# Victorian National Party

The Victorian National Party, officially known as the National Party of Australia – Victoria, is an Australian political party that serves as the state branch of the federal National Party in Victoria. It represents graziers, farmers, miners and rural voters.
It began as a political activity of the Victorian Farmer's Union, which became involved in state politics in 1916. It was then known as the Country Party for many years, until becoming "The Nationals" in 1975.
In state parliament it is presently the junior partner in a centre-right Coalition with the Liberal Party, forming a joint Opposition bench. The party's leader Danny O'Brien serves as deputy opposition leader, while in government the party's leader serves as Deputy Premier of Victoria.

## History
### VFU/Country Party

The candidates sponsored by the Victorian Farmers' Union from 1916 initially used the same name but in parliament also called themselves the Country Party.
The Country Progressive Party split from the party in April 1926. In 1927 the VFU reorganised and renamed as the Victorian Country Party.
The CPP and VCP combined in September 1930 as the United Country Party.
In 1937, United Country Party federal MP John McEwen was expelled from the state branch for accepting a ministry in the Lyons-Page Coalition government. Following a tumultuous party conference in 1938, another federal MP, Thomas Paterson, led a hundred McEwen supporters to form the Liberal Country Party (LCP), a new party loyal to the federal party. In April 1943, the LCP reconciled with the UCP.
In the state election in June, the two parties notionally fielded separate candidates but formed a single block.
"United" was dropped from the name in March 1947.
The party has had a strained relationship with the Liberal Party of Australia for most of the time since the creation of the latter party in 1944. Following the sacking of Country Party leader John McDonald as Deputy Premier by the Liberals in 1948, in March 1949, the Liberals dissolved and formed the Liberal and Country Party, attempting to merge the Liberals and the Victorian branch of the Country Party together. This was seen by McDonald as a takeover attempt of the Country Party. Six Country MPs defected and joined the new party, which in 1965 became simply known as the Liberals.
While its federal counterpart has been in Coalition with the Liberals and their predecessors for all but a few years since 1923, the Victorian Country (and later Nationals) branch fought elections separately from the Liberals from 1952 to 1989. Even the presence of Victorian John McEwen as federal Country Party leader and the number-two man in the government from 1958 to 1971 didn't heal the breach.

### National Party

On 24 July 1975 the party changed its name to the National Party, following the Queensland branch who had made the change the previous year.
Pat McNamara became leader of the Victorian Nationals in 1988, and two years later reached a new Coalition agreement with the Liberals. The Liberals and Nationals fought the 1992, 1996 and 1999 elections as a Coalition under Jeff Kennett. The Liberals actually won majorities in their own right in 1992 and 1996. Although Kennett thus had no need for the support of the Nationals, he retained the Coalition, with McNamara as Deputy Premier.
However, after the Kennett government's shock defeat in 1999, McNamara's successor as Nationals leader, Peter Ryan, tore up the Coalition agreement. The Nationals were steadily re-defining themselves as a party distinct from the Liberals. Soon after Ryan took over the leadership, they rebranded themselves as the "VicNats." Ryan uttered several sharp criticisms of the Liberals' most prominent figures, particularly their no-tolls policy on the Melbourne Eastlink freeway and on former leader Robert Doyle's remarks that the Liberals were twenty seats from government, a statement that assumed that the Nationals would support a Liberal government.
In mid-2000, McNamara left the parliament and his hitherto safe seat of Benalla was also lost to the ALP. At the 2002 election, the Nationals received 4.3% of the primary vote, maintaining their seven seats in the Assembly and four seats in the Council; the combined total of eleven was the minimum required to maintain Third Party status. However, they did manage to win back Benalla despite the ALP landslide; the only seat the ALP lost at that election.
Relations with the Liberal Party soured further at the beginning of 2006 when Senator Julian McGauran defected from the Nationals to the Liberals. Federal party leader Mark Vaile accused McGauran of betrayal. Ryan was equally unsparing, saying of McGauran, "People treat deserters exactly in the way that this fellow will be treated and reviled for the rest of his days. And justifiably so."

