Labor Right

Not to be confused with Labor rights.
Labor Right
Labor Unity/Unity
AbbreviationLR | LU
National Convenors
Ideology
National affiliationAustralian Labor
Colours  Red
Seats in the House of Representatives
42 / 151
Seats in the Senate
11 / 76
Federal Caucus
53 / 102
Part of a series on
Labour politics
in Australia
Organisations (Active)
Organisations (Defunct)
Related topics

The Labor Right (LR), also known as Labor Unity or Unity, is one of the two major political factions of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It is nationally characterised by economic liberalism policies, and competes with the Labor Left faction, which leans toward democratic socialism.[11]

Labor Right is composed of autonomous groups in each state and territory of Australia. The groups within the Labor Right come together as a broad alliance at the national level.[12] The faction includes members with a range of political perspectives, including centrism, partial privatisation, Keynesianism, Laborism, and social conservatism (as a minority).[13]

State branches

Factional power usually finds expression in the percentage vote of aligned delegates at party conferences. The power of the Labor Right varies from state to state, but it usually relies on certain trade unions, such as the Australian Workers' Union (AWU), Transport Workers Union (TWU), the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA), Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union (PPTEU) and the Health Services Union (HSU). These unions send delegates to the conferences, with delegates usually coming from the membership, the administration of the union or local branches covered by their activists.

State-based factions (national sub-factions) which make up Labor Right include:

New South Wales

  • Centre Unity[1]

Queensland

Australian Capital Territory

  • Centre Coalition[17]

Victoria

  • Labor Centre Unity (AWU: Consisting of Branch Members, Student Clubs, both federal and state members of parliament aligned with the Victorian branch of the Australian Workers' Union, and representatives from the Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union)[18][19]
  • Labor Progressive Unity (The Cons: Consisting largely of Branch Members aligned to and supporters of Labor Deputy Leader Richard Marles and the Transport Workers Union)
  • Labor Unity (The Shoppies: Consisting largely of branch members aligned to and supports of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association)

Western Australia

  • WA Labor Unity (AWU, SDA, TWU).
  • Progressive Labor (Consists of AWU, SDA, TWU and CFMEU)[20][21] An alliance between WA Labor Unity and the 'Industrial left' unions of WA, formed in 2019 for the purpose of binding at State conferences against some subgroups within WA's Broad left; such as the UWU. Historically, the MUA and CFMEU have voted at State conferences in alignment with the Broad left.

Northern Territory

  • Labor Unity

South Australia

  • Labor Unity (dominated by the SDA).[22]

Tasmania

  • Labor Unity

Political views

The faction is most famous for its support of Third Way policies such as the economic rationalist policies of the Bob Hawke and Paul Keating governments, including floating the Australian dollar in December 1983, reductions in trade tariffs, taxation reforms such as the introduction of dividend imputation to eliminate double-taxation of dividends and the lowering of the top marginal income tax rate from 60% in 1983 to 47% in 1996, changing from centralised wage-fixing to enterprise bargaining, the privatisation of Qantas and Commonwealth Bank, making the Reserve Bank of Australia independent, and deregulating the banking system.[citation needed]

