Formed in 1977 by a disaffected Liberal, Don Chipp, the Australian Democrats was once the most successful minor political party in Australian history.
Whilst it never won a House of Representatives seat, since 1981 it held or shared the balance of power in the Senate for around twenty years.
It is the only party to have elected not one, but five different women as leader.
More recently, the party suffered a debilitating internal split, leadership instability and plummeting opinion poll ratings. Following the 2007 election, it lost all its representation in the Senate.
Party Information
- History of the Australian Democrats
- National Constitution and Regulations
- Leaders of the Australian Democrats 1978-2008
Archived News Items
2003
- Dec 07: Bartlett Apologises To Ferris, Public And Democrats
- Dec 06: Democrats Leader ‘Stands Aside’ Over Drunken Incident In Senate Chamber
- Aug 20: Andrew Bartlett: The Policy Agenda And Future Of The Australian Democrats
- Jan 23: Democrats Oppose Troops To Iraq, Demand Recall Of Parliament
2002
- Dec 20: NSW Democrats Christmas Card
- Oct 05: Andrew Bartlett Elected Leader Of Australian Democrats
- Aug 23: Senator Brian Grieg Appointed Interim Leader Of Australian Democrats
- Aug 21: Senator Natasha Stott Despoja’s Resignation Speech
- Jun 25: Meg Lees Under Attack By Democrats; Senate Numbers At Stake
- Jun 24: Meg Lees Reponse To Allegations Of Disloyalty
- Jun 24: Letter To Meg Lees From Democrats’ Acting President
2001
- Aug 08: Stott Despoja Outlines ‘Changing Politics’ Theme
- Apr 11: Stott Despoja and the Future of the Australian Democrats
- Apr 07: Australian Democrats Announce Results of Leadership Ballot
- Apr 07: Stott Despoja Wins Leadership of Australian Democrats
- Jan 20: Senator Meg Lees’ Speech to 2001 National Conference
Archived Posts
- Dec 05, 2017: Sen. Andrew Bartlett (Greens-Qld) – Maiden Speech
- Jun 11, 2016: A Cautionary Tale: Senate Votes In The 2013 Federal Election
- Dec 16, 2013: Stott Despoja, Former Democrats Leader, Appointed Ambassador For Women And Girls
- Sep 17, 2007: Current Federal Parliamentary Party Leaders
- Aug 29, 2006: Don Chipp, Founder Of Australian Democrats, Dies At 81
- Jun 16, 2006: Democrats Attack Howard Amendments To Electoral Laws
- Dec 09, 2005: Voluntary Student Unions Bill: Speech By Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja
- Dec 09, 2004: Election Funding Payments: 2004 Federal Election
- Nov 29, 2004: Condolences For Former Senator Janine Haines – House Of Representatives
- Sep 28, 2004: Democrats Leader Andrew Bartlett Addresses The National Press Club
- Feb 09, 2004: People And Parliament Still In The Dark On FTA: Democrats
- Dec 07, 2003: Bartlett Apologises To Ferris, Public And Democrats
- Dec 06, 2003: Andrew Bartlett ‘Stands Aside’ Over Drunken Incident In Senate Chamber
- May 23, 2003: Democrats Renew Call For Royal Commission On Child Abuse
- May 05, 2003: Minor Parties Oppose US Free Trade Agreement
- May 01, 2003: Democrats Support Breast-Feeding In Senate
- May 01, 2003: Democrats Call On Hollingworth To Step Down
- Mar 05, 2003: British Media Tougher On Responsibilities: Democrats
- Feb 25, 2003: The Case Against War: Bartlett Puts Australian Democrats View
- Aug 21, 2002: The Ten Motions That Sank Stott Despoja
- Jul 03, 2002: Laurie Oakes, Cheryl Kernot And The Unreported Story
- Jul 03, 2002: Laurie Oakes Reveals Kernot-Evans Affair; Crean Demands Explanation
- Jul 01, 2002: Cheryl Kernot, Former Democrats Leader, Says She Still Has A Labor Heart
