31 January 2006: Liberals should reject McGauran's application: Nationals chief |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=31 January 2006 |accessdate=30 June 2010}}</ref> However no merger took place outside of Queensland.

==Electoral organisation==
Coalition arrangements were facilitated by Australia's [[ranked voting|preferential voting]] systems which enable Liberals and Nationals to compete locally in three-cornered-contests, with the [[Australian Labor Party]] (ALP), while exchanging preferences in elections. Such contests would weaken their prospects under [[first-past-the-post voting]]. From time to time, friction was caused by the fact that the Liberal and National candidates were campaigning against each other, without long-term damage to the relationship.

Indeed, the whole point of introducing preferential voting was to allow safe spoiler-free, three-cornered contests. It was a government of the [[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist Party]], a forerunner to the modern Liberal Party which introduced the legislation, following Labor's unexpected win at the [[1918 Swan by-election]] where the conservative vote split. Two months later, the [[1918 Corangamite by-election|Corangamite by-election]] held under preferential voting caused the initially leading ALP candidate to lose after some lower-placed candidates' preferences had been distributed.

As a result of variations on the preferential voting system used in every state and territory, the Coalition was able to thrive, wherever both its member parties have both been active. The preferential voting system allowed the Liberal and National parties to compete and co-operate at the same time. By contrast, a variation of the preferential system known as [[optional preferential voting]] proved a significant handicap to coalition co-operation in [[Queensland]] and [[New South Wales]], because significant numbers of voters do not express all useful preferences.

==Nomenclature==
Due to a disciplined coalition between the parties and their predecessors being in existence for almost 100 years with only a few brief cessations within a parliamentary system, most commentators and the general public often referred to the Coalition as if it were a single party. Polling and electoral results contained a [[Two-party-preferred vote|two-party-preferred]] (TPP) vote which was based on Labor and the Coalition. The [[Australian Electoral Commission]] has distinguished between "traditional" (Coalition/Labor) two-party-preferred (TPP/2PP) contests, and "non-traditional" ([[Independent politician|Independent]], [[Australian Greens|Greens]], Liberal vs National) two-candidate-preferred (TCP/2CP) contests. At the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 federal election]], all eight seats which resulted in a two-candidate-preferred result were re-counted to also express a statistical-only "traditional" two-party-preferred result.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Non-classic Divisions|url=http://results.aec.gov.au/15508/Website/HouseNonClassicDivisions-15508-NAT.htm|publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]]|year=2010|access-date=7 November 2011|archive-date=7 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507022430/https://results.aec.gov.au/15508/Website/HouseNonClassicDivisions-15508-NAT.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Electorate==
As of 2022, the biggest voting blocs of the Coalition were [[Male|men]], the [[middle class]] (as opposed to the [[working class]]), who make between {{AU$}}45,001–{{AU$}}80,000 per year, and have a non-tertiary qualification or no educational qualification.<ref name=AES>{{cite web |url=https://australianelectionstudy.org/charts/The-2022-Australian-Federal-Election-Results-from-the-Australian-Election-Study.pdf |title=The 2022 Australian Federal Election: Results from the Australian Election Study |last1=Cameron |first1=Sarah |last2=McAllister |first2=Ian |last3=Jackman |first3=Simon |last4=Sheppard |first4=Jill |date=December 2022 |website=australianelectionstudy.org |publisher=Australian Election Study (AES) }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2022/6/Explaining_the_2022_election_result.pdf |title=Explaining the 2022 Australian Federal Election Result |last1=Biddle |first1=Nicholas |last2=McAllister |first2=Ian |date=20 June 2022 |website=csrm.cass.anu.edu.au |publisher=[[Australian National University]] (ANU) }}</ref> [[Home ownership in Australia|Homeowners]] voted more for the Coalition than any other party, and the [[States and territories of Australia|State]] of [[Queensland]] was its biggest electorate by [[two-party-preferred vote]] percentage (though by primary vote, [[Tasmania]] was the state with the highest Coalition vote).<ref name=AES/>

The Coalition also gathered significant support from Australians in regional, rural and remote areas, whilst lacking significant support in most parts of the capital cities. However, there were regions of capital cities that do still vote for the Coalition; such as the [[Hills District, New South Wales|Hills District]] and [[Sutherland Shire|Sutherland]] and historically most of the [[Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)|Eastern Suburbs]] and [[North Sydney, New South Wales|Northern Suburbs]] of Sydney; some areas of [[Melbourne]]'s east and northeast; many areas of [[Brisbane]] and [[Perth]]; and the southern part of [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]].

