Liberal–National party merger

In Australia, a merger of the Liberal and National political parties has resulted in a federal coalition from 1996 to 2007 and since 2013. There is a formal coalition government in New South Wales and an informal coalition in Western Australia. A coalition had been debated for decades, as a result of a shrinking National Party vote. It is argued that the decline in the National vote is linked to a declining rural population, and National Party policies have become increasingly similar to those of the Liberal Party. A merger would probably affect the Country Liberal Party, given its affiliation with both parties. In July 2008 the majority National Party and minority Liberal Party merged to become the Liberal National Party of Queensland, led by Lawrence Springborg.

Merger plans came to a head in May 2008, when the Queensland Liberal Party advised an immediate merger rather than waiting for a federal blueprin. The new Liberal National Party had a self-imposed deadline of late July for party registration. Queensland Liberal Party president Gary Spence was accused by some in his party of misleading the public about the party's level of support for the merger. Queensland Liberal Party members participated in a postal ballot from 27 May to 23 June 2008. If a majority was achieved, a constitutional convention would be held in July to approve the new party (which would be finalised by a formal agreement between the parties' two federal executives).

In Queensland, the only state where the Nationals were the dominant coalition partner in state politics after Springborg's re-election as party leader, support emerged—especially on the National side—for a merger of coalition parties to address the declining National (rural) vote and Labor domination of all levels of government.

During the 1980s, former Nationals MP Peter Nixon reviewed the party and "concluded it should seriously consider amalgamating with the Liberals". Former Nationals leader Doug Anthony wrote not long afterward, "Any objective and rational National Party member who read this report would have to accept that amalgamation was the only realistic course. Regrettably, there are still too many who don't want to read it and who don't want to face reality, that the role of a specialist party looking after the needs of rural people is in decline."

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