The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a minor centre-left Australian political party active from 1980 to 1983. The party was founded by Sydney businessman Ted Roach, a civil engineer living in

Mosman, New South Wales Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local gover ...

. He announced its formation in Canberra on 13 April 1980. The SDP was based on a booklet by Roach titled "Progress Without Poverty and Conflict". It drew inspiration from the citizen-based social democratic parties of Western Europe in Switzerland, Germany and Sweden, as distinct from

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

controlled labour parties in Britain, Australia and New Zealand. It advocated more democracy in society such as citizen initiated referendums, workers elected onto the board of large companies to reduce strikes and overpayment of directors, and harmony between trade unions and big business. The party stood a candidate at the 1983 Springvale state by-election in Victoria, polling 2.77 percent of the vote. The party unsuccessfully contested the

1983 Australian federal election The 1983 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 5 March 1983. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for election, following a double dissolution. The incumbent Coalition government whi ...

and then supported the new

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

, Bob Hawke, a social democrat, hoping for political reform.

References

1980 establishments in Australia 1983 disestablishments in Australia Defunct political parties in Australia Political parties established in 1980 Political parties disestablished in 1983 {{Australia-party-stub