The Coalition had below-average support among [[Indian Australians|Indian]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2022/05/indo-australian-voters-and-the-2022-general-election?lang=en | title=Indo-Australian Voters and the 2022 General Election }}</ref> and [[Islam in Australia|Muslim]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/may/19/taken-for-granted-western-sydneys-muslim-community-rethinks-a-fractured-labor-relationship |title='Taken for granted': western Sydney's Muslim community rethinks a fractured Labor relationship |website=The Guardian |date=18 May 2022 |last1=Rachwani |first1=Mostafa |access-date=22 January 2025 |archive-date=24 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624211733/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/may/19/taken-for-granted-western-sydneys-muslim-community-rethinks-a-fractured-labor-relationship |url-status=live }}</ref> voters. Historically, [[Chinese Australians]] voted for the Coalition over Labor,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Han |first=Heidi |date=2019-04-30 |title=Two polls show metropolitan Chinese Australians prefer Coalition |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/two-polls-show-metropolitan-chinese-australians-prefer-coalition/news-story/fdf3302c09b85bdc6924d41cd6e69130?amp |website=theaustralian.com.au}}</ref> due to a perception that Liberal Party was more business-oriented than Labor. However, this had declined in the last years of the Coalition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/chinese-australian-angst-boosts-labor-s-hopes-in-key-seats-20220517-p5am0e.html|title=Chinese-Australian angst boosts Labor's hopes in key seats|first=Matthew|last=Knott|date=17 May 2022|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=16 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002144710/https://www.smh.com.au/national/chinese-australian-angst-boosts-labor-s-hopes-in-key-seats-20220517-p5am0e.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[2022 Australian federal election]], electorates with a higher concentration of Chinese-Australian voters experienced larger swings against the Coalition compared to other electorates; in the top 15 seats by Chinese ancestry, the swing against the Coalition on a two-party-preferred basis was 6.6 per cent, compared to 3.7 per cent in other seats.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Jake |last2=Hitch |first2=Georgina |title=Liberals' election post-mortem blames COVID-19, scandals and faction warlords for loss |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-22/liberal-election-review-recommends-party-changes/101800030 |website=ABC News |date=22 December 2022 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=29 June 2024 |archive-date=29 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629154037/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-22/liberal-election-review-recommends-party-changes/101800030 |url-status=live }}</ref> This resulted in the Liberal Party losing many federal seats with large Chinese communities in 2022 to Labor (losing [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]] and [[Division of Reid|Reid]] in [[Sydney]] and [[Division of Chisholm|Chisholm]] in [[Melbourne]] to Labor and [[Division of Kooyong|Kooyong]] in Melbourne to a [[teal independents|teal independent]]), as well as losing [[Division of Aston|Aston]] in [[2023 Aston by-election|2023]], which was the first time in over a century in which the government won a seat off the opposition in a by-election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Andi |title=Labor's Mary Doyle snatches historic victory in Aston by-election in Melbourne's outer east |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-01/byelection-result-aston-melbourne-labor-win/102157990 |website=ABC News |date=April 2023 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=29 June 2024 |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413063618/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-01/byelection-result-aston-melbourne-labor-win/102157990 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[2023 New South Wales state election]], the top 10 electorates in terms of Chinese ancestry all saw big swings to Labor.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Xiao |first1=Bang |title=Chinese-Australians' political awakening was a big factor in Labor's win in Aston |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-04/chinese-austalian-voters-political-awakening-labor-aston-win/102179934 |website=ABC News |date=3 April 2023 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=29 June 2024}}</ref> However, the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party managed to hold many state seats with large Chinese communities (such as the Sydney seats of [[Electoral district of Drummoyne|Drummoyne]], [[Electoral district of Epping|Epping]], [[Electoral district of Holsworthy|Holsworthy]], [[Electoral district of Lane Cove|Lane Cove]], [[Electoral district of Miranda|Miranda]], [[Electoral district of Oatley|Oatley]] and [[Electoral district of Ryde|Ryde]]).

==Chronology==
{| class="wikitable"
! scope=col|Period
! scope=col|Alliance
! colspan=3 scope="col" width=215px|Member parties
! scope=col|Federal elections
|-
| rowspan=2 align=center|1923–1931
| rowspan=2 align=center|'''Nationalist–Country Coalition'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Nationalist Party (Australia)}}"|
| [[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist]] 
| align=center|NAT<ref name= partycode>{{cite web |url = https://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/party-codes.htm |title = Political party name abbreviations & codes, demographic ratings and seat status |publisher = [[Australian Electoral Commission]] |date = 18 January 2016 |access-date = 20 May 2025 |archive-date = 26 May 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220526111842/https://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/party-codes.htm |url-status = live }}</ref>
| rowspan=2 align=center|[[1925 Australian federal election|1925]]<br>[[1928 Australian federal election|1928]]<br>[[1929 Australian federal election|1929]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[National Party of Australia|Country]]
| align=center|CP<ref name= partycode/>
|-
| align=center|1931–1934
| colspan=4 align=center|''None''
| align=center|[[1931 Australian federal election|1931]]{{efn|In 1931 the two parties ran a joint ticket in the Senate but did not govern in a Coalition.}}<br>[[1934 Australian federal election|1934]]{{efn|name=contested|In 1934 and 1987 the two parties contested the election separately and not as the Coalition.}}
|-
| rowspan=2 align=center|1934–1939
| rowspan=2 align=center|'''United Australia–Country Coalition'''{{efn|The coalition agreement between the United Australia and Country parties was often mentioned as the United Australia–United Country (UAP–UCP) coalition.}}
| style="background-color:{{party color|United Australia Party}}"|
| [[United Australia Party|United Australia]]
| align=center|UAP<ref name= partycode/>
| rowspan=2 align=center|[[1937 Australian federal election|1937]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[National Party of Australia|Country]]
| align=center|CP
|-
| align=center|1939–1940
| colspan=4 align=center|''None''
| align=center|–
|-
| rowspan=2 align=center|1940–1943
| rowspan=2 align=center|'''United Australia–Country Coalition'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|United Australia Party}}"|
| [[United Australia Party|United Australia]]
| align=center|UAP
| rowspan=2 align=center|[[1940 Australian federal election|1940]]<br>[[1943 Australian federal election|1943]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[National Party of Australia|Country]]
| align=center|CP
|-
| align=center|1943–1946
| colspan=4 align=center|''None''
| align=center|–
|-
| rowspan=2 align=center|1946–1972
| rowspan=2 align=center|'''Liberal–Country Coalition'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]
| align=center|LP<ref name= partycode/>
| rowspan=2 align=center|[[1946 Australian federal election|1946]]<br>[[1949 Australian federal election|1949]]<br>[[1951 Australian federal election|1951]]<br>[[1954 Australian federal election|1954]]<br>[[1955 Australian federal election|1955]]<br>[[1958 Australian federal election|1958]]<br>[[1961 Australian federal election|1961]]<br>[[1963 Australian federal election|1963]]<br>[[1966 Australian federal election|1966]]<br>[[1969 Australian federal election|1969]]<br>[[1972 Australian federal election|1972]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[National Party of Australia|Country]]
| align=center|CP
|-
| align=center|1972–1974
| colspan=4 align=center|''None''
| align=center|–
|-
| rowspan=2 align=center|1974–1987
| rowspan=2 align=center|'''Liberal–National Coalition'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]
| align=center|LP
| rowspan=2 align=center|[[1974 Australian federal election|1974]]<br>[[1975 Australian federal election|1975]]<br>[[1977 Australian federal election|1977]]<br>[[1980 Australian federal election|1980]]<br>[[1983 Australian federal election|1983]]<br>[[1984 Australian federal election|1984]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
|[[National Party of Australia|National]]{{efn|At federal level, known as the '''Australian Country Party''' until 1975, then as the '''National Country Party''' until 1982.}}
|align=center|NP<ref name= partycode/>
|-
| align=center|1987
| colspan=4 align=center|''None''
| align=center|[[1987 Australian federal election|1987]]{{efn|name=contested}}
|-
| rowspan=2 align=center|1987–2025
| rowspan=2 align=center|'''Liberal–National Coalition'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]
| align=center|LP
| rowspan=2 align=center|[[1990 Australian federal election|1990]]<br>[[1993 Australian federal election|1993]]<br>[[1996 Australian federal election|1996]]<br>[[1998 Australian federal election|1998]]<br>[[2001 Australian federal election|2001]]<br>[[2004 Australian federal election|2004]]<br>[[2007 Australian federal election|2007]]<br>[[2010 Australian federal election|2010]]<br>[[2013 Australian federal election|2013]]<br>[[2016 Australian federal election|2016]]<br>[[2019 Australian federal election|2019]]<br>[[2022 Australian federal election|2022]]<br>[[2025 Australian federal election|2025]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[National Party of Australia|National]]
| align=center|NP
|-
| align=center|2025
| colspan=4 align=center|''None''
| align=center|–
|-
|-
| rowspan=2 align=center|2025–present
| rowspan=2 align=center|'''Liberal–National Coalition'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]
| align=center|LP
| rowspan=2 align=center|–
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[National Party of Australia|National]]
| align=center|NP
|-
|}

