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Queensland Labor Party

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This article is about the current Queensland branch of the federal Labor Party. For the defunct breakaway Labor party from 1957–1978, see Queensland Labor Party (1957–1978).

The Queensland Labor Party, officially known as the Australian Labor Party (State of Queensland)[8] and commonly referred to as Queensland Labor or simply Labor, is the branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the state of Queensland.[9] It has functioned in the state since the 1880s.[b] The Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party was the first Labour Party to win government in the world, when, in December of 1899, following the resignation of the Dickson ministry, Queensland Labour leader Anderson Dawson accepted an offer by Lieutenant-Governor Samuel Griffith to form a government.[10]

Queensland Labor Party
LeaderSteven Miles
Deputy LeaderCameron Dick
PresidentJohn Battams[1]
SecretaryKate Flanders[2]
Founded5 August 1892; 132 years ago (5 August 1892)[3][4]
HeadquartersTLC Building, South Brisbane, Queensland
NewspaperQueensland Labor Times
Think tankT. J. Ryan Foundation
Youth wingYoung Labor
Membership (2021)Increase10,000[a][6]
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left
National affiliationAustralian Labor
Union affiliateQCU
Colours  Red
Slogan"Putting Queenslanders First"[7]
Legislative Assembly
36 / 93
House of Representatives
5 / 30
(Qld seats)
Senate
3 / 12
(Qld seats)
Brisbane City Council
5 / 26
Website
queenslandlabor.org

History

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Further information: History of the Labor Party and labour movement

Trade unionists in Queensland had begun attempting to secure parliamentary representation as early as the mid-1880s. William McNaughton Galloway, the president of the Seamen's Union, mounted an unsuccessful campaign as an independent in an 1886 by-election. A Workers' Political Reform Association was founded to nominate candidates for the 1888 election, at which the Brisbane Trades and Labor Council endorsed six candidates. Thomas Glassey won the seat of Bundamba at that election, becoming the first self-identified "labor" MP in Queensland. The Queensland Provincial Council of the Australian Labor Federation was formed in 1889 in an attempt to unite Labor campaign efforts. Tommy Ryan won the seat of Barcoo for the labour movement-run People's Parliamentary Association in 1892, and the Labor Party was formally established in Queensland following the first Labor-in-Politics Convention later that year.[11]

The Queensland branch subsequently formed the first Labor government in Australia, albeit briefly, when Anderson Dawson took office for a week in 1899 after a falling out between the non-Labor forces.[12]

Since 1989, when the party came back to power after thirty-two years in Opposition, all its leaders have become Premiers despite two spells in Opposition in 1996–98 and 2012–2015.

As of 2020, the Queensland branch has three factions: the right, headed by Annastacia Palaszczuk, the left, headed by Steven Miles, and the centralist faction, the Old Guard. Discounting Speaker Curtis Pitt, of the 47 Labor MPs, 24 belong to the Left, 16 to the Right, and 7 to the Old Guard.[13]

As of the 2020 state election, Queensland Labor's seat distribution was as follows:

2020 state election Queensland Labor seat distribution
Region Electorates Labor seats %
North & Far North Queensland (N/FNQ) 10 7 70.00
South East Queensland (SEQ) 63 38 60.32
Wide Bay–Burnett 5 3 60.00
Central Queensland (CQ) 7 3 42.86
Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday 3 1 33.33
Darling Downs–South West 5 — —

Membership and voter base

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Historically (1910s–1960s) Queensland Labor's voter base and membership has been distributed fairly equitably across the metropolitan, urban, and rural areas of the state, although maintaining a demographic majority within the South East region.[14] Beginning in the 1970s, Queensland Labor's voter base in particular has swayed more heavily toward the metropolitan and urban areas of the state such as Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, and Townsville, with the Country (later National) and Liberal parties competing with Labor in both regions as an electoral bloc.[14]

Membership figures

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Ideology

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Historically, the Queensland Labor Party was rooted in socialist principles, advocating for state socialism[15][16][17] and agrarian socialism,[15][18] with the party being broadly left-wing. Prior to 1908, the party also had a radical liberal faction, which split to form the Kidstonites in 1908.[19] Over time, like other Labor/Labour parties, the party has shifted towards the centre-left of the political spectrum. The platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism,[20] while observers describe the Queensland Labor Party as social democratic,[17] supporting labourism,[17] which prioritises the rights and conditions of workers, fair wages, and secure employment.

