Labor Right
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox political party Template:Labour politics in Australia The Labor Right (LR), also known as Labor Forum, Labor Unity or simply Unity, is one of the two major political factions within the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It is characterised by social democratic<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Third Way economic policies, in contrast with the Labor Left faction, which leans toward democratic socialism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The faction includes members with a range of political perspectives, including centrism, Third Way, partial privatisation, Keynesianism, Social democracy, and Labourism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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<ref name="nswcu">Template:Cite web</ref>
Queensland
- Labor Forum (dominated by the AWU)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Australian Capital Territory
- Centre Coalition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Victoria
- Labor Centre Unity (AWU: Consisting of Branch Members and 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)
- 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)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Alongside these economic reforms, Labor Right also supported more traditional social democratic policies, such as the introduction of Medicare<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> under Bob Hawke in 1984 and compulsory superannuation under Paul Keating in 1992. The faction also supported significant socially progressive policies, including the blocking of the Franklin River Dam construction<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the passage of the Native Title Act<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 1993 following the High Court's Mabo decision.
Federal members
| Name | Parliamentary seat | Other positions | State/Territory | Sub-faction/union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Marles<ref name="The 12 Labor figures who will do the heavy lifting in government">Template:Cite news</ref> | Member for Corio | Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Defence |
Victoria | TWU, 'Cons' |
| Dr Jim Chalmers<ref name="The 12 Labor figures who will do the heavy lifting in government" /> | Member for Rankin | Treasurer | Queensland | AWU |
| Don Farrell<ref name="Labor MP Jason Clare dismisses Otis group">Template:Cite news</ref> | Senator for South Australia | Special Minister of State Minister for Trade and Tourism |
South Australia | SDA |
| Tony Burke<ref name="The 12 Labor figures who will do the heavy lifting in government" /> | Member for Watson | Leader of the House
Minister for Home Affairs |
New South Wales | SDA |
| Chris Bowen<ref name="The 12 Labor figures who will do the heavy lifting in government" /> | Member for McMahon | Minister for Climate Change and Energy | New South Wales | |
| Amanda Rishworth<ref name=":0" /> | Member for Kingston | Minister for Social Services | South Australia | SDA |
| Mark Dreyfus Template:Small<ref name="The 12 Labor figures who will do the heavy lifting in government" /> | Member for Isaacs | Attorney–General | Victoria | AWU |
| Jason Clare<ref name="Labor MP Jason Clare dismisses Otis group" /> | Member for Blaxland | Minister for Education | New South Wales | AWU |
| Michelle Rowland<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> | Member for Greenway | Minister for Communications | New South Wales | |
| Madeleine King<ref name="WA Labor MPs named as part of pro-coal, right-wing 'Otis Group'">Template:Cite news</ref> | Member for Brand | Minister for Resources Minister for Northern Australia |
Western Australia | SDA |
| Ed Husic | Member for Chifley | Minister for Industry and Science | New South Wales | CEPU (CWU) |
| Clare O'Neil<ref name="The strain within Labor's Left and Right bubbles over as the party wrestles over its future">Template:Cite news</ref> | Member for Hotham | Minister for Housing Minister for Homelessness |
Victoria | AWU |
| Matt Keogh<ref name="WA Labor MPs named as part of pro-coal, right-wing 'Otis Group'" /> | Member for Burt | Minister for Veterans' Affairs Minister for Defence Personnel |
Western Australia | AWU |
| Anika Wells | Member for Lilley | Minister for Communications | 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 |
New South Wales | |
| Matt Thistlethwaite<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Member for Kingsford Smith | Assistant Minister for Immigration | New South Wales | AWU |
| Emma McBride | Member for Dobell | Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health |
New South Wales | |
| Anthony Chisholm | Senator for Queensland | Assistant Minister for Education Assistant Minister for Regional Development |
Queensland | AWU |
| Tim Watts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Member for Gellibrand | Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs | Victoria | 'Cons' |
| Glenn Sterle‡<ref name="WA Labor MPs named as part of pro-coal, right-wing 'Otis Group'" /> | 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<ref name=":0" /> | Member for Adelaide | South Australia | ||
| Shayne Neumann<ref name="Labor MP Jason Clare dismisses Otis group" /> | 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' |
| 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 | AWU | |
| Dan Repacholi | Member for Hunter | New South Wales | ||
| Joanne Ryan | Member for Lalor | Chief Government Whip | Victoria | 'Cons' |
| Michelle Ananda-Rajah | Senator for Victoria | Victoria | TWU, 'Cons' | |
| Tania Lawrence | Member for Hasluck | Western Australia | SDA | |
| Sam Lim | Member for Tangney | Western Australia | SDA | |
| Gordon Reid | Member for Robertson | New South Wales | AWU | |
| David Moncrieff<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> | Member for Hughes | New South Wales | ||
| Richard Dowling<ref name=":1" /> | Senator for Tasmania | Tasmania | AWU | |
| Corinne Mulholland<ref name=":1" /> | Senator for Queensland | Queensland | AWU | |
| Emma Comer<ref name=":1" /> | Member for Petrie | Queensland | AWU | |
| Claire Clutterham<ref name=":1" /> | Member for Sturt | South Australia | ||
| Matt Gregg<ref name=":1" /> | Member for Deakin | Victoria | ||
| Alice Jordan-Baird<ref name=":1" /> | Member for Gorton | Victoria |
‡ Sterle was formerly a member of the now-defunct Centre Left.
See also
- Labor Left
- Moderates – Centrist faction in the Liberal Party of Australia
- New Democrats – centrist faction in the Democratic Party of the United States
- Blue Dog Coalition – centrist faction in the Democratic Party of the United States
- Progress – organisation associated with the Labour Party (UK)
- Seeheimer Kreis – economically liberal faction in the Social Democratic Party of Germany
References
Further reading
- Template:Cite book – 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.
- Template:Cite book – Graham Richardson recounts his career and outlines the philosophy and operation of the NSW and National Labor Right during his time in the ALP.