==Federal election results==
===House of Representatives===
{{unsourced section|date=May 2025}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Election
! colspan=3|Leader
! colspan=3|Deputy Leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! ±
! Status
|-
! [[1925 Australian federal election|1925]]
| rowspan=3 style="background-color:{{party color|Nationalist Party (Australia)}}"|
| rowspan=3|[[Stanley Bruce]]
| rowspan=3|Nationalist
| rowspan=3 style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| rowspan=3|[[Earle Page]]
| rowspan=3|Country
| 1,551,760
| 53.20
| {{Composition bar|51|75|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 11
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1928 Australian federal election|1928]]
| 1,286,208
| 49.56
| {{Composition bar|42|75|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 9
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1929 Australian federal election|1929]]
| 1,271,619
| 44.17
| {{Composition bar|24|75|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 18
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! rowspan=2|[[1931 Australian federal election|1931]]
| style="background-color:{{party color|United Australia Party}}"|
| [[Joseph Lyons]]
| UAP
| rowspan=2 colspan=3|{{efn|This includes the 5 elected candidates of the [[Emergency Committee of South Australia|Emergency Committee]] (which stood for the UAP and the Country party in South Australia), who joined the UAP party room following the election.}}
| 1,330,097
| 41.91
| {{Composition bar|38|75|hex={{party color|United Australia Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 24
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Earle Page]]
| Country
| 388,544
| 12.24
| {{Composition bar|16|75|hex={{party color|National Party of Australia}}}}
| {{increase}} 6
| {{no2|Crossbench}}
|-
! rowspan=2|[[1934 Australian federal election|1934]]
| style="background-color:{{party color|United Australia Party}}"|
| [[Joseph Lyons]]
| UAP
| rowspan=2 colspan=3|{{efn|2 months following the election, the UAP and Country parties agreed to govern in coalition.}}
| 1,313,561
| 36.99
| {{Composition bar|33|74|hex={{party color|United Australia Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
| rowspan=2 {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Earle Page]]
| Country
| 447,968
| 12.61
| {{Composition bar|14|74|hex={{party color|National Party of Australia}}}}
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
! [[1937 Australian federal election|1937]]
| rowspan=3 style="background-color:{{party color|United Australia Party}}"|
| [[Joseph Lyons]]
| rowspan=3|UAP
| rowspan=3 style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Earle Page]]
| rowspan=3|Country
| 1,774,805
| 49.26
| {{Composition bar|44|74|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! rowspan=2|[[1940 Australian federal election|1940]]
| rowspan=2|[[Robert Menzies]]
| rowspan=2|[[Archie Cameron]]
| rowspan=2|1,703,185
| rowspan=2|43.93
| rowspan=2|{{Composition bar|36|74|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| rowspan=2|{{decrease}} 8
| style="background-color:#CCCCFF" |Minority {{small|(1940–41)}}
|-
| {{no2|Opposition {{small|(1941–43)}}}}
|-
! [[1943 Australian federal election|1943]]
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Arthur Fadden]]
| Country
| style="background-color:{{party color|United Australia Party}}"|
| [[Billy Hughes]]
| UAP
| 1,248,506
| 30.45
| {{Composition bar|23|74|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 13
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1946 Australian federal election|1946]]
| rowspan=17 style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}"|
| rowspan=8|[[Robert Menzies]]
| rowspan=17|Liberal
| rowspan=17 style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| rowspan=5|[[Arthur Fadden]]
| rowspan=12|Country
| 1,706,387
| 39.28
| {{Composition bar|26|76|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 7
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1949 Australian federal election|1949]]
| 2,314,143
| 50.26
| {{Composition bar|74|121|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 48
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1951 Australian federal election|1951]]
| 2,298,512
| 50.34
| {{Composition bar|69|121|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1954 Australian federal election|1954]]
| 2,133,979
| 46.82
| {{Composition bar|64|121|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1955 Australian federal election|1955]]
| 2,093,930
| 47.63
| {{Composition bar|75|122|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 11
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1958 Australian federal election|1958]]
| rowspan=5|[[John McEwen]]
| 2,324,500
| 46.55
| {{Composition bar|77|122|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1961 Australian federal election|1961]]
| 2,208,213
| 42.09
| {{Composition bar|62|122|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 15
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1963 Australian federal election|1963]]
| 2,520,321
| 46.03
| {{Composition bar|72|122|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 10
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1966 Australian federal election|1966]]
| [[Harold Holt]]
| 2,853,890
| 49.98
| {{Composition bar|82|124|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 10
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1969 Australian federal election|1969]]
| [[John Gorton]]
| 2,649,219
| 43.33
| {{Composition bar|66|125|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 16
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1972 Australian federal election|1972]]
| [[William McMahon]]
| rowspan=6|[[Doug Anthony]]
| 2,737,911
| 41.48
| {{Composition bar|58|125|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 8
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1974 Australian federal election|1974]]
| [[Billy Snedden]]
| 3,319,220
| 44.91
| {{Composition bar|61|127|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 3
| {{no2|Opposition}}{{efn|Following the [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis]], the then Coalition leader Malcolm Fraser was appointed caretaker prime minister prior to the following election.}}
|- 
! [[1975 Australian federal election|1975]]
| rowspan=4|[[Malcolm Fraser]]
| rowspan=3|National Country
| 4,102,078
| 53.05
| {{Composition bar|91|127|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 30
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1977 Australian federal election|1977]]
| 3,811,340
| 48.10
| {{Composition bar|86|124|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1980 Australian federal election|1980]]
| 3,853,549
| 46.40
| {{Composition bar|74|125|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 12
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1983 Australian federal election|1983]]
| rowspan=2|National
| 3,783,595
| 43.57
| {{Composition bar|50|125|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 24
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1984 Australian federal election|1984]]
| [[Andrew Peacock]]
| [[Ian Sinclair]]
| 3,872,707
| 44.69
| {{Composition bar|66|148|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 16
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! rowspan=2|[[1987 Australian federal election|1987]]
| style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}"|
| [[John Howard]]
| Liberal
| rowspan=2 colspan=3|{{efn|Following the election, the coalition was reformed and sat together in opposition.}}
| 3,169,061
| 34.32
| {{Composition bar|43|148|hex={{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}}}
| {{decrease}} 2
| rowspan=2 {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Ian Sinclair]]
| National
| 1,048,249
| 11.35
| {{Composition bar|19|148|hex={{party color|National Party of Australia}}}}
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
! [[1990 Australian federal election|1990]]
| rowspan=13 style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Andrew Peacock]]
| rowspan=13|Liberal
| rowspan=13 style="background-color:{{party color|National Party of Australia}}"|
| [[Charles Blunt]]
| rowspan=13|National
| 4,302,127
| 43.46
| {{Composition bar|69|148|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 7
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1993 Australian federal election|1993]]
| [[John Hewson]]
| rowspan=3|[[Tim Fischer]]
| 4,681,822
| 44.27
| {{Composition bar|65|147|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1996 Australian federal election|1996]]
| rowspan=5|[[John Howard]]
| 5,103,859
| 46.90
| {{Composition bar|94|148|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 29
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[1998 Australian federal election|1998]]
| 4,352,795
| 39.18
| {{Composition bar|80|148|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 14
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[2001 Australian federal election|2001]]
| rowspan=2|[[John Anderson (Australian politician)|John Anderson]]
| 4,887,998
| 43.01
| {{Composition bar|82|150|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[2004 Australian federal election|2004]]
| 5,471,588
| 46.70
| {{Composition bar|87|150|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 5
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[2007 Australian federal election|2007]]
| [[Mark Vaile]]
| 5,229,024
| 42.09
| {{Composition bar|65|150|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 22
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2010 Australian federal election|2010]]
| rowspan=2|[[Tony Abbott]]
| rowspan=2|[[Warren Truss]]
| 5,365,529
| 43.32
| {{Composition bar|72|150|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 7
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2013 Australian federal election|2013]]
| 5,882,818
| 45.55
| {{Composition bar|90|150|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 18
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[2016 Australian federal election|2016]]
| [[Malcolm Turnbull]]
| [[Barnaby Joyce]]
| 5,693,605
| 42.15
| {{Composition bar|76|150|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 14
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[2019 Australian federal election|2019]]
| rowspan=2|[[Scott Morrison]]
| [[Michael McCormack (Australian politician)|Michael McCormack]]
| 5,906,860
| 41.44
| {{Composition bar|77|151|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[2022 Australian federal election|2022]]
| [[Barnaby Joyce]]
| 5,233,334
| 35.70
| {{Composition bar|58|151|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 19
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2025 Australian federal election|2025]]
| [[Peter Dutton]]
| [[David Littleproud]]
| 4,929,606
| 31.82
| {{Composition bar|43|150|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
| {{Decrease}} 15
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
|}