Local government

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Labor contests Brisbane City Council elections, and has done so since the inaugural election in 1925. It has been in opposition to the LNP (and before that, the Liberal Party) since 2008. The last Labor member to serve as Lord Mayor of Brisbane was Tim Quinn, who was defeated in 2004.[21]

Historically, Labor also endorsed candidates outside of Brisbane, including in Ipswich, Townsville and Toowoomba.[22]

The current Labor leader on Brisbane City Council is Jared Cassidy, who has served in the position since September 2019.[23]

Leaders

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Leader

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The full list below is the official record of parliamentary leaders:[24]

No. Leader
(birth–death) 		Portrait Electorate Term of office
1 Thomas Glassey
(1844–1936) 		  Bundamba August
1892 		May
1893
274 days
2 John Hoolan
(1842–1911) 		  Burke May
1893 		July
1894
1 year and 62 days
(1) Thomas Glassey
(1844–1936) 		  Bundamba July
1894 		May
1899
4 years and 305 days
3 Anderson Dawson
(1863–1910) 		  Charters Towers May
1899 		July
1900
1 year and 62 days
4 W. H. Browne
(1846–1904) 		  Croydon July
1900 		October
1903
3 years and 93 days
5 Peter Airey
(1865–1950) 		  Flinders October
1903 		April
1904
184 days
6 George Kerr
(1853–1930) 		  Barcoo April
1904 		April
1907
3 years and 1 day
7 David Bowman
(1860–1916) 		  Fortitude Valley April
1907 		9 September
1912
5 years and 162 days
8 T. J. Ryan
(1876–1921) 		  Barcoo 9 September
1912 		22 October
1919
7 years and 44 days
9 Ted Theodore
(1884–1950) 		  Woothakata 22 October
1919 		26 February
1925
5 years and 128 days
10 William Gillies
(1868–1928) 		  Eacham 26 February
1925 		22 October
1925
239 days
11 William McCormack
(1879–1947) 		  Cairns 22 October
1925 		21 May
1929
3 years and 212 days
12 William Forgan Smith
(1887–1953) 		  Mackay 27 May
1929 		16 September
1942
13 years and 113 days
13 Frank Arthur Cooper
(1872–1949) 		  Bremer 16 September
1942 		7 March
1946
3 years and 173 days
14 Ned Hanlon
(1887–1952) 		  Ithaca 7 March
1946 		15 January
1952
5 years and 315 days
15 Vince Gair
(1901–1980) 		  South Brisbane 17 January
1952 		24 April
1957
5 years and 98 days
16 Jack Duggan
(1910–1993) 		  Toowoomba 30 April
1957 		3 August
1957
96 days
17 Les Wood
(1907–1958) 		  North Toowoomba 28 August
1957 		29 March
1958
214 days
18 Jim Donald
(1895–1976) 		  Ipswich East 14 April
1958 		17 August
1958
126 days
(16) Jack Duggan
(1910–1993) 		  Toowoomba West 18 August
1958 		11 October
1966
8 years and 55 days
19 Jack Houston
(1919–2008) 		  Bulimba 11 October
1966 		22 July
1974
7 years and 285 days
20 Perc Tucker
(1919–1980) 		  Townsville West 22 July
1974 		19 December
1974
151 days
21 Tom Burns
(1931–2007) 		  Lytton 19 December
1974 		28 November
1978
3 years and 345 days
22 Ed Casey
(1933–2006) 		  Mackay 28 November
1978 		20 October
1982
3 years and 327 days
23 Keith Wright
(1942–2015) 		  Rockhampton 20 October
1982 		29 August
1984
1 year and 315 days
24 Nev Warburton
(1932–2018) 		  Sandgate 29 August
1984 		2 March
1988
3 years and 187 days
25 Wayne Goss
(1951–2014) 		  Logan 2 March
1988 		19 February
1996
7 years and 355 days
26 Peter Beattie
(b. 1952) 		  Brisbane Central 19 February
1996 		12 September
2007
11 years and 206 days
27 Anna Bligh
(b. 1960) 		  South Brisbane 12 September
2007 		28 March
2012
4 years and 199 days
28 Annastacia Palaszczuk
(b. 1969) 		  Inala 30 March
2012 		15 December
2023
11 years and 261 days
29 Steven Miles
(b. 1977) 		  Murrumba 15 December
2023 		Incumbent
348 days

