Australian Labor Party Caucus
Parliamentary caucus seats by chamber | |
|---|---|
| House of Representatives | 94 / 123
|
| Senate | 29 / 123
|
Parliamentary caucus seats by state/territory | |
|---|---|
| Victoria | 32 / 123
|
| New South Wales | 32 / 123
|
| Queensland | 16 / 123
|
| Western Australia | 16 / 123
|
| South Australia | 12 / 123
|
| Tasmania | 8 / 123
|
| Australian Capital Territory | 4 / 123
|
| Northern Territory | 3 / 123
|
The Australian Labor Party Caucus comprises all Australian Labor Party (ALP) senators and members of parliament of the current Commonwealth Parliament. The Caucus determines some matters of policy, parliamentary tactics, and disciplinary measures against disobedient parliamentarians. It is alternatively known as the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party (FPLP).[1]
The Caucus is also involved in the election of the federal parliamentary leaders from among its members, as well as their dismissal. The leader has historically been a member of the House of Representatives, but though by convention a Prime Minister is the person who has the support of a majority in the House of Representatives, in the ALP all members (including senators) have an equal vote in the election of the leader, who may then become Prime Minister. Since October 2013, a ballot of both the Caucus and by the Labor Party's rank-and-file members has determined the party leader and the deputy leader. Bill Shorten was the first leader elected under the new system in late 2013.[2] In government, the federal Caucus also chooses the Ministers, with the portfolios then allocated by the Labor Prime Minister.
The word "Caucus" has American roots and was introduced to the ALP by King O'Malley, an American-born Labor member of the first federal Parliament in 1901. In the non-Labor parties, such party meetings are more commonly described as a "party room".[5]
Party factions
Parliamentary caucus seats by faction[6] | |
|---|---|
| Labor Left | 61 / 123
|
| Labor Right | 60 / 123
|
| Unaligned | 2 / 123 |
The Caucus is divided along formal factional lines, with most voting taking place on a bloc factional basis, especially in the case of appointments, and may involve cross-factional deals. The two biggest factions are the Labor Right and the Labor Left. Each of these factions contains smaller state-based factions, such as (on the Right) the Victorian Labor Unity group and (on the Left) the Victorian Socialist Left.[7] Members who are not associated with either faction are described as Independents. The two main factions hold factional meetings once a week during Parliamentary sitting weeks.[8][9]
Factional discipline has declined considerably in recent years. During the leadership contest between Kim Beazley and Mark Latham in December 2003, for example, members of both Left and Right were found in the camps of both candidates. Some of the most hostile relations in the Caucus are between members of the same faction: the relationship between Beazley and Simon Crean is one example.
Factional allegiances in the Caucus tend to be closely related to state political loyalties, and also to trade union affiliations. Large unions such as the Australian Workers' Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, regard as "theirs" Members and Senators who formerly held office in those unions, or who have received union support in gaining their preselections, and expect them to act in the union's interests.[10][11]
Gallery
-
Federal Labour Party MPs elected to the Australian House of Representatives and Australian Senate at the inaugural 1901 election
-
Members of the Australian Labor Party Caucus at Parliament House in February 1928
-
Australian Labor Party federal MPs from New South Wales, 1930
-
Labor MPs and Senators of the Scullin government, 1929
-
Frank Tudor, Labor's first House whip (1901–1908), and the party's sixth leader (1916–1922)
-
James Stewart, Labor's first Senate whip (1901–03)
See also
- List of whips in the Australian Senate
- List of whips in the Australian House of Representatives
- Members of the Australian Senate, 2025–2028
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 2025-2028
- Gang of Four (Australian Labor Party)
Notes
- ^ Served as Manager of Opposition Business from 18 October 2013 to 23 May 2022
- ^ Served as Opposition Whip from 2 July 2019 to 31 May 2022
References
- ^ "Party leadership changes and challenges: a quick guide". aph.gov.au. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ Harrison, Bill (13 October 2013). "Bill Shorten elected Labor leader". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ^ "Senate Party Leaders and Whips". directory.gov.au. Australian Government. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ "House of Representatives Party Leaders and Whips". directory.gov.au. Australian Government. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ "Party whip". Parliamentary Education Office. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ Johns, David (9 May 2025). "Explainer: Full list of Australian Labor Party factions and politicians aligned to them". Seven West Media Limited. The Nightly. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ McIlroy, Tom (7 May 2025). "Factional shenanigans': Labor's left and right jostle for coveted ministry positions". The Guardian Australia. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ Smith, Nicola; Curtis, Katina; Ransley, Ellen (9 May 2025). "Inside the Labor machine: Your guide to all the factions". The Nightly. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ Chiu, Osmond. "Locking Out the Left: The Emergence of National Factions in Australian Labor". Jacobin.com. Jacobin. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ "How the Labor Party Works" (PDF). parlinfo.aph.gov.au. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ Jones, Barry (7 June 2025). "The Saturday Paper". Schwartz Media. The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
Bibliography
- "Who's Who in the Factional Zoo," a table appearing on page 415-416 of The Latham Diaries by Mark Latham.