==States and territories==
{{Infobox political party
|country =
|name = Coalition Lower House Seats<br><small>(and endorsed parties)</small>
|colorcode = {{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}
|seats1_title = [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly|NSW Assembly]]
|seats1       = {{Composition bar|35|93|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats2_title = [[Victorian Legislative Assembly|Vic Assembly]]
|seats2       = {{Composition bar|28|88|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats3_title = [[Legislative Assembly of Queensland|QLD Parliament]]
|seats3       = {{Composition bar|52|93|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats4_title = [[Western Australian Legislative Assembly|WA Assembly]]
|seats4       = {{Composition bar|6|59|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats5_title = [[South Australian House of Assembly|SA House]]
|seats5       = {{Composition bar|13|47|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats6_title = [[Tasmanian House of Assembly|Tas House]]
|seats6       = {{Composition bar|14|35|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats7_title = [[Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly|ACT Assembly]]
|seats7       = {{Composition bar|9|25|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats8_title = [[Northern Territory Legislative Assembly|NT Parliament]]
|seats8       = {{Composition bar|17|25|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
}}
{{Infobox political party
|country =
|name = Coalition Upper House Seats<br><small>(and endorsed parties)</small>
|colorcode = {{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}
|seats1_title = [[New South Wales Legislative Council|NSW Council]]
|seats1       = {{Composition bar|14|42|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats2_title = [[Victorian Legislative Council|Vic Council]]
|seats2       = {{Composition bar|13|40|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats3_title = [[Western Australian Legislative Council|WA Council]]
|seats3       = {{Composition bar|9|36|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats4_title = [[South Australian Legislative Council|SA Council]]
|seats4       = {{Composition bar|8|22|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
|seats5_title = [[Tasmanian Legislative Council|Tas Council]]
|seats5       = {{Composition bar|4|15|hex={{party color|Coalition (Australia)}}}}
}}

