Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) is a big political party in Australia. It is one of the two main parties in the country and has been around since 1891, making it the oldest active party in Australia. The party sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum and is often called the party of unions because of its close ties to workers and trade unions.

The Labor Party started in 1891 and has been part of many important moments in Australian history. In 1904, it formed the world's first government led by a labour party. After Australia became a country in 1901, the Labor Party began taking part in national elections. In 1910, it became the first party in Australia to win a majority in the country's parliament.

Since 1910, the Labor Party has either been the ruling party or the opposition in every election. Today, it is the ruling party at the federal level, having won the 2022 federal election. The party also governs in five of the eight states and territories. It is part of a global group of progressive parties called the Progressive Alliance.

History

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) is Australia's oldest active political party, founded in 1891. It sits on the center-left and is one of the two major parties in Australian politics, competing mainly with the Liberal–National Coalition.

Originally, people spelled the party's name differently, using both "Labor" and "Labour". Over time, the party settled on "Labor" without the "u". The party added "Australian" to its name to stand out from other labor parties in the British Empire and to reflect Australian nationalism.

The ALP began with workers' groups and unions, especially after a big strike in 1891. Early Labor leaders won seats in state parliaments and even formed the world's first stable Labor government in South Australia in 1905. At the national level, Labor first entered parliament in 1901 and formed its first minority government in 1904 under Chris Watson, the youngest prime minister in Australian history.

Labor later formed Australia's first elected federal majority government in 1910 under Andrew Fisher. Through the decades, Labor has shifted between government and opposition, advocating for workers' rights, social welfare, and various economic policies. The party has also experienced internal disagreements and splits, such as the formation of the Democratic Labour Party in 1955.

In recent years, Labor has continued to alternate between government and opposition. Anthony Albanese led Labor to victory in the 2022 federal election, returning the party to power. The party has also seen successes and setbacks in state elections across Australia.

Party structure

The Australian Labor Party National Executive is the main group that helps run the party. It follows the rules set by the party's big meeting, called the national conference, which happens every three years. At this meeting, people from each state and territory, including some from worker groups, decide the party's plans, pick leaders, and choose who will handle the party's work.

The party has leaders in the government who help guide it. Right now, Anthony Albanese is the leader, and Richard Marles is the deputy leader.

The Australian Labor Party has groups in each state and territory. These groups work on elections and make decisions about the party's plans. People join by paying a fee, and many worker groups also support the party. Members meet to talk about the party's work and pick leaders for their areas.

The party also has a special group for younger members called Australian Young Labor, for anyone under 26 years old. This group helps bring new ideas and leaders to the party.

Ideology and factions

The Australian Labor Party describes itself as a democratic socialist party. Its goal is to make industry, production, and trade fairer for everyone. This idea started in 1921 but was later updated to also support private business and property rights. Since the 1940s, Labor governments have not tried to take over private industries, and have even allowed some to be sold off.

The party has different groups, called factions. The two biggest are the Labor Left, which supports democratic socialist ideas, and the Labor Right, which follows social democratic traditions. These groups have smaller factions in different states, like Centre Unity in New South Wales and Labor Forum in Queensland.

Some worker groups, called trade unions, support the Labor Party and align with these factions. Important unions for the right include the Australian Workers' Union, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, and the Transport Workers' Union of Australia. Important unions for the left include the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, United Workers Union, the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, and the Community and Public Sector Union.

Policies

National platform

The Australian Labor Party has a detailed plan called the National Platform. This plan is approved every three years by people who meet at the National Conference. Many people help create this plan, including members from different parts of Australia, local groups, and government teams. The plan helps guide the party in making decisions and trying to win elections.

Policy Action Caucuses

The Australian Labor Party has many groups that help members work together and support important ideas. These groups are called Policy Action Caucuses. They focus on different topics or help make sure everyone is included. These groups have different names in different parts of Australia, like Equity Groups in Queensland or forums and caucuses in other places.

Election results

House of Representatives

Results timeline

The Australian Labor Party has taken part in many elections over the years. Its success in these elections shows how well it has performed in getting support from voters. The results from these elections help tell the story of the party’s history and its role in Australia’s government.

Election reviews

Donors

See also: Political funding in Australia

The Australian Labor Party gets most of its money from small donations and support from trade unions. In 2023–24, the party received $67.5 million in donations from different sources. One of its biggest donors gave $1 million. Other major donors included unions and some companies.

A report from 2019 showed that the Labor Party received a smaller amount of money from groups that support gun rights during a certain time period.