Election results

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State elections

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Election Leader Seats won ± Total votes % ±% Position
1893 Thomas Glassey
16 / 72
  16 25,984 33.32%  33.3% Opposition
1896
20 / 72
  4 28,581 34.97%  1.7% Opposition
1899
21 / 72
  1 33,756 35.47%  0.5% Opposition
1902 William Browne
25 / 72
  4 39,579 39.33%  3.9% Opposition
1904 George Kerr
34 / 72
  9 28,961 36.05%  3.3% Opposition
1907 David Bowman
18 / 72
  16 52,079 26.39%  9.7% Opposition
1908
22 / 72
  4 55,771 29.80%  3.4% Opposition
1909
27 / 72
  5 77,712 36.85%  7.1% Opposition
1912
25 / 72
  2 100,878 46.70%  9.9% Opposition
1915 T. J. Ryan
45 / 72
  20 136,419 52.06%  5.4% Majority government
1918
48 / 72
  3 180,709 53.68%  1.6% Majority government
1920 Ted Theodore
38 / 72
  7 168,455 47.77%  5.9% Majority government
1923
43 / 72
  5 175,659 48.13%  0.4% Majority government
1926 William McCormack
43 / 72
  0 189,968 47.96%  0.2% Majority government
1929
27 / 72
  16 173,242 40.16%  7.8% Opposition
1932 William Forgan Smith
33 / 62
  6 225,270 49.89%  9.7% Majority government
1935
46 / 62
  13 247,135 53.43%  3.6% Majority government
1938
44 / 62
  2 250,943 47.17%  6.3% Majority government
1941
41 / 62
  3 267,206 51.41%  4.2% Majority government
1944 Frank Arthur Cooper
37 / 62
  4 224,888 44.67%  6.7% Majority government
1947 Ned Hanlon
35 / 62
  2 272,103 43.58%  1.1% Majority government
1950
42 / 75
  7 295,138 46.87%  3.3% Majority government
1953 Vince Gair
50 / 75
  8 323,882 53.21%  6.3% Majority government
1956
49 / 75
  1 335,311 51.22%  2.0% Majority government
1957 Jack Duggan
20 / 75
  29 201,971 28.90%  22.3% Opposition
1960
25 / 78
  5 296,430 39.89%  11.0% Opposition
1963
26 / 78
  1 337,928 43.83%  3.9% Opposition
1966
26 / 78
  0 350,254 43.84%  0.0% Opposition
1969 Jack Houston
31 / 78
  5 383,388 44.99%  1.2% Opposition
1972
33 / 82
  2 424,002 46.75%  1.8% Opposition
1974 Perc Tucker
11 / 82
  22 376,187 36.03%  10.7% Opposition
1977 Tom Burns
23 / 82
  12 466,021 42.83%  6.8% Opposition
1980 Ed Casey
25 / 82
  2 487,493 41.49%  1.3% Opposition
1983 Keith Wright
32 / 82
  7 579,363 43.98%  2.5% Opposition
1986 Nev Warburton
30 / 89
  2 577,062 41.35%  2.6% Opposition
1989 Wayne Goss
54 / 89
  24 792,466 50.32%  9.0% Majority government
1992
54 / 89
  0 850,480 48.73%  1.6% Majority government
1995
45 / 89
  9 773,585 42.89%  5.8% Majority government
1998 Peter Beattie
44 / 89
  1 773,585 38.86%  4.0% Minority government
2001
66 / 89
  22 1,007,737 48.93%  10.1% Majority government
2004
63 / 89
  3 1,011,630 47.01%  1.9% Majority government
2006
59 / 89
  4 1,032,617 46.92%  0.1% Majority government
2009 Anna Bligh
51 / 89
  8 1,002,415 42.25%  4.7% Majority government
2012
7 / 89
  44 652,092 26.66%  15.6% Opposition
2015 Annastacia Palaszczuk
44 / 89
  35 983,054 37.47%  10.8% Minority government
2017
48 / 93
  4 957,890 35.43%  2.0% Majority government
2020
52 / 93
  4 1,135,625 39.57%  4.15% Majority government
2024 Steven Miles
36 / 93
  16 1,011,252 32.56%  7.0% Opposition

