What we stand for

What The Nationals stand for

We believe the future of regional Australia is critical to the future of our nation.

Our priorities are building stronger regional economies and secure communities, delivering opportunity and prosperity for all regional Australians, and ensuring a sustainable environment.

Stronger, more secure, sustainable local communities that provide the opportunity for everyone to prosper will deliver a stronger, more secure and sustainable nation.

The Nationals commitment to the national interest does not stop there. The Nationals provide a considered and common sense perspective on all elements of Government policy and a balance between Australia’s political extremes.

Our vision is for a stronger regional Australia.

The Nationals' Values

The Nationals’ core values are a belief in:

• Strong representation of our local communities and the delivery of positive outcomes on the issues that affect their lives and lifestyles;
• Security for our communities and their families, through the preservation of decent health, safety, social and economic welfare standards;
• Individual achievement, the importance of free choice and a fair go, reward for private enterprise and the need for equity investment and wealth generation.

We are local champions who join to form a national team, to deliver for their communities, regional Australia, and the nation.

Our role is to help unlock regional Australia's potential.

Our Mission

The Nationals are dedicated to delivering future security, opportunity and prosperity for all regional Australians, through targeted polices that focus on stronger regional economies, secure communities, a sustainable environment and the highest possible standard of living.

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Why does Australia need The Nationals?

The Nationals is the only political party dedicated to advancing the interests of regional Australia and those who make their lives and business in regional Australian communities.

The Nationals provide a strong voice on these issues in the Federal Parliament. Working together as a strong and united team means our MPs and Senators have developed a reputation for punching above their weight, and are sometimes criticised for delivering more for the people they represent than the party’s critics would prefer.

The increasing economic, social and environmental relevance of the regions has only strengthened our belief that the future of regional Australia is critical to the future of the nation:

• There is growing global demand for food and biofuels.
• Many of the potential solutions to Australia’s carbon emissions are agricultural or regionally based.
• Regional water supplies around the nation are being increasingly relied on to supply our cities.
• The mining industry has grown massively and will continue to grow.
• The growth of regional tourism to date and its future potential.
• Continuing decentralisation – the “treechange” and “seachange” phenomenon – where people are moving to regional areas for a better lifestyle.
• Communications and technology advancements that are making it easier for people to do so and making it easier for businesses to relocate to regional communities.
• Technology that offers enormous potential to fuel the further growth of our food and fibre industries.
• The emerging demand for “green” industries and energy supplies.

All these factors mean that regional Australia will provide a greater contribution to the nation’s GDP and that its population will continue to grow, contributing to the emergence of a “new economy”. In a resource-hungry world, regional Australia will also play an increasingly critical role in our national security.

Unlocking that potential will require vision, planning and proactive management. Providing that vision, planning and proactive management is the first role of your Federal Nationals team. Unlocking that potential requires a fair share of public and private investment in services and infrastructure in regional Australia. Fighting for regional Australia to make sure it gets its fair share is the second role of your Federal Nationals team.

Unlocking that potential also requires protection from ill-informed and clumsy policy – because regional Australia often has most to lose from policies that threaten local industries and jobs, reduce services and drive up business and household costs. That’s the third role of your Federal Nationals team. The fourth role is to provide a considered, balanced and common sense perspective on all elements of public policy. On sheer numbers, The Parliament is dominated by city-based MPs and Senators. The Nationals provide a vital balance to those city-centric views and stand up for the interests of the more than 7 million people living in regional Australia.

The Nationals ensure that regional Australia’s voice is heard.