COMMONWEALTH LIBERAL PARTY

:''For the modern Liberal Party of Australia, see Liberal Party of Australia''
The 'Commonwealth Liberal Party' (CLP, also known as 'The Fusion', or the 'Deakinite Liberal Party') was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation.
In 1909 Alfred Deakin, the leader of the Protectionist Party merged with the Free Trade Party of George Reid to form the CLP on a shared platform of opposing socialism. It was defeated by Labor in 1910. Under its new leader, Joseph Cook, it won the 1913 elections, but in 1914 Cook called early elections and was defeated. In 1916 the Commonwealth Liberal Party merged with the National Labor Party, created a few months earlier by Billy Hughes and other pro-conscriptionist Labor MPs to form the Nationalist Party of Australia.

Contents

Leaders

See also

Leaders

★ Alfred Deakin 1909-11

★ Joseph Cook 1911-16

See also

★ Liberalism in Australia