Federal elections

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Election Seats Won ± Total Votes % ± Leader
1901
3 / 9
   3 21,264 34.80%   34.80% No leader
1903
7 / 9
   4 63,878 56.70%   21.90% Chris Watson
1906
4 / 9
   3 51,231 43.00%   13.70%
1910
6 / 9
   2 78,881 47.60%   4.60% Andrew Fisher
1913
7 / 10
   1 149,447 54.80%   7.20%
1914
7 / 10
   0 125,017 55.70%   0.90%
1917
4 / 10
   3 160,448 48.70%   7.00% Frank Tudor
1919
3 / 10
   1 149,588 46.80%   1.90%
1922
2 / 10
   1 132,515 41.40%   5.40% Matthew Charlton
1925
1 / 10
   1 152,778 42.40%   1.00%
1928
2 / 10
   1 112,982 47.40%   5.00% James Scullin
1929
3 / 10
   1 173,417 39.80%   7.60%
1931
5 / 10
   2 141,443 39.30%   0.50%
1934
5 / 10
   0 235,904 46.80%   7.50%
1937
5 / 10
   0 233,612 43.00%   3.80% John Curtin
1940
6 / 10
   1 255,063 46.10%   3.10%
1943
6 / 10
   0 279,372 47.80%   1.70%
1946
5 / 10
   1 256,370 43.10%   4.70% Ben Chifley
1949
3 / 18
   2 255,036 39.50%   3.60%
1951
4 / 18
   1 257,099 41.00%   1.50%
1954
5 / 18
   1 295,424 42.50%   1.50% H.V. Evatt
1955
5 / 18
   0 258,994 42.10%   0.40%
1958
3 / 18
   2 270,676 37.50%   4.60%
1961
11 / 18
   8 365,930 48.10%   10.60% Arthur Calwell
1963
8 / 18
   3 369,570 46.30%   1.80%
1966
6 / 18
   2 354,674 42.10%   4.20%
1969
7 / 18
   1 430,403 48.20%   6.10% Gough Whitlam
1972
8 / 18
   1 449,620 47.20%   1.00%
1974
6 / 18
   2 476,710 44.00%   3.20%
1975
1 / 18
   5 439,405 38.80%   5.20%
1977
3 / 19
   2 443,221 37.70%   1.10%
1980
5 / 19
   2 535,800 42.80%   5.10% Bill Hayden
1983
10 / 19
   5 621,146 46.10%   3.30% Bob Hawke
1984
9 / 24
   1 605,684 44.10%   2.00%
1987
13 / 24
   4 683,640 45.00%   0.90%
1990
15 / 24
   2 695,291 41.60%   3.40%
1993
13 / 25
   2 739,862 40.50%   1.10% Paul Keating
1996
2 / 26
   11 639,510 33.20%   7.30%
1998
8 / 27
   6 719,743 36.10%   2.90% Kim Beazley
2001
7 / 27
   1 730,914 34.70%   1.40%
2004
6 / 28
   1 765,507 34.78%   0.08% Mark Latham
2007
15 / 29
   9 1,020,665 42.91%   8.13% Kevin Rudd
2010
8 / 30
   7 800,712 33.58%   9.33% Julia Gillard
2013
6 / 30
   2 751,230 29.77%   3.81% Kevin Rudd
2016
8 / 30
   2 825,627 30.91%   1.14% Bill Shorten
2019
6 / 30
   2 754,792 26.68%   4.23%
2022
5 / 30
   1 784,189 27.5%   0.8% Anthony Albanese

References

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Notes

  1. ^ The membership of Queensland Labor has increased roughly 1,000 members since 2014 (8–9,000 members to 9–10,000 members).[5]
  2. ^ de facto.