#### 2006 election

Many commentators had stated that The Nationals were facing electoral oblivion at the 2006 election, especially when rumours emerged of a possible preference deal between the Liberals and the ALP which would favour the Liberals against the Nationals, and the ALP against the Greens. Changes to the Upper House were also likely to slash the Nationals from four members to just one. Ten days prior to the election, Ryan gave what one commentator described the "speech of the campaign thus far" when he lambasted the major parties for their planned actions.
"Welcome", he said, "to Survivor Spring Street", an exercise in reality politics in which "associations that in some instances have been developed for years, amount to an absolute hill of beans", one in which the support offered through long-standing political partnership "is thrown back in your face".
The Nationals went on to increase their primary vote to 5.17%, winning two seats in the Assembly which were offset by two losses in the Legislative Council (the upper house). One notable victory was in Mildura, where Peter Crisp defeated the incumbent Russell Savage (one of the three independents who had removed the Nationals from power in 1999), an event which Ryan described as "an impossible dream".
Premier Steve Bracks resigned unexpectedly in July 2007. Unlike the Liberal leader, Ted Baillieu, Ryan commended Bracks on his parliamentary career and thanked him for his professionalism. This action is in step with what one commentator describes as "an unprecedented warm relationship with the state Labor Government", which includes reciprocating support for committee chairs.

#### Coalition

The Nationals stayed on the crossbench until 2008, when they formed a Coalition with the Liberals under Ted Baillieu. The renewed Coalition narrowly won the 2010 state election, but was ousted after one term in 2014. The Coalition arrangement was maintained while the two parties were in opposition.
According to The Age, between November 2018 and November 2021, the Coalition's Legislative Council members voted with the Andrews Government's position 28.9% of the time; of the parties in the Legislative Council, only the Liberal Democratic Party had a lower figure (22.1%).
Ongoing leadership instability in the Liberal Party driven by John Pesutto's controversial attitude towards female MPs sparked media speculation in June 2023 that the Nationals might break the coalition to distance themselves from the Liberal infighting.

## Leadership
### Leaders

| # | Leader | Term start | Term end | Electorate | Time in office | Premier | Deputy Premier | Departure notes |
| 1 | John Allan (1866–1936) | 27 November 1917 | 27 June 1933 | Rodney (1917–1936) | 15 years, 212 days | Yes (1924–1927) | No | Resigned |
| 2 | Murray Bourchier (1881–1937) | 27 June 1933 | 14 March 1935 | Goulburn Valley (1920–1936) | 1 year, 260 days | No | No | Deposed; became Deputy Leader |
| 3 | Albert Dunstan (1882–1950) | 14 March 1935 | 22 November 1945 | Korong and Eaglehawk (1927–1945) | 10 years, 253 days | Yes (1935–1943; 1943–1945) | Yes (1935) | Resigned |
| 3 | Albert Dunstan (1882–1950) | 14 March 1935 | 22 November 1945 | Korong (1945–1950) | 10 years, 253 days | Yes (1935–1943; 1943–1945) | Yes (1935) | Resigned |
| 4 | John McDonald (1898–1977) | 22 November 1945 | 20 April 1955 | Shepparton (1945–1955) | 9 years, 149 days | Yes (1950–1952; 1952) | Yes (1947–1948) | Resigned |
| 5 | Herbert Hyland (1884–1970) | 20 April 1955 | 8 July 1964 | Gippsland South (1929–1970) | 9 years, 79 days | No | No | Deposed |
| 6 | George Moss (1913–1985) | 8 July 1964 | 17 June 1970 | Murray Valley (1945–1973) | 5 years, 344 days | No | No | Resigned |
| 7 | Peter Ross-Edwards (1922–2012) | 17 June 1970 | 20 October 1988 | Shepparton (1967–1991) | 18 years, 125 days | No | No | Resigned |
| 8 | Pat McNamara (1949–) | 20 October 1988 | 16 December 1999 | Benalla (1982–2000) | 11 years, 57 days | No | Yes (1992–1999) | Resigned |
| 9 | Peter Ryan (1950–) | 16 December 1999 | 3 December 2014 | Gippsland South (1992–2015) | 14 years, 352 days | No | Yes (2010–2014) | Resigned |
| 10 | Peter Walsh (1954–) | 3 December 2014 | 25 November 2024 | Murray Plains (2014–) | 9 years, 358 days | No | No | Resigned |
| 11 | Danny O'Brien (1974–) | 25 November 2024 | Incumbent | Gippsland South (2015–) | 110 days | No | No | |

