National Party of Australia – Victoria
Leader	Danny O'Brien
Deputy Leader	Emma Kealy
Preceded by	Victorian Farmers' Union (VFU)
Headquarters	Collins Street,Melbourne,Victoria
Youth wing	Young Nationals
Ideology	Conservatism (Australian) Agrarianism
Political position	Centre-right
National affiliation	Federal National
Political alliance	Liberal–National Coalition
Colours	Green andyellow
Legislative Assembly	9 / 88
Legislative Council	2 / 40
House of Representatives	3 / 39 (Victorian seats)
Senate	1 / 12 (Victorian seats)
Website
vic.nationals.org.au
Politics of Australia Political parties Elections

TheVictorian National Party, officially known as theNational Party of Australia – Victoria, is anAustralian political party that serves as the state branch of the federalNational Party inVictoria. It represents graziers, farmers, miners and rural voters.^[1]

It began as a political activity of theVictorian Farmer's Union, which became involved in state politics in 1916. It was then known as the Country Party for many years, until becoming "The Nationals" in 1975.

In state parliament it is presently the junior partner in a centre-rightCoalition with theLiberal Party, forming a joint Opposition bench. The party's leaderDanny O'Brien serves as deputy opposition leader, while in government the party's leader serves asDeputy Premier of Victoria.

The candidates sponsored by theVictorian Farmers' Union from 1916 initially used the same name but in parliament also called themselves theCountry Party.^[2]

In 1923, aNationalist-Country coalition government was formed for the first time, with the Country Party leaderJohn Allan becoming the Deputy Premier. In March 1924 the Country Party left the government. Between April and November 1924, the Country Party supported the minorityGeorge Prendergast Labor government in exchange for a number of policy concessions.

In November 1924, Allan became Australia's first Country Party Premier. The party did so in coalition with the Nationalists, the Nationalist leader being Deputy Premier.

TheAlbert Dunstan-ledCountry Progressive Party (CPP) split from the party in April 1926. In March 1927 the VFU reorganised and renamed as theVictorian Country Party (VCP).^[3]

The April1927 Victorian state election saw a Labor win, with the support of the CPP and independents. However, the government only survived until November, when it was replaced by a VCP supported Nationalist government. The1929 Victorian state election returned a Labor government supported by the CPP and independents.

The CPP and VCP combined in September 1930 as theUnited Country Partyof Victoria (UCP).^[4] In 1931, the Nationalists joined with some of the more conservative Labor supporters to become theUnited Australia Party (UAP).

The UCP disaffiliated from the Australian Country Party (CP) in July 1934,^[5] due to its closeness with the new UAP. The two country parties subsequently competed for federal seats in Victoria.

In 1935, Dunstan formed a minority Country Party government with Labor Party support in return for some legislative concessions.

In 1937, UCP federal MPJohn McEwen was expelled for accepting a ministry in a UAP-CPCoalition government. Following a tumultuous party conference in 1938, another federal MP,Thomas Paterson, led a hundred McEwen supporters to form theLiberal Country Party (LCP), a new party loyal to the federal party.^[6]

In April 1943, the LCP dissolved, with its members becoming part of the UCP.^[7] In thestate election in June andfederal election in August, the singular party endorsed separate "UCP" and "LCP" candidates in some seats, with those elected working together. The UCP also re-established connections with the federal Country Party organisation.

In September 1943, Dunstan resigned when his government lost a vote of no confidence over a proposed electoral redistribution. The Country-Labor alliance was over. After a four day Labor government, Dunstan returned as Premier of a UCP-UAP coalition government.

TheLiberal Party of Australia's Victorian branch was formed in December 1944, succeeding the UAP.

Dunstan lost the Premiership in October 1945. A Liberal-Independent-Country coalition took its place for a month, before the1945 Victorian state election returned a Labor Party government.

"United" was dropped from the UCP's party's name in March 1947,^[8] it becoming theCountry Party of Victoria (CP).

Following the sacking of Country Party leaderJohn McDonald as Deputy Premier by the Liberals in 1948, in March 1949, the Liberals dissolved and formed theLiberal and Country Party, attempting to merge the Liberals and the Victorian branch of the Country Party together.^[9] This was seen by McDonald as a takeover attempt of the Country Party.^[10][11] Six Country MPs defected and joined the new party. With the Country Party continuing independently, in 1965 this new body became simply known as the Liberals.

