Our Party’s greatest strength is its members.

A strong and active Party membership provides:

• A national footprint (local branches, elected representatives, donor networks).
• Connections with the community (small business groups, community leaders, professional networks).
• Campaign skills and resources (people who know how to organise, fundraise, and persuade voters).
• Policy expertise.

This scale matters more now than in previous decades because the electorate is less stable and more fragmented.

Electoral performance increasingly depends on the ability to mobilise supporters, fundraise efficiently, recruit credible candidates, and maintain discipline.

The Liberal Party’s organisational capability and national presence therefore remain a central comparative advantage: it is the only viable centre-right vehicle with genuine scale and durability.

However, lower levels of institutional trust, changing work patterns, greater time pressure on families and younger professionals, and the replacement of community institutions with online networks have weakened the traditional pipeline into party membership.

Fact: Participation in civic and political groups in Australia fell from 18.6% in 2006 to 7.2% in 2020. (ABS General Social Survey)

These trends are not unique to the Liberal Party, but the consequences are increasingly Party-specific.

Furthermore, well-resourced third-party organisations – operating on both flanks of the Party – now actively and successfully compete for Liberal-aligned donors, volunteers and candidates.

The Liberal Party’s membership base is trending smaller, older, and more male.

More than 55% of the Liberal Party’s membership is aged over 60.

Based on 2021 Census data, approximately 23.0% of the Australian population is aged 60 years and over.

Less than 10% of the Liberal Party’s membership is aged between 16 and 30.

There is a 2:1 male-female ratio for Liberal Party members aged 16 to 45, and a similar ratio exists within the Young Liberals.

A narrower and less representative membership base risks a growing disconnect between internal party culture and the voter coalition needed to win elections. It puts campaign mobilisation at risk and may weaken the Party’s candidate pipeline over time.

The Party’s scale and organisational memory provide an enduring competitive edge in a volatile political environment, but membership trends show an ageing and less representative base with higher churn among newer cohorts.

The Party’s response should not be rhetorical. It should be operational.

The membership experience should be modernised through improved onboarding, a broader range of membership options, diversified engagement formats, clearer participation pathways, and stronger measurement of retention and activation.

In 2003, research was commissioned by the Menzies Research Centre among current and lapsed members.

It showed positive experience included:

• being part of a team;
• working towards a common goal;
• social events with like-minded people;
• friendships/new contacts;
• having a say in how policies are made;
• opportunities to influence policies;
• debates with people with different ideas;
• having direct access to politicians.

It also showed that negative experiences included

• not seeing any politicians at meetings;
• policy motions that don’t go anywhere;
• no real follow through on issues;
• no contact between elections;
• pointless bickering and back biting, and;
• branch meetings with no point.

Over two decades later, Australia has continued to change, but our structures fundamentally have not.

Recent research in Australia, Canada and the UK¹ suggests that people don’t avoid political parties because they reject politics entirely, rather they avoid a one-size-fits-all membership model that feels time consuming, ideological or lacking influence.

While there are trends away from involvement in civic and political groups, it is clear that people still seek fellowship, to volunteer, and to have their say on policy issues.

To engage with these people, a tiered and differentiated membership type structure could be considered.

Australians are willing to be engaged in the causes they believe in and that deliver value.

The Party’s approach should focus on practical changes that improve the membership experience.

Membership growth should be framed around three levers: acquisition, retention, and activation.

The first 30 days after joining are a critical window. Structured onboarding should be standard practice, including welcome communications, clear instructions on how to get involved, and an accessible “menu” of participation options and a clear pathway for stepping from one membership tier to another.

While acquisition attracts the most attention, retention is often the highest return-on-effort lever, particularly for first-year members. If a large proportion of new members lapse before renewal, the Party is effectively operating as a leaky bucket.

Addressing that requires a disciplined first-year member strategy: proactive connection, targeted engagement pathways, and rapid opportunities for meaningful contribution.

Activation is equally important. A large membership list that is inactive is not a strategic asset at election time.

The Party should measure and drive the conversion of members into active volunteers, advocates, and donors, with clear pathways that recognise different motivations for joining.

Some join for community and belonging, some to have a say on policy, and some for a desire to contribute to campaigning.

The Party must accommodate all three without treating any cohort as second-class.

This could begin with the types of membership offered:

The Party should also consider reducing over-reliance on meeting-driven branch culture as the default membership experience.  

With around 2,000 branches across Australia, it is simply not feasible for many of these to be able to hold large and engaging events, with frequent attendance of politicians and quality guest speakers.

Many prospective members do not want to attend procedural meetings. They want purposeful activity and interesting events with meaningful impact.

Improving the membership experience should consider diversifying formats: short training sessions, community events, issue-based advocacy projects, online participation options, and larger dynamic networking events that are clearly linked to Party purpose and values.

The Party should treat membership as a core growth engine: if membership is stronger, more representative, and more engaged, the Party is better positioned to win and to govern.