### Deputy leaders

| # | Deputy Leader | Term start | Term end | Electorate | Time in office | Deputy Premier | Leader | Departure notes |
| 1 | Francis Old (1875–1950) | 1922 | 1924 | Swan Hill (1919–1945) | | No | John Allan | |
| 2 | Alfred Downward (1847–1930) | 1924 | 1927 | Mornington (1894–1929) | | No | John Allan | |
| 3 | Murray Bourchier (1881–1937) | 1927 | 29 October 1930 | Goulburn Valley (1920–1936) | | No | John Allan | Resigned |
| 4 | Albert Dunstan (1881–1937) | 29 October 1930 | 14 March 1935 | Korong and Eaglehawk (1927–1945) | 4 years, 136 days | No | John Allan | Became leader following a successful challenge against Murray Bourchier |
| 4 | Albert Dunstan (1881–1937) | 29 October 1930 | 14 March 1935 | Korong and Eaglehawk (1927–1945) | 4 years, 136 days | No | Murray Bourchier | Became leader following a successful challenge against Murray Bourchier |
| (3) | Murray Bourchier (1881–1937) | 14 March 1935 | 24 June 1936 | Goulburn Valley (1920–1936) | 1 year, 102 days | Yes (1935–1936) | Albert Dunstan | Resigned to become Victorian Agent-General in London |
| (1) | Francis Old (1875–1950) | 30 June 1936 | 14 October 1937 | Swan Hill (1919–1945) | 1 year, 106 days | Yes (1936–1937) | Albert Dunstan | Deposed |
| 5 | Albert Lind (1878–1964) | 14 October 1937 | 22 November 1945 | Gippsland East (1920–1961) | 8 years, 39 days | Yes (1937–1943) | Albert Dunstan | Resigned |
| 6 | Keith Dodgshun (1893–1971) | 22 November 1945 | 20 April 1955 | Rainbow (1945–1955) | 9 years, 149 days | Yes (1950–1952); (1952) | John McDonald | Resigned due to ill health |
| 7 | George Moss (1913–1985) | 20 April 1955 | 8 July 1964 | Murray Valley (1945–1973) | 9 years, 79 days | No | Herbert Hyland | Became leader following a successful challenge against Herbert Hyland |
| 8 | Bruce Evans (1925–2012) | 8 July 1964 | 17 June 1970 | Gippsland East (1961–1992) | 5 years, 344 days | No | George Moss | Resigned |
| 9 | Milton Whiting (1922–2010) | 17 June 1970 | 8 April 1982 | Mildura (1962–1988) | 11 years, 295 days | No | Peter Ross-Edwards | Deposed |
| 10 | Eddie Hann (1946–1990) | 8 April 1982 | 20 October 1988 | Rodney (1973–1989) | 6 years, 195 days | No | Peter Ross-Edwards | Resigned |
| 11 | Bill McGrath (1936–2018) | 20 October 1988 | 23 September 1999 | Lowan (1979–1992) | 10 years, 338 days | No | Pat McNamara | Resigned |
| 11 | Bill McGrath (1936–2018) | 20 October 1988 | 23 September 1999 | Wimmera (1992–1999) | 10 years, 338 days | No | Pat McNamara | Resigned |
| 12 | Peter Ryan (1950–) | 23 September 1999 | 16 December 1999 | Gippsland South (1992–2015) | 84 days | No | Pat McNamara | Became leader following the resignation of Pat McNamara |
| 13 | Barry Steggall (1943–) | 16 December 1999 | 4 December 2002 | Swan Hill (1983–2002) | 2 years, 353 days | No | Peter Ryan | Resigned |
| 14 | Peter Walsh (1954–) | 4 December 2002 | 3 December 2014 | Swan Hill (2002–2014) | 11 years, 364 days | No | Peter Ryan | Became leader following the resignation of Peter Ryan |
| 14 | Peter Walsh (1954–) | 4 December 2002 | 3 December 2014 | Murray Plains (2014–) | 11 years, 364 days | No | Peter Ryan | Became leader following the resignation of Peter Ryan |
| 15 | Stephanie Ryan (1986–) | 3 December 2014 | 11 July 2022 | Euroa (2014–) | 7 years, 220 days | No | Peter Walsh | Resigned |
| 16 | Emma Kealy (1977–) | 11 July 2022 | Incumbent | Lowan (2014–) | 2 years, 247 days | No | Peter Walsh | |

