Redistribution Liberals

The Liberals were a loosely structured political party active in the Australian state of Victoria from 1924 to 1926. They were a group of disaffected Nationalists who opposed Sir Alexander Peacock's proposed redistribution bill.

The Liberals split from the Nationalists in May 1924, when five MPs spoke openly against the government's redistribution bill: Henry Angus, Alfred Billson, Oswald Snowball, Alfred Farthing and William Everard. They opposed the proposed redistribution, which entrenched smaller country seats compared to metropolitan ones, although for varied reasons: Billson, Angus and Farthing were concerned by the proposed abolition of their own rural seats, while Snowball and Everard were aggrieved that a promised reduction in the number of seats had not occurred. At the 1924 state election, all five Liberals were returned, although Snowball and Everard had to defeat endorsed Nationalist opponents.^[1]

After the election, the Liberals opposed the Nationalist government and attempted to form a coalition with the Country Party; this led to the advent of a Labor government under George Prendergast. The Liberals subsequently agreed to support a Country-Nationalist government, led by Country Party leader John Allan.^[1]

By 1925 the Liberals, although maintaining a separate identity, were attending Nationalist party meetings, where they advocated redistribution reform and a recommitment to "liberal" values. They supported a 1925 redistribution bill that continued rural malapportionment, but soon fell out again with the Nationalists and began to work more closely with Labor. In early 1926 they raised questions about the redistribution bill and the government was in danger of defeat, but divisions within their own ranks intervened. Angus, whose seat was no longer threatened, distanced himself; Snowball and Everard joined with Labor to oppose the redistribution; Farthing was offered Nationalist endorsement for the seat of Caulfield and accepted; and Billson's position was unclear due to his illness. At this time the Liberals ceased to operate as a distinct group. At the 1927 state election, Billson retired, Farthing was an endorsed Nationalist, and Snowball, Everard and Angus were re-elected as independent Nationalists. A new Australian Liberal Party filled the resulting gap.^[2]

References

1 2 Vines, Margaret (1975), Instability in governments and parties in Victoria in the 1920s, University of Melbourne, pp. 105–109
↑ Ibid., pp. 110-140

Defunct political parties in Australia

Major parties	Commonwealth Liberal Country and Progressive National Democratic (1940s) Free Trade Liberal (WA, 1910s) Liberal and Country League Liberal and Country Party Liberal and Democratic Union Liberal Federation Liberal Reform (NSW) Liberal Union National Labor Nationalist Progressive (NSW, 1900s) Protectionist United Australia

Other parties represented in federal or state parliaments	A Better Future For Our Children Abolish Self Government Coalition Australia Party Australian Family Movement Australian Democrats Australian Liberal Australian Party Australian Progressive Alliance Centre (Tas) City Country Alliance Communist Country Progressive Democratic (1920s) Democratic Labor Emergency Committee Executive Country (WA) Hare-Clark Independent Illawarra Workers Independent Labor Group Independents Group Industrial Socialist Labor Labor (Anti-Communist) Labor (Non-Communist) Labor (NSW) Lang Labor Liberal (1922) Liberal Country Liberal Movement Liberals for Forests Majority Labor National Alliance National Liberal New Conservative Group New Country New Liberal Movement No Self-Government North Queensland Labor Northern Territory Nationals Nuclear Disarmament Progress Progressive (NSW, 1920s) Protestant Labor Queensland Labor Queensland People's Party Redistribution Liberals Reform the Legal System Residents Rally Revenue Tariff SA First Single Tax Unite Australia United Country Unity Victorian Farmers' Union Victorian Liberal Western Australian

Parties without representation in any parliaments	4Change (Climate Change Coalition) Abolish Child Support Advance Australia Aged and Disability Pensioners All for Australia League Australia's First Nations Political Party Australian Commonwealth Australian Independents Australian National Socialist Australians Against Further Immigration Bill of Rights Centre (NSW) Combined New Australia Commonwealth Commonwealth Centre Communist Alliance Confederate Action Conservative Conservative Nationalist Curtin Labor Alliance Deadly Serious Defence and Ex-Services Defence of Government Schools Defence Movement Democratic Association of Victoria Democratic Socialist Douglas Social Credit Earthsave Engineered Australia Plan Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy Ex-Service, Service and Veterans Family Law Reform Fishing Party Great Australians Grey Power Hear Our Voice Henry George Justice Hope Imperial British Conservative Independent EFF Indigenous Peoples Liberal Democratic (1940s) Liberal Reform Libertarian Lower Excise Fuel and Beer Marijuana Middle Class National Front National Humanitarian National Socialist Nationalist (1958) Natural Law No Aircraft Noise No GST One Australia Movement One Australia Party One Parliament for Australia Party! Party! Party! Pauline's United Australia Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum Pensioner Power People Power People's Party Progressive Conservative Progressive Labour Protestant People's Party Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration Referendum First Reform Republican Restore the Workers' Rights Save the ADI Site Services Services and Citizens Social Democratic State Labor Sun Ripened Warm Tomato Tasmania First Tasmania Senate Team Taxi Operators Political Service United Australia (SA) United Christian United Tasmania Group Victorian Socialist Party What Women Want Women's Party (1995) Young Australia National

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