Australian Greens

The Australian Greens is a confederation of eight state and territory parties which grew out of Australian environment movements in the 1970s and 1980s. The campaign to save Tasmania's Lake Pedder led to the formation of the United Tasmania Group in 1972, the first "green party" in the world. The 1980s were a time of enormous growth and professionalism in green movements, resulting in the election of Australia's first green member of parliament in 1982, when Bob Brown was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly after the campaign to save the Franklin River. In the 1990s serious efforts were made to form a Green political party at the national level, resulting in the establishment of the Australian Greens in 1992. In 1996, Bob Brown was elected to the Senate for Tasmania. In a federal by-election in 2002, Michael Organ from Illawarra, New South Wales, became the first Greens member of the House of Representatives, and the second, Adam Bandt, was elected as the House of Representatives member for Melbourne in 2010. Whilst Green representation at all levels of government remains low relative to the numbers held by the major parties, they have on occasion held the balance of power, and serve as a powerful alternative or "protest" vote at elections. Party policies have expanded to include social justice and peace issues. The structure of the Greens comprises local branches, electorate branches and/or regional groups, state parties, state councils, the National Council, working groups and election campaign committees. Bob Brown was formally elected as the first Federal Parliamentary Leader of The Greens in 2005.

The Australian Labor Party grew out of the trade union movement, which began in colonial Australia in the 1860s. The first branch meeting of the ALP is said to have been held by striking shearers under a gum tree in Barcaldine, Queensland, in 1891. Separate labor parties were established in the colonies during the 1890s, sponsored by the trade union movement. The Federal Parliamentary Labor Party (the Caucus) first met on 8 May 1901, following the first federal election for the Commonwealth of Australia. The Party enjoyed rapid growth and some success in its early years. In 1910, Labor won Australia's first federal majority Labor government and Australia's first Senate majority, with Andrew Fisher as Prime Minister. The structure of the ALP is based on branch membership, with each branch electing an executive and delegates who attend local and state fora. A National Executive is elected by delegates at the National Conference, serving as the chief administrative body between conferences. The National Secreatriat is the organisational head office of the Party. The Federal Parliamentary Labor Party are empowered by the Australian Labor Party to represent the views of the Party and their constituents in the Federal Parliament, guided by the values and positions of ALP members through the Party Platform.