Factsheet 7.6

Political Representation

What are political parties? Following an election in Queensland, the political party which holds the majority of seats in the A political party is a group of people who share Legislative Assembly forms the Government. common political principles or opinions. While The leader of this party then becomes the members of a political party do not always have Premier of Queensland. The political party the same view on every subject, they share with the next highest number of seats forms similar values and beliefs about the way their the Opposition. Independents along with state or country should be run. those elected from minor parties sit on the A political party can be registered in Australia crossbenches in Parliament. if it has at least 500 members who are on the electoral roll and if it has a Constitution which What political parties exist in sets out the aims of the party. These and other Queensland? details concerning the registration of political The political parties which dominate the parties are contained in part 5 of the Queensland Queensland Parliament are the Australian Labor Electoral Act 1992. Party (ALP) and the Liberal National Party (LNP). Other parties which have had representatives in What is a faction? the Queensland Parliament in recent years are Factions form because not everyone in a political Katter’s Australian Party, the Palmer United Party, party thinks alike. The individuals in a faction the Queensland Greens and the One Nation Party. share a common view in the political party Further information on these parties can be found they are a member of which is not necessarily on their web sites: shared by every member of the political party. • Australian Labor Party - www.qld.alp.org.au Therefore, a faction could be described as a group within a party. • Liberal National Party – www.lnp.org.au • Katter’s Australian Party - www.ausparty.org.au What do political parties do during an election? • Queensland Greens – www.qld.greens.org.au In an election, the majority of candidates belong Other parties which have campaigned at recent to a political party. Each party preselects one of Queensland elections include Family First and its members to campaign in each electorate, or Daylight Saving for South East Queensland however many electorates they wish to campaign (DS4SEQ). in. The party then helps with their campaigning during the election period, and members of the What do political parties do in party help to hand out how-to-vote cards at Parliament? election booths on election day. When Parliament sits, members of each of the On election day, voters elect the candidate political parties attend party meetings. During which best aligns with their ideas of how the these party meetings, members plan strategies, state should be run. Those candidates who develop policies, examine proposed legislation do not belong to any political party are called Independents.

Updated December 2017 P +61 7 3553 6000 www.parliament.qld.gov.au F +61 7 3553 6419 [email protected] out aboutmembershipfeesandhowtoapply. contact thepoliticalpartyofyourchoiceandfind (or becomingone!)anddevelopingpolicies, you wanttobeinvolvedinselectingcandidates In Australia, anyonecanjoinapoliticalparty. If political party? doina What cananindividual farming organisations. Party islinkedtobusinessgroupsand to thetradeunions,andLiberalNational example, the Australian LaborParty islinked aligned withcertainpressuregroups.For Political partiesareofteninfluencedbyand their organisation. make lawsinthestatewhicharefavourableto because theycanpressureapoliticalpartyto They areveryimportantinthepoliticalsystem making andpolicy-makingofapoliticalparty. organisation whichaimstoinfluencethedecision- A pressuregroupisaofpeopleoran What isapressuregroup? vote withtheopposingparty. ‘cross thefloor’ of Parliament andsitwith division inParliament, thesemembersliterally the floor’. Whenavoteiscalledforduring the restoftheirparty. This isknownas‘crossing of apoliticalpartyvoteintheoppositewayto occasions though,amemberorseveralmembers rare On line. party their to adhering way identical party almostalwaysvoteonanissuein In Parliament, membersofthesame political and discussparliamentarybusiness.

Political Representation

Updated December 2017 Factsheet 7.6