On 24 July 1975 the party changed its name to theNational Party, following theQueensland branch who had made the change the previous year.^[12]

Pat McNamara became leader of the Victorian Nationals in 1988, and two years later reached a new Coalition agreement with the Liberals. The Liberals and Nationals fought the1992,1996 and1999 elections as a Coalition underJeff Kennett. The Liberals actually won majorities in their own right in 1992 and 1996. Although Kennett thus had no need for the support of the Nationals, he retained the Coalition, with McNamara as Deputy Premier.^{[citation needed]}

Following the Kennett government's defeat in 1999,Peter Ryan was elected as Nationals leader.^[13] After a loss in the2000 Benalla state by-election, a review was launched into the party's defeat, recommending a split from the Liberal Party. On 14 July 2000, at a joint meeting of the party's state council and parliamentary caucus, the Nationals voted to terminate the Coalition on a state level.^[14] The Nationals were steadily re-defining themselves as a party distinct from the Liberals. Soon after Ryan took over the leadership, they rebranded themselves as the "VicNats." Ryan uttered several sharp criticisms of the Liberals' most prominent figures, particularly their no-tolls policy on the MelbourneEastlink freeway^[15] and on former leaderRobert Doyle's remarks that the Liberals were twenty seats from government, a statement that assumed that the Nationals would support a Liberal government.^[16]

In mid-2000, McNamara left the parliament and his hitherto safe seat ofBenalla was also lost to the ALP. At the2002 election, the Nationals received 4.3% of the primary vote, maintaining their seven seats in the Assembly and four seats in the Council; the combined total of eleven was the minimum required to maintain Third Party status.^[17] However, they did manage to win back Benalla despite the ALP landslide; the only seat the ALP lost at that election.

Relations with the Liberal Party soured further at the beginning of 2006 when SenatorJulian McGauran defected from the Nationals to the Liberals.^[18] Federal party leaderMark Vaile accused McGauran of betrayal. Ryan was equally unsparing, saying of McGauran, "People treat deserters exactly in the way that this fellow will be treated and reviled for the rest of his days. And justifiably so."^[19]

Many commentators had stated that The Nationals were facing electoral oblivion at the2006 election, especially when rumours emerged of a possible preference deal between the Liberals and the ALP which would favour the Liberals against the Nationals, and the ALP against theGreens.^[20] Changes to theUpper House were also likely to slash the Nationals from four members to just one. Ten days prior to the election, Ryan gave what one commentator described the "speech of the campaign thus far" when he lambasted the major parties for their planned actions.

"Welcome", he said, "to Survivor Spring Street", an exercise in reality politics in which "associations that in some instances have been developed for years, amount to an absolute hill of beans", one in which the support offered through long-standing political partnership "is thrown back in your face".^[21]

The Nationals went on to increase their primary vote to 5.17%, winning two seats in the Assembly which were offset by two losses in the Legislative Council (the upper house).^[22] One notable victory was inMildura, wherePeter Crisp defeated the incumbentRussell Savage (one of the three independents who had removed the Nationals from power in 1999), an event which Ryan described as "an impossible dream".^[23]

Premier Steve Bracks resigned unexpectedly in July 2007. Unlike the Liberal leader,Ted Baillieu, Ryan commended Bracks on his parliamentary career and thanked him for his professionalism.^[24] This action is in step with what one commentator describes as "an unprecedented warm relationship with the state Labor Government", which includes reciprocating support for committee chairs.^[25]

The Nationals stayed on the crossbench until 2008, when they formed a Coalition with the Liberals underTed Baillieu.^[26] The renewed Coalition narrowly won the2010 state election, but was ousted after one term in2014. The Coalition arrangement was maintained while the two parties were 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 theLiberal Democratic Party had a lower figure (22.1%).^[27]

Ongoing leadership instability in the Liberal Party driven by John Pesutto's controversial attitude towards female MPs sparked media speculation in June 2023 that the Nationals might break the coalition to distance themselves from the Liberal infighting.^[28]

