Election 2022: The Labour Party

The Australian Labor Party is Australia's oldest party in one of the world's oldest continuous democracies. One of the first Labor parties created in the world - it grew out of the trade union movement before Federation. The party has since evolved and now faces the challenge of being viewed by voters as a potential government and not simply as the opposition.

Gough Whitlam addresses reporters after his dismissal by Australia's Governor-General, 11th November 1975. Source: Getty

Faced with economic depression in the 1890s workers in Queensland decided they needed a political party to represent them.

By 1899, the A-L-P had formed its first government, in Queensland, and won seats in the first national parliament after Federation in 1901.

In 1904, Chris Watson became Labor's first prime minister, leading a minority government.

In the 1910 election, the party became the first to win a majority in either of the federal houses of parliament.

But it's Gough Whitlam who is perhaps the most iconic Labor prime minister, respected by supporters for his reforming agenda, and made notorious by his dismissal by then Governor-General Sir John Kerr.

Whitlam had his commission as prime minister removed on the 11th of November 1975 by Sir John after the opposition, led by Liberal leader Malcolm Fraser, blocked budget bills in the Senate.

Former Australian Council of Trade Unions boss Bob Hawke is Labor's longest serving prime minister, from 1983 to 1991.

Mr Hawke was known as a beer-drinking larrakin that everyday Australians could relate to.

Mr Hawke lost the leadership and prime ministership after a bitter challenge by his treasurer Paul Keating, who claimed to have been promised the top job in a deal between the two -  years before.

That leadership rivalry returned soon after Kevin Rudd swept to power with a healthy majority in 2007.

Kevin Rudd resigned as leader of the Labor Party and prime minister in June 2010 after his deputy, Julia Gillard, signalled that she'd challenge him.

Ms Gillard assumed the position and her rise to the top job made her Australia's first woman prime minister after she'd also been Australia's first female deputy prime minister.

One man, who played key roles in the leadership struggles, was Victorian former union leader Bill Shorten.

He swung support from Mr Rudd to Ms Gillard, which helped her attain the leadership, but later switched his support back to Mr Rudd, in his leadership challenge before the 2013 election.

Mr Shorten won the leadership himself after Labor's loss in that election.

 

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