The
National Party of Australia is an
Australian political party.
Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982. Federally, in New South Wales, and to an extent Victoria, it has generally been the minor party in the traditional coalition with the Liberal Party of Australia in government and in opposition since the 1940s, and the UAP/NPA since the 1920s, against the Australian Labor Party. However, it was the major coalition party in Queensland between 1957 and 2008, when it merged with the junior partner, the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia to form the Liberal National Party - an organisation dominated by ex-Nationals. Since 2008 under the Senate leadership of Barnaby Joyce, the party has moved to the crossbenches and has indicated it will be voting independently of their Liberal counterparts.[3][4][5]
In 2003 the party adopted the name The Nationals for campaigning purposes, reflecting common usage, but its legal name has not changed.
The party's federal parliamentary leader since 3 December 2007, following the coalition's defeat at the 2007 federal election, is Warren Truss.[6]
