Factions play key role in Labor

Labor conferences can be a bit like Rocky Horror's Time Warp - it's just a jump to the left, and a step to the right.

How the factions shape up

  • Exact final numbers of ALP national conference delegates will be known once they are officially "credentialled".
  • The Right faction - also known as Centre Unity, Labor Unity or Labor Forum - has dominated conference numbers for more than a decade. But not this time.
  • It's estimated the Left faction has 195 and the Right has 197, with five "unaligned" delegates making up the 397 voting delegates. This means no single faction has a majority and deals will need to be struck to get motions passed.
  • The Right (Centre Unity) is in the majority in NSW. NSW provides more than a quarter of all delegates to national conference.
  • The Victorian branch is held together via a "stability pact" between the Left and the Right (Labor Unity). Victoria has the second largest number of delegates.
  • A Left and Labor Unity (also known as the Old Guard) alliance holds sway in Queensland.
  • The Right (Labor Unity) is dominant in South Australia, supported by a 20 per cent bloc known as "Others".
  • The Left has a majority in Western Australia, Tasmania, ACT and the NT.

Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world