Basic policies of Australia’s two major political parties explained

ABC NEWS (Australia)

You’re going to be hearing a lot from the two biggest parties in Australian politics over the next few weeks. So, as the campaign ramps up, political reporter Claudia Long is getting back to basics and taking a long look at the two major parties.

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00:00Two major parties dominate Australian politics, the Labor Party and the Liberal Party.

00:06If you don't follow politics much, here's what they're all about.

00:08Typically, Labor is more to the left of the political spectrum,

00:10and the Liberals are more conservative, to the right.

00:12They don't always behave exactly that way though, but that's mostly the position they sit in.

00:16Currently, the Labor Party is in government.

00:18The party is driving values, strengthening workers' rights,

00:21access to health care and education for all,

00:23and a strong social safety net for the most vulnerable.

00:25Labor first formed government in 1904,

00:27and it's responsible for historic policies like Medicare,

00:30government-provided paid parental leave, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

00:33Labor is backed by the Labor Movement, aka unions.

00:36This is something that attracts both praise and criticism, depending on who you ask.

00:40Critics say they're too close to the unions, that they don't crack down on them enough.

00:43But fans of the party say the connection to the Labor Movement

00:46means the party better represents the interests of everyday workers.

00:49It's led by the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.

00:51We're going to have a video on him soon, so you can find out a bit more about him.

00:53The Liberal Party is in opposition.

00:55They're in a partnership with the Nationals, called a coalition.

00:57These two parties are always in coalition,

00:59because without it, neither of them would actually really have a hope

01:01of forming a majority government.

01:03Of the two, the Liberals are the bigger party.

01:05We're going to cover what the Nats are all about in our next video on minor parties.

01:08The Liberals' key values are smaller government with less regulation and rules

01:11to make the private sector more efficient,

01:13freedom of the individual to do, say and believe what you want,

01:16and free enterprise.

01:17The modern version of the Liberal Party was founded in 1944.

01:20Over the years, when they were in government,

01:22they implemented strong gun control laws after the Port Arthur Massacre.

01:25They established the GST,

01:26and they set up Australia's nuclear submarine pact with the US and the UK,

01:30known as AUKUS.

01:31The Liberals are often viewed as aligned with business,

01:34and like the relationship between Labor and the unions,

01:36this draws both praise, but also pushback.

01:38Some say the party represents the needs of small businesses,

01:41and others argue it advances the interests of big businesses

01:44over those of the wider community.

01:45The party's leader is Peter Dutton.

01:47We're going to be putting up a video on him soon, too.

01:49So you might know who you want to vote for,

01:51but what about how to vote?

01:53Check out the rest of Politics Explained

01:55for more info on how, when and where to do it.

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