===New South Wales===
{{Main|Liberal–National Coalition (New South Wales)}}
A Coalition between the [[New South Wales Liberal Party|Liberal]] (and predecessors) and [[New South Wales National Party|National]] parties has existed without interruption in [[New South Wales]] since 1927.  Predecessors of the NSW Liberal Party, including the UAP, Nationalist Party and the [[Democratic Party (1943)|Democratic Party]], maintained a coalition with the Country Party (old name of National Party).

The Liberal Party is led by [[Mark Speakman]] and the National Party by [[Dugald Saunders]]. The Coalition won the [[2011 New South Wales state election|2011 state election]] in a massive swing under [[Barry O'Farrell]], the [[2015 New South Wales state election|2015 election]] with a reduced majority under [[Mike Baird]], and the [[2019 New South Wales state election|2019 election]] under Gladys Berejiklian. The Coalition led by [[Dominic Perrottet]] lost the [[2023 New South Wales state election|2023 state election]] and is in opposition since.

New South Wales is the only state where the non-Labor Coalition has never broken, and yet has also never merged. This remained the case even in 2011, when the Liberals won a majority in their own right but still retained the Coalition. On 10 September 2020, the Nationals threatened to move to the crossbench over a dispute regarding [[koala]] protection laws,<ref>{{cite news |title=NSW Government in turmoil as 'betrayed' Nationals effectively leave Coalition over koala bill |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-10/nsw-government-crisis-as-john-barilaro-says-nationals-will-leave/12648966 |access-date=10 September 2020 |work=www.abc.net.au |date=10 September 2020 |language=en-AU}}</ref> but the issue was resolved the next day and the Nationals remained in the Coalition.

===Queensland===
{{main|Liberal National Party of Queensland}}
Due to [[Brisbane]] having a much smaller share of [[Queensland]]'s population compared to the other state capitals, Queensland is the only state in which the Nationals have ever consistently been the stronger non-Labor party. The Nationals were the senior partner in the non-Labor Coalition from 1925 until the Coalition was broken in 1983. At an [[1983 Queensland state election|election held two months later]], the Nationals under [[Joh Bjelke-Petersen]] came up one seat short of a majority, but later gained a majority when two Liberal MLAs crossed the floor to join the Nationals. The Nationals then governed in their own right until [[1989 Queensland state election|1989]]. The Coalition was renewed in 1991, and won power under [[Rob Borbidge]] from 1996 to [[1998 Queensland state election|1998]].

The Queensland Liberals and Nationals had contested separately for the Senate in federal elections until the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 election]], when they ran a join Senate ticket for the first time in 30 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-08-05/coalition-to-run-joint-qld-senate-ticket/2522818|title=Coalition to run joint Qld Senate ticket|work=ABC News|date=5 August 2007|access-date=17 November 2020}}</ref> In 2008, the two parties agreed to merge, forming the [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|Liberal National Party]] (LNP), under the leadership of former National [[Lawrence Springborg]]. Although it is dominated by former Nationals,{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}} it has full voting rights within the Liberal Party and observer status within the National Party. Springborg stood down in 2009, and was succeeded by former Liberal [[John-Paul Langbroek]]. The LNP won an overwhelming majority government in the [[2012 Queensland state election|2012 state election]] under the leadership of former Liberal [[Campbell Newman]], who had taken over from Langbroek a year earlier. However, it lost power in [[2015 Queensland state election|2015]] and remained in opposition for nearly a decade, before returning to power in 2024 under the leadership of [[David Crisafulli]].

At the federal level, 15 LNP MPs sit with the Liberals and six sit with the Nationals, including federal Nationals leader [[David Littleproud]]. LNP Senators [[Matt Canavan]] and [[Susan McDonald]] sit with the Nationals, while the LNP's four other senators sit with the Liberals. The highest-profile LNP MP of the 2010s was former federal Nationals leader and [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Warren Truss]]. The LNP has an informal agreement with its federal counterparts as to which party room in which LNP members will sit. Incumbent MPs retain their previous federal affiliations, whereas members who win seats from the ALP that previously belonged to the Coalition will sit with the previous member's party. An amicable division of seats was decided upon for new seats or seats that have never been won by the Coalition.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-05-18/lnp-differences-a-coalition-headache/830554 |title=LNP differences a Coalition headache |work=The Drum |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |first=Madonna |last=King |date=18 May 2010 |archive-date=29 September 2023 |access-date=22 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929050947/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-05-18/lnp-differences-a-coalition-headache/830554 |url-status=live }}</ref> In practice, all LNP MPs from Brisbane and most LNP MPs from the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] and the [[Sunshine Coast, Queensland|Sunshine Coast]] sit with the Liberals, while those from rural seats usually sit with the Nationals.