## Electoral performance
### Legislative Assembly

| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Status |
| 1917 | None | 21,183 | 6.13 | 4 / 65 | 4 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1920 | John Allan | 64,500 | 14.41 | 13 / 65 | 9 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1921 | John Allan | 45,348 | 14.01 | 12 / 65 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1924 | John Allan | 43,961 | 11.97 | 13 / 65 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench (1924) |
| 1924 | John Allan | 43,961 | 11.97 | 13 / 65 | 1 | 3rd | Coalition (1924–1927) |
| 1927 | John Allan | 62,218 | 8.13 | 10 / 65 | 3 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1929 | John Allan | 55,876 | 8.83 | 11 / 65 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1932 | John Allan | 83,519 | 12.33 | 14 / 65 | 1 | 3rd | Coalition |
| 1935 | Murray Bourchier | 115,064 | 13.71 | 20 / 65 | 6 | 2nd | Coalition (1935) |
| 1935 | Murray Bourchier | 115,064 | 13.71 | 20 / 65 | 6 | 2nd | Minority (1935–1937) |
| 1937 | Albert Dunstan | 89,286 | 11.35 | 20 / 65 | | 2nd | Minority |
| 1940 | Albert Dunstan | 109,626 | 14.06 | 22 / 65 | 2 | 1st | Minority |
| 1943 | Albert Dunstan | 123,902 | 14.39 | 25 / 65 | 5 | 1st | Minority (1943) |
| 1943 | Albert Dunstan | 123,902 | 14.39 | 25 / 65 | 5 | 1st | Opposition (1943) |
| 1943 | Albert Dunstan | 123,902 | 14.39 | 25 / 65 | 5 | 1st | Coalition (1943–1945) |
| 1945 | Albert Dunstan | 163,940 | 18.67 | 18 / 65 | 7 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1947 | John McDonald | 177,698 | 14.92 | 20 / 65 | 2 | 2nd | Coalition (1947–1948) |
| 1947 | John McDonald | 177,698 | 14.92 | 20 / 65 | 2 | 2nd | Opposition (1948–1950) |
| 1950 | John McDonald | 128,537 | 10.64 | 13 / 65 | 7 | 3rd | Coalition (1950) |
| 1950 | John McDonald | 128,537 | 10.64 | 13 / 65 | 7 | 3rd | Minority (1950–1952) |
| 1950 | John McDonald | 128,537 | 10.64 | 13 / 65 | 7 | 3rd | Opposition (1952) |
| 1950 | John McDonald | 128,537 | 10.64 | 13 / 65 | 7 | 3rd | Minority (1952) |
| 1952 | John McDonald | 85,843 | 8.34 | 12 / 65 | 1 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1955 | Herbert Hyland | 122,999 | 9.53 | 10 / 66 | 2 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1958 | Herbert Hyland | 127,228 | 9.30 | 9 / 66 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1961 | Herbert Hyland | 102,184 | 7.14 | 9 / 66 | | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1964 | Herbert Hyland | 132,067 | 8.76 | 10 / 66 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1967 | George Moss | 136,126 | 8.65 | 12 / 73 | 2 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1970 | George Moss | 107,011 | 6.40 | 8 / 73 | 4 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1973 | Peter Ross-Edwards | 113,029 | 5.96 | 8 / 73 | | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1976 | Peter Ross-Edwards | 144,818 | 7.10 | 7 / 81 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1979 | Peter Ross-Edwards | 119,385 | 5.61 | 8 / 81 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1982 | Peter Ross-Edwards | 111,579 | 4.97 | 8 / 81 | | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1985 | Peter Ross-Edwards | 174,727 | 7.29 | 10 / 88 | 2 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1988 | Peter Ross-Edwards | 188,776 | 7.76 | 9 / 88 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1992 | Pat McNamara | 204,525 | 7.83 | 9 / 88 | | 3rd | Coalition |
| 1996 | Pat McNamara | 184,419 | 6.69 | 9 / 88 | | 3rd | Coalition |
| 1999 | Pat McNamara | 135,930 | 4.80 | 7 / 88 | 2 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 2002 | Peter Ryan | 125,003 | 4.30 | 7 / 88 | | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 2006 | Peter Ryan | 153,299 | 5.17 | 9 / 88 | 2 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 2010 | Peter Ryan | 213,492 | 6.75 | 10 / 88 | 1 | 3rd | Coalition |
| 2014 | Peter Ryan | 185,619 | 5.53 | 8 / 88 | 2 | 3rd | Opposition |
| 2018 | Peter Walsh | 167,625 | 4.77 | 6 / 88 | 2 | 3rd | Opposition |
| 2022 | Peter Walsh | 159,373 | 5.0 | 9 / 88 | 3 | 3rd | Opposition |
    $^1$ In 1943 the party reconciled with the breakaway Liberal Country Party. The two parties notionally fielded separate candidates but formed a single block; the table shows the combined result for the parties. The Country Party received 112,164 votes (13.03) and 18 seats, the Liberal Country Party, standing as the Victorian Country Party, 11,738 votes (1.36) and 7 seats, 6 of them unopposed.

