The Independent Democratic Party (IDP), sometimes referred to as the Independent Democratic Group, the Queensland Democratic Party or simply the Democratic Party, was an

Australian political party The politics of Australia has a mild two-party system, with two dominant political groupings in the Australian political system, the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia. Federally, 12 of the 151 members of the lower house ( ...

that was active in the mid-1950s. It was led by public health administrator Raphael Cilento. Ahead of the 1953 Senate election, the party merged with the

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

-based

Democratic Party of Australia The Democratic Party of Australia (DPA), sometimes referred to as the Australian Democratic Party, was an Australian political party that was active in the mid-1950s. Ahead of the 1953 Senate election, the party merged with the Queensland-based ...

(DPA). However, they split following the election. The party was also separate from the North Queensland Democratic Party.

History

The party merged with the Democratic Party several months before the 1953 Senate election, with the DPA's Charles Russell (a former Country Party MP) saying the decision was made because both parties had similar aims and ideologies. The party endorsed Cilento as its lead candidate in Queensland. Not long after the Senate election, which saw the Democratic ticket fail to win a seat, the parties split. At the 1954 federal election, Cilento ran as the IDP's candidate in the

division of McPherson The Division of McPherson is an Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The current MP is Leon Rebello of the Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party. Geography Since 1984, federal e ...

, held by Country Party leader

Arthur Fadden Sir Arthur William Fadden (13 April 189421 April 1973) was an Australian politician and accountant who served as the 13th prime minister of Australia from 29 August to 7 October 1941. He held office as the leader of the Country Party from 1940 ...

. He was unsuccessful, receiving 34% of the vote.

Policies

The party pledged to "restore representative government" in Australia, with Cilento criticising the two-party-system and stating that "uncontrolled competition between parties, and machine politics generally, can only lead to totalitarianism".

References

{{Defunct political parties in Australia 1953 establishments in Australia 1954 disestablishments in Australia Political parties established in 1953 Political parties disestablished in 1954