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 1911, 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 the Australian Labor Party. It was defeated by Labor at its first election held in 1910.

In September 1911, the CLP merged with the rural People's Party to form the People's Liberal Party (PLP).^{[citation needed]}

Under a new leader, Joseph Cook, the newly merged party defeated Labor in 1913 by a single seat, but in 1914 Cook called early elections and was defeated. In 1916 the People's 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.

[edit] Leaders

• Alfred Deakin 1909-11
• Joseph Cook 1911-16

[edit] See also

• Liberalism in Australia

[edit] References

• Australian Dictionary of Biography - Alfred Deakin
• Australian Dictionary of Biography - Joseph Cook

Alfred Deakin, Prime Minister of Australia 1903-1904, 1905-1908 (Protectionist Party), 1909-1910 (CLP)

Joseph Cook, Prime Minister of Australia 1913-1914

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