#	Leader		Term start	Term end	Electorate	Time in office	Premier	Deputy Premier	Departure notes
1		John Allan (1866–1936)	27 November 1917	27 June 1933	Rodney (1917–1936)	15 years, 212 days	Yes (1924–1927)	No	Resigned
2		Murray Bourchier (1881–1937)	27 June 1933	14 March 1935	Goulburn Valley (1920–1936)	1 year, 260 days	No	No	Deposed; became Deputy Leader
3		Albert Dunstan (1882–1950)	14 March 1935	22 November 1945	Korong and Eaglehawk (1927–1945)	10 years, 253 days	Yes (1935–1943; 1943–1945)	Yes (1935)	Resigned
					Korong (1945–1950)
4		John McDonald (1898–1977)	22 November 1945	20 April 1955	Shepparton (1945–1955)	9 years, 149 days	Yes (1950–1952; 1952)	Yes (1947–1948)	Resigned
5		Herbert Hyland (1884–1970)	20 April 1955	8 July 1964	Gippsland South (1929–1970)	9 years, 79 days	No	No	Deposed
6		George Moss (1913–1985)	8 July 1964	17 June 1970	Murray Valley (1945–1973)	5 years, 344 days	No	No	Resigned
7		Peter Ross-Edwards (1922–2012)	17 June 1970	20 October 1988	Shepparton (1967–1991)	18 years, 125 days	No	No	Resigned
8		Pat McNamara (1949–)	20 October 1988	16 December 1999	Benalla (1982–2000)	11 years, 57 days	No	Yes (1992–1999)	Resigned
9		Peter Ryan (1950–)	16 December 1999	3 December 2014	Gippsland South (1992–2015)	14 years, 352 days	No	Yes (2010–2014)	Resigned
10		Peter Walsh (1954–)	3 December 2014	25 November 2024	Murray Plains (2014–)	9 years, 358 days	No	No	Resigned
11		Danny O'Brien (1974–)	25 November 2024	Incumbent	Gippsland South (2015–)	1 year, 2 days	No	No

#	Deputy Leader		Term start	Term end	Electorate	Time in office	Deputy Premier	Leader	Departure notes
1		Francis Old (1875–1950)	1922	1924	Swan Hill (1919–1945)		No	John Allan
2		Alfred Downward (1847–1930)	1924	1927	Mornington (1894–1929)		No	John Allan
3		Murray Bourchier (1881–1937)	1927	29 October 1930	Goulburn Valley (1920–1936)		No	John Allan	Resigned
4		Albert Dunstan (1882–1950)	29 October 1930	14 March 1935	Korong and Eaglehawk (1927–1945)	4 years, 136 days	No	John Allan	Became leader following a successful challenge againstMurray Bourchier
								Murray Bourchier
(3)		Murray Bourchier (1881–1937)	14 March 1935	24 June 1936	Goulburn Valley (1920–1936)	1 year, 102 days	Yes (1935–1936)	Albert Dunstan	Resigned to become VictorianAgent-General in London
(1)		Francis Old (1875–1950)	30 June 1936	14 October 1937	Swan Hill (1919–1945)	1 year, 106 days	Yes (1936–1937)	Albert Dunstan	Deposed
5		Albert Lind (1878–1964)	14 October 1937	22 November 1945	Gippsland East (1920–1961)	8 years, 39 days	Yes (1937–1943)	Albert Dunstan	Resigned
6		Keith Dodgshun (1893–1971)	22 November 1945	20 April 1955	Rainbow (1945–1955)	9 years, 149 days	Yes (1950–1952); (1952)	John McDonald	Resigned due to ill health
7		George Moss (1913–1985)	20 April 1955	8 July 1964	Murray Valley (1945–1973)	9 years, 79 days	No	Herbert Hyland	Became leader following a successful challenge againstHerbert Hyland
8		Bruce Evans (1925–2012)	8 July 1964	17 June 1970	Gippsland East (1961–1992)	5 years, 344 days	No	George Moss	Resigned
9		Milton Whiting (1922–2010)	17 June 1970	8 April 1982	Mildura (1962–1988)	11 years, 295 days	No	Peter Ross-Edwards	Deposed
10		Eddie Hann (1946–1990)	8 April 1982	20 October 1988	Rodney (1973–1989)	6 years, 195 days	No	Peter Ross-Edwards	Resigned
11		Bill McGrath (1936–2018)	20 October 1988	23 September 1999	Lowan (1979–1992)	10 years, 338 days	No	Pat McNamara	Resigned
					Wimmera (1992–1999)
12		Peter Ryan (1950–)	23 September 1999	16 December 1999	Gippsland South (1992–2015)	84 days	No	Pat McNamara	Became leader following the resignation ofPat McNamara
13		Barry Steggall (1943–)	16 December 1999	4 December 2002	Swan Hill (1983–2002)	2 years, 353 days	No	Peter Ryan	Resigned
14		Peter Walsh (1954–)	4 December 2002	3 December 2014	Swan Hill (2002–2014)	11 years, 364 days	No	Peter Ryan	Became leader following the resignation ofPeter Ryan
					Murray Plains (2014–)
15		Stephanie Ryan (1986–)	3 December 2014	11 July 2022	Euroa (2014–)	7 years, 220 days	No	Peter Walsh	Resigned
16		Emma Kealy (1977–)	11 July 2022	Incumbent	Lowan (2014–)	3 years, 139 days	No	Peter Walsh
								Danny O'Brien

