What role do political parties play in the way Australia is governed?

A political party is a group of people who share similar ideas about how a country should be governed. They work together to have the party’s ideas turned into laws. The main political parties in Australia are the Liberal Party of Australia, the Australian Labor Party, the Nationals and the Australian Greens.

Most parliamentarians belong to political parties. Some do not belong to any political party, and they are called ‘independents’.

In Australia, people are free to join a political party if they choose.