Liberal Union | |
|---|---|
| President | Charles Merrett |
| Founder | Thomas Ashworth Charles Merrett |
| Founded | 10 August 1922; 103 years ago (10 August 1922)[1] |
| Dissolved | 1925; 100 years ago (1925) |
| Split from | Nationalist Party |
| Preceded by | Liberal Party |
| Merged into | Nationalist Party |
| Succeeded by | Australian Liberal Party |
| House of Representatives | 2 / 75 (1922−1925) |
TheLiberal Union, also known as theLiberal Party, theLiberal Union Party or theProgressive Liberals, was a short-lived political party inAustralia that operated inVictoria, mainly in 1922.
The Liberal Union was formed by disaffectedNationalists, principallyThomas Ashworth andCharles Merrett, who opposed the leadership ofPrime MinisterBilly Hughes.[2]
In October 1922, Merrett met with delegates from theCountry Party and Australian Legion and agreed to co-operate at the1922 federal election. Positions agreed upon by the three parties included "[maintaining] the unity of theBritish Empire" and "the preservation of awhite Australia". Candidates inMelbourne would stand as 'Progressive Liberals,' while the Liberals would back Country Party candidate inregional Victoria.[3]
At the 1922 election,William Watt (Balaclava) andJohn Latham (Kooyong) were elected as Independent Liberal Union MPs.[4] Other candidates for the party includedEleanor Glencross andHenry Gullett, both inHenty, and Merrett who ran in theSenate.[5]
The party disbanded in 1925, after Watt re-joined and Latham joined the Nationalists. Merrett later formed theAustralian Liberal Party.[6]
