Where The Nationals stands — platform positions
16 position(s), each sourced exclusively from the party's own published materials (websites, platform documents, white papers) — never from media coverage. Where the party's own materials don't state a position, nothing is shown.
Immigration party platform
The party's published material backs the Coalition's "Australian Values Migration Plan", enshrining compliance with the Australian Values Statement as a universal visa condition, restoring Operation Sovereign Borders settings, immediately cancelling visas of criminal non-citizens, and reintroducing fast-track visa appeal processes; the party's regional plan also commits to a 25 per cent reduction in the permanent migration program for the first two years.
Economic nationalism party platform
The party's plan states Australia should make more of what it needs at home, protecting key Australian industries from unfair foreign competition and using every tool available to defend sovereign capability, including tariffs where necessary, and commits to making regional Australia a manufacturing powerhouse to build sovereign capacity and security.
Foreign policy & aid party platform
The party's plan commits to urgently progressing the AUKUS partnership — described as the greatest defence initiative in a generation — including establishing an AUKUS National Chair to coordinate government and industry collaboration, developing an overarching whole-of-government National Security Strategy, and pursuing critical minerals supply deals with Quad, AUKUS and Five Eyes partners.
Religious freedom party platform
The party's published material (a leader's press conference transcript on its site) states support for religious discrimination protections, saying people must have the capacity to practice their faith and bring up children in that faith, and that "people who have a right in regards to sexualities also have a right in regards to their religion"; the party's statement of beliefs also commits to guaranteeing freedom of speech, communication and assembly for all people.
Drugs & law and order party platform
The party's plan commits to tough new laws to disrupt organised criminal syndicates, streamlined proceeds-of-crime and unexplained wealth laws, harmonised national drug laws, a National Drug Enforcement and Organised Crime Strike Team backed by $355 million, upgraded border drug screening and detection, and measures targeting date-rape drugs used in drink spiking.
Hunting (duck & native birds) party platform
Victorian Nationals material (state division) states that hunting and sports shooting are important recreational activities, that licensed firearm owners — farmers, sport shooters, hunters and recreational users — rely on firearms for legitimate, lawful purposes, and that the party will always stand up for law-abiding firearm owners, including opposing proposed firearm ownership caps.
Native forest logging party platform
The party's plan lists protecting jobs and businesses in timber and forestry among traditional industries it says are under threat, and Victorian Nationals material describes the native timber industry as sustainable and responsible, opposing the decision to ban native timber harvesting by 2030.
First Nations & treaty party platform
Victorian Nationals policy (state division) supports expanding the use of Indigenous fire management knowledge in public land management through the "Return of the Fire Stick" policy, stating Indigenous cool burns can play an important role in protecting landscapes and communities from bushfire.
Nuclear & uranium party platform
The party's plan commits to repealing the moratorium on nuclear energy and replacing retiring coal-fired power stations with zero-emissions nuclear energy in seven locations, stating the rollout will create jobs in regional areas and enable existing coal plant workers to transfer their skills to new, highly paid jobs.
Housing & planning party platform
The party's policy commits $5 billion to unlock up to 500,000 homes, with a target of 30 per cent of that funding for enabling infrastructure in rural and regional Australia, makes the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee and Family Home Guarantee ongoing, allows first home buyers (including older women and women fleeing domestic violence) to access up to $50,000 from superannuation for a deposit, and includes a two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing homes.
Health party platform
The party's policy commits to investing an additional $9 billion into Medicare, alongside $100 million to upgrade regional medical training facilities and 200 additional regional medical Commonwealth Supported Places to deliver more GPs for regional Australia.
Education party platform
The party's plan commits $100 million to a Raising the Regions Program delivering flexible early childhood education and care in regional "childcare deserts", including family day care run from community spaces and employer-supported workplace models, plus a $40 million increase to the Assistance for Isolated Children Boarding allowance.
Transport & infrastructure party platform
The party's plan commits $1 billion to reinstate the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, $600 million for a new Ag & Mining Roads program, and reinstatement of the 80:20 federal funding model for nationally significant road projects in regional and remote Australia.
Energy party platform
The party's plan commits to a balanced energy mix of responsible growth in renewables, more gas, and zero-emissions nuclear energy replacing retiring coal-fired power stations at seven locations, stating this would deliver an energy system 44 per cent cheaper than a renewables-only approach; it also includes a National Gas Plan reserving gas for the domestic market and states coal and gas export industries will continue through to 2050 and beyond.
Environment & water party platform
The party's plan demands a stop to Commonwealth water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin, commits to investing in practical water infrastructure projects to support agriculture and regional economies, and proposes a National Water Grid statutory authority responsible for national strategic planning and management of water policy and infrastructure.
Animal welfare party platform
The party's plan states Australia has the world's best animal welfare standards and commits that a Coalition government's first Agriculture Bill will reverse the ban on live sheep exports by sea and protect the live cattle trade, arguing that exiting the live export market is counterproductive because other countries do not maintain the same standards.
Compare with other parties: Immigration · Economic nationalism · Foreign policy & aid · Religious freedom · Drugs & law and order · Hunting (duck & native birds) · Native forest logging · First Nations & treaty · Nuclear & uranium · Housing & planning · Health · Education · Transport & infrastructure · Energy · Environment & water · Animal welfare.