### House of Representatives

| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| 1919 | 79,839 | 13.50 | 5 / 21 | 3 |
| 1922 | 65,341 | 14.20 | 5 / 20 | |
| 1925 | 124,585 | 13.90 | 5 / 20 | |
| 1928 | 94,071 | 11.10 | 3 / 20 | 2 |
| 1929 | 102,276 | 12.10 | 2 / 20 | 1 |
| 1931 | 89,557 | 9.60 | 4 / 20 | 2 |
| 1934 | 132,879 | 13.00 | 3 / 20 | 1 |
| 1937 | 145,500 | 15.00 | 4 / 20 | 1 |
| 1940 | 81,790 | 7.30 | 3 / 20 | 1 |
| 1943 | 85,270 | 7.10 | 3 / 20 | |
| 1946 | 116,446 | 9.40 | 4 / 20 | 1 |
| 1949 | 106,190 | 8.20 | 3 / 33 | 1 |
| 1951 | 67,831 | 5.20 | 3 / 33 | |
| 1954 | 43,390 | 3.40 | 3 / 33 | |
| 1955 | 72,877 | 5.50 | 3 / 33 | |
| 1958 | 103,735 | 7.40 | 5 / 33 | 2 |
| 1961 | 111,637 | 7.50 | 5 / 33 | |
| 1963 | 116,790 | 7.60 | 5 / 33 | |
| 1966 | 130,468 | 8.30 | 5 / 33 | |
| 1969 | 113,958 | 6.80 | 5 / 34 | |
| 1972 | 134,158 | 7.40 | 6 / 34 | 1 |
| 1974 | 151,707 | 7.50 | 6 / 34 | |
| 1975 | 186,667 | 8.90 | 5 / 34 | 1 |
| 1977 | 120,032 | 5.60 | 3 / 33 | 2 |
| 1980 | 109,506 | 4.90 | 3 / 33 | |
| 1983 | 114,065 | 4.90 | 3 / 33 | |
| 1984 | 145,435 | 6.40 | 3 / 39 | |
| 1987 | 154,088 | 6.30 | 3 / 39 | |
| 1990 | 154,069 | 6.00 | 3 / 38 | |
| 1993 | 137,470 | 5.00 | 3 / 38 | |
| 1996 | 128,091 | 4.60 | 2 / 37 | 1 |
| 1998 | 77,385 | 2.70 | 2 / 37 | |
| 2001 | 91,048 | 3.10 | 2 / 37 | |
| 2004 | 105,577 | 3.51 | 2 / 37 | |
| 2007 | 95,859 | 3.02 | 2 / 37 | |
| 2010 | 101,419 | 3.19 | 2 / 37 | |
| 2013 | 86,045 | 2.61 | 2 / 37 | |
| 2016 | 163,514 | 4.75 | 3 / 37 | 1 |
| 2019 | 136,737 | 3.70 | 3 / 38 | |
| 2022 | 127,883 | 3.77 | 3 / 39 | |