Yr 10 Commerce Assignment

Yr 10 commerce assignment

Introduction:

This assignment deals with the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Australian Liberal Party. It will go explain in depth their origins, motives objectives and achievements.

History:

Labor Party:

The Labor party has recently celebrated its centenary in 1991, making it Australia's oldest party. Labor first became a Federal Party when the former colonies of Australia federated in 1901. Separate labour parties had been established in the colonies during the formative decade of the 1890s. These parties were sponsored by the trade union movement, to help get sympathetic politicians elected to colonial parliaments. In Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, there were no strong and coherent labour parties until after federation. However, by 1900 strong labour parties had emerged in Queensland and New South Wales, quickly taking up a prominent role in Parliamentary politics. Australia's first labour government took office in Queensland in 1899. It lasted seven days. Although these early labour parties were strongly influenced by the trade unions, they were never confined to union membership and interests. Their earliest programs and platforms show that they sought the support of farmers, small businessmen and non-union employees including clerical and other white-collar workers. The Australian Labor Party entered federal politics at the first Commonwealth elections of 1901, when 16 Labor members were elected to the House of Representatives and eight to the Senate. They met before the first sitting of Parliament on 8 May 1901 and agreed to form a Federal Labor Party. J.C. (Chris) Watson, a Sydney printer and a former member of the NSW Parliament, was elected the first Leader of the Party.

Liberal Party:

In 1944, the Liberal Party of Australia was founded after a three-day meeting held in a small hall not far from Parliament House in Canberra. The meeting was called by the then Leader of the Opposition (United Australia Party), Robert Menzies. Robert Menzies had already served as Prime Minister of Australia (1939-40), but he believed that the non-Labor parties should unite to present a strong alternative government to the Australian people. Eighty men and women from 18 non-Labor political parties and organisations attended the first Canberra conference. They shared a common belief that Australians should have greater personal freedom and choice than that offered under Labor's post-war socialist plans. Robert Menzies believed the time was right for a new political force in Australia. On October 16, 1944, the name The Liberal Party of Australia was adopted, uniting the many different political organisations. Two months later, at the Albury Conference, the Party's organisational and constitutional framework was drawn up. The name Liberal was chosen deliberately for its associations with progressive nineteenth century free enterprise and social equality. By May 1945 membership of the Liberal Party had swelled to 40,000. It fought its first election in 1946 with some success and in 1947, the Liberal Party won State Government in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. In 1949 the Liberals, in coalition with the Country Party, were first elected to national government. Sir Robert Menzies went on to lead Australia and the Liberal Party for 17 years, before he retired from politics in 1966.

As can be shown the Labor party was the first united party in Australia and has a history dating back well into the 19th century. The Liberal party was formed specifically to oppose the Labor party and later joined with the country party to increase its power and influence.

LEADERSHIP:

Labor Party:

Watson

Andrew Fisher

W.M. Hughes

Frank Tudor

Matthew Charlton

J.H Scullin

John Curtin

J.B Chifley

Dr H.V Evatt

Arthur Calwell

E.G Whitlam

Bill Hayden

Bob Hawke

Paul Keating

Kim Beazley

Simon Creek

Liberal Party:

Robert Menzies

Harold Holt

John Gorton

William McMahon

Bill Snedden

Malcolm Fraser

Andrew Peacock

John Howard

Andrew Peacock

John Hewson

Alexander Downer

John Howard

IDEOLOGY AND SUPPORTERS:

Labor Party:

Labor believes that all people are created equal in their entitlement to dignity and respect, and should have an equal chance to achieve their potential. For Labor, government has a critical role in ensuring fairness by:

Ð'* Ensuring equal opportunity;

Ð'* Removing unjustifiable discrimination; and

Ð'* Achieving a more equitable distribution of wealth, income and status.

Liberal Party:

The Liberal party believes in equal opportunity for all Australians; and the encouragement and facilitation of wealth so that all may enjoy the highest possible standards of living, health, education and social justice. It believes that, wherever possible, government should not compete with an efficient private sector; and that businesses and individuals Ð'- not government - are the true creators of wealth and employment.

Therefore it is obvious that generally, big companies support Liberal, and the union workers/labourers support Labor.

ORGANISATION:

Labor

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