Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) leadership spill, 2015

5 January 2015



Candidate	Luke Foley

Leader before election

John Robertson
(permanent leader)
Linda Burney
(interim leader)

Elected Leader

Luke Foley

A leadership spill in the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party, the party of opposition in the New South Wales, was held on 5 January 2015. The spill was called following the resignation of Opposition Leader John Robertson on 23 December 2014.

It elected Shadow Environment Minister Luke Foley as the next parliamentary Leader of the New South Wales Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition in the lead-up to the March election, despite Foley not holding a seat in the Legislative Assembly. In the lead-up to the spill, Deputy Leader Linda Burney, served as interim Leader of the Opposition and she continued to serve as Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly after the spill.

Background

Main articles: New South Wales state election, 2011 and 2014 Sydney hostage crisis

The Liberal–National Coalition won the 2011 election in a landslide victory, reducing the parliamentary Labor party to twenty seats in the Legislative Assembly. In the aftermath, Transport Minister John Robertson was elected as leader of the Labor Party in opposition with Linda Burney appointed as his deputy. Following revelations that Robertson had sent a letter on behalf of the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis gunman, Man Haron Monis, a constituent in his Blacktown electorate, to the Department of Family and Community Services in support of Monis' request for a supervised visit with his children on Father's Day in 2011,^[1]^[2] pressure mounted on Robertson to resign as Leader of the Labor Party. Robertson announced his resignation on 23 December 2014 with the 2015 state election three months away.

The first nominee to announce their candidacy for the leadership was Shadow Treasurer Michael Daley, who was followed by Shadow Police Minister Steve Whan on 24 December.

While many within the party favoured Shadow Environment Minister Luke Foley to succeed Robertson, his position in the Legislative Council made it difficult for him to lead the parliamentary party with all Labor preselections for winnable Legislative Assembly seats already decided excepting Auburn, a seat involved in an internal dispute between incumbent MP Barbara Perry and her challenger, Auburn councillor Hicham Zraika, whom Perry accused of branch-stacking. On 29 December, Foley announced that he would contest the leadership and the Auburn pre-selection. Following Folley's announcement, Steve Whan withdrew from the race, citing insufficient support. Daley withdrew for similar reasons the following day.

Candidates

Luke Foley,^[3] Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Climate Change and Shadow Minister for Planning and Infrastructure

Withdrew

Michael Daley,^[4]^[5] Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Roads
Steve Whan,^[6] Shadow Minister for Police

Declined

Linda Burney,^[6] Interim leader, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services

Aftermath

Foley was elected unopposed and declared his candidacy for Labor pre-selection in the district of Auburn, then occupied by incumbent MLA Barbara Perry. Perry announced her intention to withdraw her pre-selection candidacy to make way for Foley.

References

↑ Robertson, James (22 December 2014). "ALP leader John Robertson signed Man Monis letter". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
↑ Williams, Kylie (22 December 2014). "Sydney siege: NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson sent letter to DOCS on behalf of Lindt cafe gunman". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
↑ "Luke Foley to contest NSW Labor Party leadership". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
↑ "New South Wales Labor leadership contest: MP Michael Daley 'confident' of win". Abc.net.au. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
↑ "Michael Daley pulls out of NSW Labor leadership race, paving way for Luke Foley to lead party". Abc.net.au. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
1 2 "Steve Whan withdraws from NSW Labor leadership contest". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.

Australian Labor Party

Leaders	Chris Watson Andrew Fisher Billy Hughes Frank Tudor Matthew Charlton James Scullin John Curtin Ben Chifley H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Bill Hayden Bob Hawke Paul Keating Kim Beazley Simon Crean Mark Latham Kim Beazley Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd Bill Shorten

Deputy leaders	Gregor McGregor Billy Hughes George Pearce Albert Gardiner James Scullin Arthur Blakeley Ted Theodore Frank Forde H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Lance Barnard Jim Cairns Frank Crean Tom Uren Lionel Bowen Paul Keating Brian Howe Kim Beazley Gareth Evans Simon Crean Jenny Macklin Julia Gillard Wayne Swan Anthony Albanese Tanya Plibersek

Governments	Watson Fisher Hughes Curtin Forde Chifley Whitlam Hawke Keating Rudd I Gillard Rudd II

Ministries	Watson Fisher 1 Fisher 2 Fisher 3 Hughes Scullin Curtin 1 2 Forde Chifley 1 2 Whitlam 1 2 3 Hawke 1 2 3 4 Keating 1 2 Rudd 1 Gillard 1 2 Rudd 2

Shadow cabinets	Whitlam (1967–72) Whitlam (1975–77) Hayden Hawke Beazley (1996–2001) Crean Latham Beazley (2005–06) Rudd Shorten

State branches	Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia

Party institutions	National Conference National Executive Australian Young Labor Australian Fabian Society Australian Labor Party Caucus Chifley Research Centre

Factions	Labor Right Labor Left Ferguson Left

History	History of the Australian Labor Party 1916 split 1931 split 1955 split 1975 Australian constitutional crisis Faceless men Industrial Groups The light on the hill Tree of Knowledge

Leadership spills	1991 (Jun) 1991 (Dec) 1996 2001 2003 2005 2006 2010 2012 2013 (Mar) 2013 (Jun) 2013 (Oct)

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