- Jun 25, 2002: Meg Lees Under Attack By Democrats; Senate Numbers At Stake
- Jun 25, 2002: Stott Despoja Comments On Leaked Letter From Lees
- Jun 24, 2002: Democrats’ National Management Committee Minutes
- Jun 24, 2002: Democrats Demand Loyalty From Lees
- Jun 24, 2002: Meg Lees’ Letter To Democrats National President
- May 11, 2002: Democrats Call For Increase In Foreign Aid
- Apr 29, 2002: Democrats: You Do Not Have The Right To Remain Silent
- Feb 10, 2002: Howard Comments On Issues, Incumbency And Leadership In South Australian Election
- Dec 06, 2001: Election Funding Payments: 2001 Federal Election
- Nov 11, 2001: The Sharp End: The Day After The Night Before
- Nov 04, 2001: The Sharp End: Encounters With MPs (Members Of The Public)
- Oct 28, 2001: The Sharp End: The Party Faithful
- Oct 21, 2001: The Sharp End: Nominations, Lotto And Preferences
- Oct 14, 2001: The Sharp End: Targeting The Voters
- Oct 08, 2001: Ari Sharp – Kooyong Democrats Leaflet – 2001
- Oct 07, 2001: The Sharp End: The Work Of The Local Candidate
- Oct 01, 2001: The Sharp End: Everything Has Changed Since August
- Sep 30, 2001: The Sharp End: A Candidate’s Story
- Jun 15, 2001: Ari Sharp, 18, Chosen As Democrats Candidate In Kooyong
- May 10, 2001: Stott Despoja Calls For Constitutional and Political Reforms
- Apr 07, 2001: Stott Despoja Defeats Lees To Take Democrats Leadership; Youngest Ever Party Leader In Australia
- Mar 12, 2001: Democrats’ Leadership Contest Causing Bitterness
- Feb 27, 2001: Democrats’ Leader Meg Lees Faces Challenge
- Oct 01, 2000: Bill Of Rights: Australian Democrats Bill
- Aug 12, 2000: Labor Wins Isaacs By-Election With 7.75% Primary Swing
- Aug 01, 2000: Making The Bastards Honest: Democrats’ Accountability Package
- Feb 01, 2000: Kernot Embarrassment A Dilemma For Beazley
- Jan 15, 2000: Australian Democrats National Constitution And Regulations
- Nov 30, 1999: Democrats Reject Reith’s Anti-Union Bill
- Nov 09, 1999: Cheryl Kernot’s Political Future In Doubt
- Nov 03, 1999: Preamble Referendum: Howard-Ridgeway Urge A YES Vote
- Jun 22, 1999: Howard’s Commitments to Meg Lees on the GST
- Jun 14, 1999: Andrew Bartlett Statement Opposing the GST Package
- May 14, 1999: Meg Lees Responds To Brian Harradine’s Opposition To The GST
- Feb 22, 1999: Meg Lees On Parliamentary Reform: The Baby And The Bathwater
- Nov 27, 1998: Election Funding Payments: 1998 Federal Election
- Oct 04, 1998: VCEpolitics.com: 1998 Federal Election – Week 6 Aftermath
- Oct 01, 1998: 1998 Federal Election: Australian Democrats Advertisements
- Oct 15, 1997: Kernot Quits Democrats To Join Labor
- Jan 17, 1997: Kernot: The Leadership Test – Australia In The Next 20 Years
- May 01, 1996: Senator Natasha Stott Despoja (Dem-SA) – First Speech
- Feb 25, 1996: Keep The Bastards Honest: Australian Democrats Leaflet (1996)
- Jan 27, 1996: 1996 Federal Election News: Jan 27-Feb 23
- Jan 20, 1996: Australia’s Economic Independence: Speech By Cheryl Kernot
- Mar 20, 1990: ‘Give A Damn’ – Janine Haines Australian Democrats Advertisement
- Jul 10, 1987: 1987 Federal Election: Australian Democrats TV Advertisement
- Apr 15, 1985: 1984 Post-Election Analysis: McMullan, Henderson And Butman
- Mar 02, 1983: Final Television Broadcasts: 1983 Federal Election
- Mar 02, 1983: Don Chipp On His Faith In Bob Hawke
- Feb 15, 1983: Norm Gallagher Jailed; Fraser Prepares For Policy Speech; Don Chipp’s Senate Campaign
- Mar 24, 1977: Don Chipp Resigns From The Liberal Party