===South Australia===
The [[Country Party (South Australia)|state branch of the Country Party]] merged with the [[Liberal Federation]], the state branch of the UAP, in 1932 to form the [[South Australian Liberal Party|Liberal and Country League]]. It later became the state division of the Liberal Party when the latter was formed in 1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-871640390|title=Liberal Party of Australia (N.S.W. Division) – Constitution|page=3|date=August 1945|access-date=30 January 2020}}</ref> A separate Country Party (later [[South Australian National Party|Nationals SA]]) was revived in 1963, though the main non-Labor party in South Australia continued to use the LCL name until it was also renamed to the Liberal Party in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/media/pressrel/HPR10021411/upload_binary/HPR10021411.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22media/pressrel/HPR10021411%22|title=Liberal and Country League State Council Address – Billy Snedden|date=22 July 1974|access-date=30 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Martin |first=Robert |date=2009 |title=Responsible Government in South Australia, Volume 2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R2TXM0oxIk0C&pg=PA82 |location=South Australia |publisher=Wakefield Press |page=82 |isbn= 9781862548442}}</ref> The revived SA Nationals have never been successful in South Australia, due to the state's highly centralised population (some three-quarters of the population lives in [[Adelaide]]) and the Liberals' strong support in rural areas that would tilt National in most of the rest of Australia. The party's current incarnation has only elected two representatives: [[Peter Blacker]] from 1973 to 1993, and [[Karlene Maywald]] from 1997 to 2010.

From 2004 to 2010, Maywald was a Minister in the [[Mike Rann|Rann]] Labor government, before losing her seat at the 2010 South Australian state election, thereby informally creating a Labor–National coalition in South Australia. The National Party, at the time, rejected the notion that it was in a coalition with Labor at the state level. State National Party President John Venus told journalists, "We (The Nationals) are not in coalition with the Labor Party, we aren't in coalition with the Liberals, we are definitely not in coalition with anyone. We stand alone in South Australia as an independent party." [[Flinders University]] political scientist [[Haydon Manning]] disagreed, saying that it is "churlish to describe the government as anything but a coalition".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1160740.htm |title=SA Govt recruits National Party MP |work=PM |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=23 July 2004 |access-date=1 February 2011 |first=Nance |last=Haxton |archive-date=19 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219091119/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1160740.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The party did not run candidates at the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 federal election]], but ran one candidate in the seat of [[Division of Barker|Barker]] and two for the Senate at the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 election]]. The Nationals candidate for Barker and several other Coalition figures assured electors that any Nationals elected from South Australia would be part of the Coalition, after comments from the Liberal candidate to the contrary.<ref name=2013sa>{{cite news|last=Brennan|first=Ben|title=Joyce takes aim at claim|url=http://www.murrayvalleystandard.com.au/story/1753031/joyce-takes-aim-at-claim/|access-date=17 November 2013|newspaper=The Murray Valley Standard|date=4 September 2013|archive-date=14 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414191936/http://www.murrayvalleystandard.com.au/story/1753031/joyce-takes-aim-at-claim/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Tasmania===
The National Party has never done well in [[Tasmania]], even though its first leader, [[William McWilliams]], was a Tasmanian. It has elected only two other lower house members. A Tasmania branch of the then-Country Party was formed in 1922 and briefly held the balance of power, but merged with the Nationalists in 1924.  It was refounded in 1962, but never gained much ground. In 1969, Liberal MHA [[Kevin Lyons]], the son of former Prime Minister Lyons, pulled together most of the Tasmanian Country Party into the [[Centre Party (Tasmania)|Centre Party]], which held the balance of power in [[1969 Tasmanian state election|that year's state election]]. It threw its support to the Liberals, and Lyons – the Centre Party's lone MHA – became Deputy Premier.  The Liberal–Centre alliance fell apart in 1972, forcing [[1972 Tasmanian state election|an early election]].  In 1975, what remained of the Centre Party became the Tasmanian chapter of what was by now the National Country Party before fading away completely.  A Tasmanian National Party branch was briefly revived in the 1990s before it too disappeared, leaving the Liberal Party as the sole major non-Labor party in the state.<ref>Petrow, Stefan: [http://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/C/Country%20Party.htm Country Party] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411033923/https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/C/Country%20Party.htm |date=11 April 2023 }}, ''The Companion to Tasmanian History'' ([[University of Tasmania]]).</ref> In 2018, Senator [[Steve Martin (Tasmanian politician)|Steve Martin]], formerly of the [[Jacqui Lambie Network]], joined the Nationals, becoming the party's first federal member from Tasmania in either chamber in 90 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theconversation.com/independent-crossbencher-steve-martin-joins-nationals-giving-the-party-a-tasmanian-presence-97320|title=Independent crossbencher Steve Martin joins Nationals, giving the party a Tasmanian presence|first=Michelle|last=Grattan|website=The Conversation|date=28 May 2018 }}</ref> However, Martin lost his bid for a new term.

