The New Liberal Movement (New LM) was a

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

n political party which existed from 1976 to 1977, with one member of parliament. In 1976 the Liberal Movement dissolved and three of its four parliamentary members rejoined the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. However the remaining member,

Robin Millhouse Robin Rhodes Millhouse, QC (9 December 1929 – 28 April 2017) was, at various times, the 39th Attorney-General of South Australia, the first Australian Democrats parliamentarian, and the Chief Justice of both Kiribati and Nauru and a judge ...

, argued that the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia was no longer worthy of the descriptor ''liberal'', and instead founded the New LM in May 1976. Millhouse kept a high profile for the New LM until the party merged with the

Australia Party The Australia Party was a minor centrist political party in Australia from 1969 to 1986. It was most influential in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The party was established in 1969 under the leadership of Senator Reg Turnbull, as a merger o ...

to form the

Australian Democrats The Australian Democrats is a centrist political party in Australia. Founded in 1977 from a merger of the Australia Party and the New Liberal Movement, both of which were descended from Liberal Party splinter groups, it was Australia's lar ...

in 1977, thus causing it to cease to exist. The New LM had had some reservations about merging with the Australia Party, but the resignation of prominent politician

Don Chipp Donald Leslie Chipp, AO (21 August 1925 – 28 August 2006) was an Australian politician who was the inaugural leader of the Australian Democrats, leading the party from 1977 to 1986. He began his career as a member of the Liberal Party, winnin ...

from the Liberal Party represented an opportunity to expand the reach of the two parties. Chipp had agreed to become leader of the Australia Party only if it merged with the New LM, thus motivating the two parties to do so. Jack Evans, a member of the New LM, went on to serve as a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

for the Democrats, representing Western Australia. In his book ''The Third Man'', Australian Democrats leader

recalls attending a March 1977 meeting convened by

John Siddons John Royston Siddons (5 October 1927 – 22 September 2016) was an Australian politician. He was a businessman and the executive chairman of Siddons Industries Ltd. before entering politics. Early life Siddons was born in Melbourne on 5 Octobe ...

and attended by

''other Australia Party executives and Robin Millhouse, the South Australian MP whom I had admired for many years, and his executive colleagues from the New Liberal Movement were also present. The two parties had already held several meetings over the years to attempt an amalgamation, as their political philosophies were both essentially 'middle of the road'.''Chipp D and Larkin J ''Don Chipp: The Third Man'', Rigby 1978, , p 185

References

{{Defunct Australian political parties Defunct political parties in South Australia Defunct liberal political parties Liberal parties in Australia Political parties established in 1976 1976 establishments in Australia Political parties disestablished in 1977 1977 disestablishments in Australia