Citations

  1. ^ "John Battams – Queensland Labor". queenslandlabor.org.
  2. ^ "Kate Flanders – Queensland Labor". queenslandlabor.org. Queensland Labor. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  3. ^ Fitzgerald, Ross & Thornton, Harold. Labor in Queensland: From the 1880s to 1988. University of Queensland Press. pp. 1–11.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Labour in Politics. Call to Convention. Mr Glassey Appointed Leader". The Telegraph. 5 August 1892. A circular has been addressed to the various labour organisations in Queensland as follows: "Recognising the increasing importance of the Labour Party in Parliament, and in view of the approaching general elections, a meeting of the Labour members and their avowed supporters has been held, and the party formally established. Mr. Thomas Glassey was appointed to the responsible position of leader.
  5. ^ O'Brien, Chris; Howells, Melinda (23 August 2014). "Qld Labor split on new leadership vote rules". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 August 2014.
  6. ^ Riga, Rachel (5 June 2021). "Queensland Labor president John Battams acknowledges shortcomings in federal election track record". ABC News. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021.
  7. ^ "State Platform 2017" (PDF). queenslandlabor.org. Queensland Labor. 28 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Queensland Labor Rules 2022" (PDF). ecq.qld.gov.au. Queensland Labor Party. 2022.
  9. ^ "Queensland Labor". Queensland Labor. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  10. ^ Murphy, DJ (1975). T.J. Ryan: A Political Biography (PDF). University of Queensland Press. p. xv. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2017.
  11. ^ Fitzgerald, Ross & Thornton, Harold. Labor in Queensland: From the 1880s to 1988 (PDF). University of Queensland Press. pp. 1–11.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Fitzgerald, Ross & Thornton, Harold. Labor in Queensland: From the 1880s to 1988. University of Queensland Press. p. 11.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Lynch, Lydia (11 May 2020). "Queensland has a new deputy premier and treasurer: who are they?". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d Bowden, Bradley (November 2013). "Modern Labor in Queensland: Its Rise and Failings, 1978–98". Labour History (105): 1–26. doi:10.5263/labourhistory.105.0001. hdl:10072/56318. JSTOR 10.5263/labourhistory.105.0001.
  15. ^ a b James Thornton, Harold (June 1986). "Socialism At Work? Queensland Labor in Office 1915–1957" (PDF). University of Adelaide Press.
  16. ^ Robertson, Geoffrey (May 2009). "From Labourism to Social Democracy: Labor Governments and Fiscal Policy in the Australian States, 1911–40". Labour History. 96 (96): 57–78. JSTOR 27713744.
  17. ^ a b c Barry, Nick; Chen, Peter; Haigh, Yvonne; C. Motta, Sara; Perche, Diana, eds. (13 January 2023). Australian Politics and Policy (PDF). Sydney University Press. p. 253. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 November 2023.
  18. ^ Fitzgerald, Ross & Thornton, Harold. Labor in Queensland: From the 1880s to 1988 (PDF). University of Queensland Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "William Kidston. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 1 July 2018. Bolton, G.C. (1978)".
  20. ^ "2023 Rules of the Australian Labor Party (State of Queensland)". queenslandlabor. Australian Labor Party (State of Queensland). Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Will Brisbane City Council be next to be swept away in an electoral Greenslide?". ABC News. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Labour Team". Trove. Queensland Times.
  23. ^ "Labor's lord mayoral candidate a mystery man to voters". The West Australian.
  24. ^ Katherine Brennan (2015). Queensland Parliamentary Record: The 54th Parliament – 15 May 2012 – 6 January 2015 (PDF) (Report). Queensland Parliamentary Record. p. 155. ISSN 1449-2083. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
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