===Victoria===
{{main|Liberal–National Coalition (Victoria)}}
A Coalition between the [[Victorian Liberal Party|Liberal]] and [[Victorian National Party|National]] parties exists in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]]. The Liberal Party is led by [[Jess Wilson]] and the National Party by [[Danny O'Brien (politician)|Danny O'Brien]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Savage|first1=Alison|title=Peter Walsh takes over National Party leadership with new MP as deputy|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-03/walsh-takes-over-as-nationals-leader-with-new-mp-as-deputy/5938974|website=ABC News|access-date=10 February 2015|archive-date=10 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410000740/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-03/walsh-takes-over-as-nationals-leader-with-new-mp-as-deputy/5938974|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Country Party was the stronger coalition partner on multiple occasions from the 1920s through to the 1950s, and Country leaders served as [[Premier of Victoria]] on five separate occasions. However, the relationship between the two parties was somewhat strained for most of the second half of the 20th century. In 1948, the coalition was broken when the Liberal leader and Premier [[Thomas Hollway]] sacked Country leader [[John McDonald (Victorian politician)|John McDonald]] as Deputy Premier. In March 1949, the Liberals renamed themselves the Liberal and Country Party as part of an effort to merge the two non-Labor parties in Victoria.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22695748|title=Plans for United CP-Lib Party|publisher=The Argus|date=5 February 1949|access-date=29 November 2019}}</ref> However, McDonald saw this as an attempted Liberal takeover of the Country Party,<ref name="hay">{{cite book |author1=Brian Costar |chapter=National–Liberal Party Relations in Victoria |editor1-last=Hay |editor1-first=P. R. |display-editors=etal |title=Essays on Victorian Politics |date=1985 |publisher=Warrnambool Institute Press |location=Warrnambool}}</ref><ref name=gorton>{{cite book|author=Ian Hancock|title=John Gorton: He Did It His Way|publisher=Hodder|year=2002|isbn=0733614396}}</ref> and the Country Party turned the proposed merger down. As a result, both parties competed against each other and fought elections separately from 1952 to 1989. The presence of [[John McEwen]], a Victorian, as number-two man in the federal government from 1958 to 1971 (including a brief stint as interim Prime Minister) did little to change this.

The Liberals and Nationals reached a Coalition agreement in 1990. They fought and won the [[1992 Victorian state election|1992]] and [[1996 Victorian state election|1996]] elections as a Coalition under the leadership of [[Jeff Kennett]]. Although the Liberals won enough seats to govern alone, Kennett retained the Nationals in his government. When [[Peter Ryan (politician)|Peter Ryan]] became leader of the Nationals shortly after the Kennett government's [[1999 Victorian state election|1999 election]] defeat, he terminated the Coalition agreement and led the Nationals into the [[2002 Victorian state election|2002]] and [[2006 Victorian state election|2006]] elections separately from the Liberals.<ref>Chris Johnston – [http://www.theage.com.au/news/victoria-votes/attack-the-best-defence-for-ryan-thanks-cicero/2006/11/26/1164476071887.html Attack the best defence for Ryan. Thanks, Cicero] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023040543/http://www.theage.com.au/news/victoria-votes/attack-the-best-defence-for-ryan-thanks-cicero/2006/11/26/1164476071887.html |date=23 October 2012 }} – [[The Age]], 27 November 2006</ref> However, the Coalition agreement was renewed in 2008 and the Victorian Liberal and National parties went into the [[2010 Victorian state election|2010 election]] as a Coalition.<ref>David Rood – [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/libs-nats-revive-coalition/2008/02/11/1202578650786.html Libs, Nats revive coalition] – [[The Age]], 11 February 2008</ref> The Coalition ended up winning the 2010 election with a one-seat margin under the leadership of [[Ted Baillieu]], who resigned in 2013 and was succeeded by [[Denis Napthine]]. The Coalition lost power at the [[2014 Victorian state election|2014 election]]. The Coalition arrangement has been maintained while the two parties are in opposition.

According to The Age, between November 2018 and November 2021, the Coalition's Legislative Council members voted with the Andrews Government's position 28.9% of the time; of the parties in the Legislative Council, only the [[Liberal Democratic Party (Australia)|Liberal Democratic Party]] had a lower figure (22.1%).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sakkal |first1=Paul |title='Is this what compliant looks like?': Victoria's crossbench conflict |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/is-this-what-compliant-looks-like-victoria-s-crossbench-conflict-20211124-p59bnh.html |website=The Age |date=26 November 2021 |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=1 December 2021 |archive-date=28 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828025110/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/is-this-what-compliant-looks-like-victoria-s-crossbench-conflict-20211124-p59bnh.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Western Australia===
{{Update section|reason=Liberal Party is now the senior opposition party since the 2025 state election|date=May 2025}}
The [[Western Australian National Party|Country Party]] was the stronger coalition partner from the [[1933 Western Australian state election|1933 state election]] to the [[1947 Western Australian state election|1947 state election]], although the Coalition did not form government during this period. Western Australia has never had a premier from the Country/National Party.

In May 1949, the Liberal and Country League was formed to attempt to merge Country Party (then called County Democratic League or CDL) and [[Western Australian Liberal Party|Liberal Party]] together.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46160179|title=Opposition Merger – Proposed Liberal–Country League|publisher=The West Australian|date=25 July 1946|access-date=28 November 2019|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728174846/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46160179|url-status=live}}</ref> This did not eventuate and the CDL did not join the new party.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/26511594|title=Birth of Combined Party|publisher=The Mercury|date=23 March 1949|access-date=28 November 2019}}</ref>

The [[Western Australian National Party|National Party]] was in Coalition with the Liberal Party government from 1993 to 2001 (see [[Hendy Cowan]]), but the Coalition was subsequently broken. In 2008, the Liberals under [[Colin Barnett]], the Nationals under [[Brendon Grylls]], and independent [[John Bowler (politician)|John Bowler]] formed a minority government after the [[2008 Western Australian state election|2008 election]]. However, it was not characterised as a "traditional coalition", with limited [[cabinet collective responsibility]] for National cabinet members.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Labor's clean sweep broken |url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24343802-1245,00.html |work=News.com.au |publisher=News Limited |location=Sydney |date=14 September 2008 |access-date=14 September 2008 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[Tony Crook (politician)|Tony Crook]] was elected as the WA Nationals candidate for the seat of [[Division of O'Connor|O'Connor]] at the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 federal election]]. Although some reports initially counted Crook as a National MP, and thus part of the Coalition, Crook sat as a [[crossbencher]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/dont-count-me-among-coalition-says-nat-20100825-13s76.html |title=Don't count me among Coalition, says Nat |newspaper=The Age |publisher=Fairfax Media |date=26 August 2010 |access-date=1 February 2011 |location=Melbourne |first=Peter |last=Ker |archive-date=29 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829055042/http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/dont-count-me-among-coalition-says-nat-20100825-13s76.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Liberals won enough seats for a majority in their own right in the [[2013 Western Australian state election|2013 state election]], but Barnett had announced before the election that he would retain the coalition with the Nationals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-11/counting-resumes-for-wa-election-but-wont-change/4564452|title=Counting resumes for WA election but won't change decisive Barnett victory|author=David Weber|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=11 March 2013|access-date=11 March 2013|archive-date=10 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110121405/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-11/counting-resumes-for-wa-election-but-wont-change/4564452|url-status=live}}</ref> However, Barnett would have likely had to keep the Nationals in his government in any event. According to the ABC's [[Antony Green]], the rural weighting in the [[Western Australian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]] all but forces the WA Liberals to depend on National support even when the Liberals have enough support to govern alone.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/wa/2013/guide/preview.htm|title=2013 WA Election Preview|last=Green|first=Antony|author-link=Antony Green|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=7 February 2013|archive-date=20 April 2014|access-date=28 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420174636/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/wa/2013/guide/preview.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The Barnett government was heavily defeated at the [[2017 Western Australian state election|2017 state election]], and the two parties went their separate ways with Liberal Party being the sole opposition party.

