Protection of Craftia Party

The Protection of Craftia Party (PCP, known as the Protection Party or simply Protection) was a right-wing conservative political party that existed in Craftia during the latter half of the 20th century.

The Protection Party was the Province of Craftia's first organised major right-wing party, formed as a result of the inability of the Free Trade Party and Country Party of Craftia to defeat the dominant National Labour Party in the 1945 election. It was formed in 1947 by a combination of socially conservative Labour Party dissidents who disapproved of their party's emphasis on democratic socialism and perceived radicalism, and anti-socialist farmers and graziers. Its ideology was described as right-wing populist, strongly protectionist and socially conservative. It was the only party to campaign against the abolition of the White Craftia Policy during its dismantlement.

During its existence, the Protection Party only formed a majority government twice (1947–1951 and 1959–1963), and the formation of the liberal conservative National Party of Craftia caused it to steadily lose support through its later years. By the late 1960s, the Nationals had largely replaced Protection as the National Labour Party's main right-of-centre rival. However, as Labour's popularity waned after the mid-1970s, Protection became the main opposition force against the increasingly centrist National Party. The party's support peaked for the last time at the 1989 election, where longtime leader Edwin Stevenson was able to form a minority government with the reluctant parliamentary support of the Nationals. However, the rapid rise of the Craftian Conservative Party from 1990 ultimately caused the Protection of Craftia Party's demise, losing parliamentary representation at the 1992 election and being dissolved in 1996.