Federal Members of the Labor Right

Name Parliamentary seat Other positions State/Territory Sub-faction/union
Richard Marles[23] Member for Corio Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Defence 		Victoria TWU, 'Cons'
Dr Jim Chalmers[23] Member for Rankin Treasurer Queensland AWU
Don Farrell[24] Senator for South Australia Special Minister of State
Minister for Trade and Tourism 		South Australia SDA
Tony Burke[23] Member for Watson Minister for Home Affairs
Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
Minister for Cyber Security
Minister for the Arts 		New South Wales SDA
Chris Bowen[23] Member for McMahon Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Amanda Rishworth[25] Member for Kingston Minister for Social Services South Australia SDA
Bill Shorten[26] Member for Maribyrnong Minister for Government Services
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme 		Victoria AWU
Mark Dreyfus KC[23] Member for Isaacs Attorney–General AWU
Jason Clare[24] Member for Blaxland Minister for Education New South Wales
Michelle Rowland[25] Member for Greenway Minister for Communications
Madeleine King[27] Member for Brand Minister for Resources
Minister for Northern Australia 		Western Australia
Ed Husic Member for Chifley Minister for Industry and Science New South Wales CEPU (CWU)
Clare O'Neil[26] Member for Hotham Minister for Housing
Minister for Homelessness 		Victoria AWU
Matt Keogh[27] Member for Burt Minister for Veterans' Affairs
Minister for Defence Personnel 		Western Australia AWU
Anika Wells Member for Lilley Minister for Aged Care
Minister for Sport 		Queensland AWU
Kristy McBain Member for Eden-Monaro Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories New South Wales
Justine Elliot Member for Richmond Assistant Minister for Social Services
Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence
Matt Thistlethwaite[28][29] Member for Kingsford Smith Assistant Minister for Defence
Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs
Assistant Minister for the Republic 		AWU
Emma McBride Member for Dobell Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health
Anthony Chisholm Senator for Queensland Assistant Minister for Education
Assistant Minister for Regional Development 		Queensland AWU
Tim Watts[30][31] Member for Gellibrand Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Victoria 'Cons'
Glenn Sterle‡[27] Senator for Western Australia Chair of Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee
Deputy Chair of Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee 		Western Australia TWU
Steve Georganas[25] Member for Adelaide South Australia
Shayne Neumann[24] Member for Blair Chair of Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
Chair of Standing Committee on Procedure 		Queensland ASU
Alison Byrnes Member for Cunningham New South Wales
Deborah O'Neill Senator for New South Wales Chair of Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services
Deputy Chair of Select Committee on Work and Care
Deputy Chair of Standing Committee of Privileges 		New South Wales SDA
Helen Polley Senator for Tasmania Chair of Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Tasmania AWU, SDA
Rob Mitchell Member for McEwen Chair of Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests
Chair of House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources 		Victoria 'Cons'
Catryna Bilyk Senator for Tasmania Chair of the Senate Standing Committee of Senators' Interests Tasmania ASU, TWU
Peter Khalil Member for Wills Victoria AWU
Milton Dick Member for Oxley Speaker of the House of Representatives
Chair of Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings
Chair of Selection Committee
Chair of Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration 		Queensland AWU
Matt Burnell Member for Spence South Australia TWU
Meryl Swanson Member for Paterson Chair of Standing Committee on Agriculture New South Wales
Luke Gosling Member for Solomon Chair of Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport Northern Territory SDA
David Smith Member for Bean Government Whip Australian Capital Territory Professionals Australia
Raff Ciccone Senator for Victoria Deputy Government Whip in the Senate
Chair of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee
Deputy Chair of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee
Deputy Chair of Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills 		Victoria SDA “Shoppies”
Dr Daniel Mulino Member for Fraser Chair of Standing Committee on Economics Victoria SDA “Shoppies”
Josh Burns Member for Macnamara Chair of Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights Victoria 'Cons'
Marielle Smith Senator for South Australia Chair of Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Deputy Chair of Community Affairs References Committee 		South Australia SDA
Tony Sheldon Senator for New South Wales Chair of Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Deputy Chair of Education and Employment References Committee 		New South Wales TWU
Dr Mike Freelander Member for Macarthur Chair of Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport New South Wales
Cassandra Fernando Member for Holt Victoria SDA
Jana Stewart Senator for Victoria Victoria TWU, 'Cons'
Sam Rae Member for Hawke Victoria TWU, 'Cons'
Varun Ghosh Senator for West Australia Western Australia SDA
Andrew Charlton Member for Parramatta New South Wales
Sally Sitou Member for Reid New South Wales
Dan Repacholi Member for Hunter New South Wales
Joanne Ryan Member for Lalor Chief Government Whip Victoria 'Cons'
Michelle Ananda-Rajah Member for Higgins Victoria TWU, 'Cons'
Tania Lawrence Member for Hasluck Western Australia
Sam Lim Member for Tangney Western Australia
Gordon Reid Member for Robertson New South Wales

