December 1977 Australian Labor Party leadership election

December 1977 Australian Labor Party
Leadership election

22 December 1977

Candidate Bill Hayden Lionel Bowen Caucus vote 36 (56.3%) 28 (43.8%)

Leader before election Gough Whitlam Elected Leader Bill Hayden

A leadership election of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), then the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 22 December 1977. Following the resignation of Gough Whitlam former Treasurer Bill Hayden was elected Labor's new leader winning 36 votes to 28 over Lionel Bowen who was then elected deputy leader.^[1]

Background

After losing the 1977 election Gough Whitlam finally resigned as party leader after more than 10 years.

Bill Hayden who in May had come within two votes of toppling Whitlam, announced the day after election that he would contest the leadership.^[2]

Candidates

• Lionel Bowen, Shadow Attorney-General, Member for Kingsford Smith
• Bill Hayden, Shadow Minister for Economic Management, Member for Oxley

Results

Australian Labor Party
Deputy Leadership election, 1977

Candidate Lionel Bowen Tom Uren Mick Young First ballot 25 (39.1%) 22 (34.4%) 10 (15.6%) Second ballot 26 (40.6%) 26 (40.6%) 11 (17.2%) Third ballot 33 (51.6%) 29 (45.3%) Eliminated   Candidate Ralph Willis First ballot 7 (10.9%) Second ballot Eliminated Third ballot Eliminated

Deputy Leader before election Tom Uren Deputy Leader after election Lionel Bowen

Leadership ballot

The following tables gives the ballot results:

Name		Votes	Percentage
	Bill Hayden	36	56.25
	Lionel Bowen	28	43.75

Deputy leadership ballot

Candidate		1st ballot	2nd ballot	3rd ballot
	Lionel Bowen	25	26	33
	Tom Uren	22	26	29
	Mick Young	10	11	Eliminated
	Ralph Willis	7	Eliminated
Abstentions		0	1	2

Paul Keating had previously announced that he would stand for the deputy leadership,^[3] however he stood aside in favour of Bowen.^[4]

Aftermath

Hayden led the party in on the 1980 election where they managed to halve Malcolm Fraser's majority.

References

1. Davidson, Gay (23 December 1977). "The Labor Leaders: Changes Mark a Swing to the Centre; Hayden Leader, Bowen deputy". The Canberra Times. p. 1.
2. Gay Davidson (12 December 1977). "Hayden will seek Labor leadership". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
3. "Keating to nominate as deputy". The Canberra Times. 21 December 1977. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
4. "Labor elects new Leader today". The Canberra Times. 22 December 1977. Retrieved 1 December 2021.