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Status
1917	None	21,183	6.13	4 / 65	4	3rd	Crossbench
1920	John Allan	64,500	14.41	13 / 65	9	3rd	Crossbench
1921		45,348	14.01	12 / 65	1	3rd	Crossbench
1924		43,961	11.97	13 / 65	1	3rd	Crossbench(1924)
							Coalition(1924–1927)
1927		62,218	8.13	10 / 65	3	3rd	Crossbench
1929		55,876	8.83	11 / 65	1	3rd	Crossbench
1932		83,519	12.33	14 / 65	1	3rd	Coalition
1935	Murray Bourchier	115,064	13.71	20 / 65	6	2nd	Coalition(1935)
							Minority(1935–1937)
1937	Albert Dunstan	89,286	11.35	20 / 65		2nd	Minority
1940		109,626	14.06	22 / 65	2	1st	Minority
1943		123,902[1]	14.39	25 / 65	5	1st	Minority(1943)
							Opposition(1943)
							Coalition(1943–1945)
1945		163,940	18.67	18 / 65	7	2nd	Opposition
1947	John McDonald	177,698	14.92	20 / 65	2	2nd	Coalition(1947–1948)
							Opposition(1948–1950)
1950		128,537	10.64	13 / 65	7	3rd	Coalition(1950)
							Minority(1950–1952)
							Opposition(1952)
							Minority(1952)
1952		85,843	8.34	12 / 65	1	2nd	Opposition
1955	Herbert Hyland	122,999	9.53	10 / 66	2	3rd	Crossbench
1958		127,228	9.30	9 / 66	1	3rd	Crossbench
1961		102,184	7.14	9 / 66		3rd	Crossbench
1964		132,067	8.76	10 / 66	1	3rd	Crossbench
1967	George Moss	136,126	8.65	12 / 73	2	3rd	Crossbench
1970		107,011	6.40	8 / 73	4	3rd	Crossbench
1973	Peter Ross-Edwards	113,029	5.96	8 / 73		3rd	Crossbench
1976		144,818	7.10	7 / 81	1	3rd	Crossbench
1979		119,385	5.61	8 / 81	1	3rd	Crossbench
1982		111,579	4.97	8 / 81		3rd	Crossbench
1985		174,727	7.29	10 / 88	2	3rd	Crossbench
1988		188,776	7.76	9 / 88	1	3rd	Crossbench
1992	Pat McNamara	204,525	7.83	9 / 88		3rd	Coalition
1996		184,419	6.69	9 / 88		3rd	Coalition
1999		135,930	4.80	7 / 88	2	3rd	Crossbench
2002	Peter Ryan	125,003	4.30	7 / 88		3rd	Crossbench
2006		153,299	5.17	9 / 88	2	3rd	Crossbench
2010		213,492	6.75	10 / 88	1	3rd	Coalition
2014		185,619	5.53	8 / 88	2	3rd	Opposition
2018	Peter Walsh	167,625	4.77	6 / 88	2	3rd	Opposition
2022		159,373	5.0	9 / 88	3	3rd	Opposition

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
1919	79,839	13.50	5 / 21	3
1922	65,341	14.20	5 / 20
1925	124,585	13.90	5 / 20
1928	94,071	11.10	3 / 20	2
1929	102,276	12.10	2 / 20	1
1931	89,557	9.60	4 / 20	2
1934	132,879	13.00	3 / 20	1
1937	145,500	15.00	4 / 20	1
1940	81,790	7.30	3 / 20	1
1943	85,270	7.10	3 / 20
1946	116,446	9.40	4 / 20	1
1949	106,190	8.20	3 / 33	1
1951	67,831	5.20	3 / 33
1954	43,390	3.40	3 / 33
1955	72,877	5.50	3 / 33
1958	103,735	7.40	5 / 33	2
1961	111,637	7.50	5 / 33
1963	116,790	7.60	5 / 33
1966	130,468	8.30	5 / 33
1969	113,958	6.80	5 / 34
1972	134,158	7.40	6 / 34	1
1974	151,707	7.50	6 / 34
1975	186,667	8.90	5 / 34	1
1977	120,032	5.60	3 / 33	2
1980	109,506	4.90	3 / 33
1983	114,065	4.90	3 / 33
1984	145,435	6.40	3 / 39
1987	154,088	6.30	3 / 39
1990	154,069	6.00	3 / 38
1993	137,470	5.00	3 / 38
1996	128,091	4.60	2 / 37	1
1998	77,385	2.70	2 / 37
2001	91,048	3.10	2 / 37
2004	105,577	3.51	2 / 37
2007	95,859	3.02	2 / 37
2010	101,419	3.19	2 / 37
2013	86,045	2.61	2 / 37
2016	163,514	4.75	3 / 37	1
2019	136,737	3.70	3 / 38
2022	127,883	3.77	3 / 39
2025	187,058	4.62	3 / 38

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