In the [[2021 Western Australian state election|2021 election]], the Liberal Party ended up winning fewer seats than the National Party, headed by [[Mia Davies]], with the National Party gaining opposition status and Davies becoming the first Nationals opposition leader since [[1947 Western Australian state election|1947]].<ref name=2021election>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-14/nationals-weigh-coalition-to-form-opposition-in-wa/13247350|title=Nationals weigh coalition to form opposition in WA after Liberals wiped out|publisher=ABC News|date=15 March 2021|access-date=15 March 2021|archive-date=14 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314213611/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-14/nationals-weigh-coalition-to-form-opposition-in-wa/13247350|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the election, the Liberal Party and Nationals Party entered into a formal alliance to form opposition, with National Party being the senior party and the Liberal Party being the junior party in the alliance. Shadow ministerial positions were also held by parliamentary members of both parties. This was similar to the agreements between both parties when they were in government following the [[2008 Western Australian state election|2008]] and [[2013 Western Australian state election|2013]] elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalswa.com/opposition-alliance-agreement-finalised/|title=Opposition Alliance Agreement Reached|publisher=The Nationals WA|date=19 April 2021|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=4 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504010546/https://www.nationalswa.com/opposition-alliance-agreement-finalised/|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar to the 2008 and 2013 agreements, the deputy leader of the senior party, Nationals deputy leader [[Shane Love]], was the deputy opposition leader, instead of the leader of the junior party, Liberal Party leader [[David Honey (politician)|David Honey]]. Under the alliance, each party maintained their independence, and could speak out on issues when there was a disagreement with their partner.<ref name=apr2021_1>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-19/wa-liberals-and-nationals-enter-alliance-not-formal-coalition/100025454|title=WA Liberals and Nationals enter alliance instead of formal coalition following electoral wipeout|publisher=ABC News|date=19 April 2021|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502225750/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-19/wa-liberals-and-nationals-enter-alliance-not-formal-coalition/100025454|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=apr2021_2>{{cite web|url=https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/wa-nationals-liberals-form-alliance-for-opposition-just-don-t-call-it-a-coalition-20210419-p57kge.html|title=WA Nationals, Liberals form alliance for opposition – just don't call it a coalition|publisher=WA Today|date=20 April 2021|access-date=4 May 2021}}</ref>

===Territories===
{{Update section|reason=CLP Senator Jacinta Price defecting from the National Party to Liberal Party in 2025, with further elaboration needed on how she could swap party rooms|date=May 2025}}
*'''Australian Capital Territory''': The National Party is not affiliated in the [[Australian Capital Territory]], leaving the [[Canberra Liberals|Liberal Party]] as the sole major non-Labor party in the territory.
*'''Northern Territory''': The two parties' branches in the Northern Territory merged in 1974, forming the [[Country Liberal Party]]. The CLP governed the Territory from 1974 to 2001 and from 2012 to 2016. The CLP retains full voting rights within the federal National Party, and has observer status with the federal Liberal Party. The CLP directs its federal members of the House and Senate whether to sit with the federal Liberals or Nationals.<ref>{{Cite news|title=History of the Country Liberals|url=http://www.countryliberals.org.au/content.php?id=1000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829062652/http://www.countryliberals.org.au/content.php?id=1000|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 August 2008|publisher=[[Country Liberal Party]]|location=Northern Territory|year=2010|access-date=24 August 2010}}</ref> During the [[Joh for Canberra]] campaign, there was an independent [[Northern Territory Nationals|Northern Territory National Party]] which competed independent from it. In practice, since the mid-1980s, CLP House members have sat with the Liberals while CLP Senators sit with the Nationals. For example, [[Natasha Griggs]] sat with the Liberals when she held the [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]]-area seat of [[Division of Solomon|Solomon]] from 2010 to 2016. CLP Senator [[Nigel Scullion]] was the leader of the Nationals in the Senate from 2007 to 2008, when he was succeeded by [[Barnaby Joyce]].  He was the federal deputy leader of the Nationals, alongside Truss, from 2007 to 2013. Joyce became federal Nationals deputy leader after his successful transition to the House of Representatives at the 2013 election, and Scullion returned as the Nationals Senate leader.

==See also==
* [[Two-party system]]
* [[Uniparty]]
* Tasmanian [[Labor–Green Accord]] (1989–1990)
* Australian Capital Territory [[Labor–Greens coalition]]  (2012–2024)

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}} 

{{Politics of Australia}}
{{Liberal Party of Australia}}
{{National Party of Australia}}

[[Category:1946 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:2025 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1972 disestablishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1987 disestablishments in Australia]]
[[Category:2025 disestablishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Political party alliances in Australia]]
[[Category:Conservatism in Australia]]
[[Category:Liberalism in Australia]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Australia]]
[[Category:National Party of Australia]]