National Party of Australia leadership elections (original) (raw)

The leader of the National Party of Australia (former the Australian Country Party and National Country Party) is elected by majority vote of the federal parliamentary party. A deputy leader is elected in the same fashion. The party's longest-serving leader is Earle Page, who held the office from 1921 to 1939. It is historically rare for the incumbent leader and deputy leader to be opposed in a bid for re-election.In every instance when an incumbent leader retires he is always succeeded by his deputy. With the exception of the election of Ian Sinclair in 1984, every one of these deputy leaders ascended to the leadership unopposed.