‡ Sterle was formerly a member of the now-defunct Centre Left.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "NSW CENTRE UNITY". centreunity.org.au. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Queensland Labor Unity". qldlaborunity.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  3. ^ "YOUNG LABOR UNITY". Facebook. Victorian Young Labor Unity. 18 June 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  4. ^ Cooke, Vitoria-Iris Ryan-Elaine (19 July 2024). "STRONGER TOGETHER". Facebook. Young Labor Centre Unity. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  5. ^ Massola, James (25 June 2022). "The power behind the PM – who are Labor's powerbrokers in government?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  6. ^ Jingjing Huo (2009). Third Way Reforms: Social Democracy After the Golden Age. Cambridge University Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-521-51843-7.
  7. ^ "Labor 'Shoppies' still powerful: Senator".
  8. ^ "What's happened to the conservative wing of the Australian Labor Party?". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 October 2013.
  9. ^ Brown, Greg (8 October 2018). "Kimberley Kitching caters for Labor's conservative core". The Australian.
  10. ^ [7][8][9]
  11. ^ Massola, James (14 February 2021). "What are Labor's factions and who's who in the Left and Right?". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  12. ^ Hogan, Michael (2009). "Template for a Labor Faction: The Industrial Section and the Industrial Vigilance Council of the NSW Labor Party, 1916-19". Labour History (96): 79–100. ISSN 0023-6942.
  13. ^ "Locking Out the Left: The Emergence of National Factions in Australian Labor". jacobin.com. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  14. ^ McKenna, Michael (31 July 2014). "Left takes over Queensland Labor in historic shift". The Australian. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  15. ^ "About Us". laborforum.org.au. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  16. ^ "Labor Forum is a growing group of ALP members across QLD who believes that a progressive & practical policy agenda is crucial to the future of QLD Labor". Facebook. Labor Forum. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Contest in ACT comes down to the ALP machine versus genuine locals". Crikey. 9 April 2010.
  18. ^ "Young Labor Centre Action".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "La Trobe ALP Club".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Butterly, Nick; Delalande, Joanna. "WA Labor's Progressive faction fractures". PressReader. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  21. ^ "Historic union pact formed to take on the Left". The West Australian. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  22. ^ "Liberals' donations double Labor Party's ahead of SA election". ABC. 11 August 2017.
  23. ^ a b c d e "The 12 Labor figures who will do the heavy lifting in government". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  24. ^ a b c Tewksbury, Marc. "Labor MP Jason Clare dismisses Otis group". news.com.au. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  25. ^ a b c "Labor's new-look shadow ministry". SBS News. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  26. ^ a b Probyn, Andrew. "The strain within Labor's Left and Right bubbles over as the party wrestles over its future". ABC News. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  27. ^ a b c Hondros, Nathan. "WA Labor MPs named as part of pro-coal, right-wing 'Otis Group'". WAtoday. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  28. ^ "Shorten stands by Gillard as leader". 9news.com.au. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  29. ^ Chan, Gabrielle (25 July 2015). "Bill Shorten wins freedom to use boat turnbacks, but leadership split on issue". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  30. ^ "Leaked texts show Somyurek's influence among federal Labor ranks". skynews.com.au. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  31. ^ Ilanbey, Sumeyya (28 January 2020). "Tensions between Labor's Right and Left factions at boiling point". theage.com.au. Retrieved 7 November 2020.

Further reading

  • Cumming, Fia (1991). Mates: Five Champions of the Labor Right. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-86373-021-1. – Paul Keating, Graham Richardson, Laurie Brereton, Bob Carr and Leo McLeay recount events which shaped the Australian labour movement from the 1960s to the 1980s.
  • Richardson, Graham (1994). Whatever It Takes. Moorebank, NSW: Bantam Books. ISBN 978-1-86-359332-8. – Graham Richardson recounts his career and outlines the philosophy and operation of the NSW and National Labor Right during his time in the ALP.