Who donates to The Nationals?
Disclosed total: $3,862,912 AUD · 49 disclosed donor(s)
AEC detailed receipts (donations above the disclosure threshold only). Party-owned entities and branch transfers appear tagged.
| Donor | Amount (AUD) |
|---|---|
| The Trustee for the National Policy Forum Trust political party body The National Policy Forum is a fundraising vehicle associated with the National Party of Australia: a business forum whose trust files returns with the AEC, identified by the Grattan Institute among the fundraising entities behind Coalition donations. Its disclosed transfers in this dataset flow to the Nationals. | $600,000 |
| Liberal National Party of Queensland political party body The Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) is a major conservative political party in Queensland, formed in 2008 by the merger of the state Liberal and National parties. Its federal members sit with either the Liberal or National parties. | $348,500 |
| John McEwen House Pty Ltd political party body John McEwen House Pty Ltd is the company associated with John McEwen House at 7 National Circuit, Barton, Canberra, the federal headquarters building of the National Party of Australia (named after former Deputy PM and Country Party leader John McEwen). The building was sold to superannuation fund ISPT in 2020 with the Nationals remaining as tenants. | $326,965 |
| PRATT HOLDINGS PTY LTD company Pratt Holdings Proprietary Limited, trading as Visy, is the privately owned Australian holding company of the Pratt family's paper, packaging and recycling group, founded in 1948 and controlled by executive chairman Anthony Pratt. Pratt is also a major political donor in the United States: he was among the top five donors to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, with about US$15.1 million in support including US$14 million to the Make America Great Again Inc. super PAC and US$1.1 million to Trump's inaugural fund. | $250,000 |
| National Party of Australia political party body The National Party of Australia (the Nationals) is a centre-right Australian political party that traditionally represents regional and rural Australia, and is the junior partner in the federal Coalition with the Liberal Party. | $185,000 |
| Gowing Bros Ltd investment vehicle An ASX-listed (GOW), family-controlled Australian investment company founded in 1868, managing a diversified portfolio across property, retail, agriculture and other investments; led by John Gowing and the Gowing family. | $180,000 |
| Aitken Mount Capital Partners Pty Ltd company Aitken Mount Capital Partners is a privately owned boutique investment advisory firm based in Double Bay, NSW, providing investment advice and equity-raising services to corporates, institutions, family offices and high-net-worth investors. | $134,000 |
| Manildra Group company The Manildra Group is a privately owned Australian agribusiness based in Sydney, founded by the Honan family (Dick Honan), and is a major flour miller, wheat processor and Australia's leading producer of ethanol. | $114,000 |
| Tamboran Resources Limited company A natural gas company (ASX/NYSE: TBN) headquartered in Sydney that is the largest acreage holder and operator in the Beetaloo Sub-basin of the Northern Territory, where it is developing unconventional gas production. | $100,000 |
| Green, Gregory John | $99,985 |
| Federal National Party of Australia political party body The National Party of Australia (the Nationals), an agrarian and conservative political party traditionally representing rural and regional voters, and the junior partner in the federal Liberal-National Coalition. | $94,575 |
| Laneway Assets Pty Ltd political party body An ACT-registered private company that acts as trustee for the National Policy Forum Trust, an associated entity of the National Party of Australia. | $90,000 |
| HEATHERBRAE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS PTY LTD | $88,000 |
| Hilton Ross Grugeon | $88,000 |
| National Party of Australia - Federal political party body The federal organisation of the National Party of Australia (the Nationals), a centre-right Australian political party representing regional and rural Australia and the longstanding Coalition partner of the Liberal Party. | $86,160 |
+ 34 more disclosed donor(s) — see the full database.
Source: AEC Transparency Register
Political compass placement
Economic +5, social +6 (low confidence) — researched party-level placement, not a score computed from this database. politicalcompass.org calls the Nationals the Coalition's deeply conservative partner (more socially authoritarian than the Liberals); Wikipedia notes a historically mixed economic record blending agrarian protectionism with right-wing positioning. The NT's Country Liberal Party is placed with its traditional Country-Party alignment.
Members & candidates on record
- Kim O'Keeffe — The Nationals · Victoria · Victorian Legislative Assembly · Shepparton (VIC) · incumbent
- Melina Bath — The Nationals · Victoria · Victorian Legislative Council · Eastern Victoria (VIC) · incumbent
- Sarah Mitchell — The Nationals · New South Wales · New South Wales Legislative Council · Statewide (NSW) · incumbent
- Bridget McKenzie — The Nationals · Senate · VIC · incumbent
- Danny O'Brien — The Nationals · Victoria · Victorian Legislative Assembly · Gippsland South (VIC) · incumbent
- Wes Fang — The Nationals · New South Wales · New South Wales Legislative Council · Statewide (NSW) · incumbent
- Lia Finocchiaro — Country Liberal Party · NT · NT Legislative Assembly · Spillett (NT) · incumbent
- Emma Kealy — The Nationals · Victoria · Victorian Legislative Assembly · Lowan (VIC) · incumbent
- Tim McCurdy — The Nationals · Victoria · Victorian Legislative Assembly · Ovens Valley (VIC) · incumbent
- Gaelle Broad — The Nationals · Victoria · Victorian Legislative Council · Northern Victoria (VIC) · incumbent