Australian Labor Party: Difference between revisions

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

| leader3_name    = [[Penny Wong]]

| leader4_title    = [[Australian Labor Party National Executive#National Presidents|National President]]

| leader5_title    = [[Australian Labor Party National Executive#National Secretaries|National Secretary]]

| leader5_name    = [[Paul Erickson (politician)|Paul Erickson]]

| headquarters    = 5/9 Sydney Avenue, [[Barton, Australian Capital Territory|Barton]], Australian Capital Territory

| womens_wing      = [[#Networks|Labor Women's Network]]

| youth_wing      = [[Australian Young Labor]]

| wing2_title      = Indigenous wing

| wing3_title      = Overseas wing

| wing3            = [[#Networks|ALP Abroad]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alpabroad.org/|title=ALP Abroad|website=alpabroad.org|access-date=21 September 2023|archive-date=22 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922140834/https://alpabroad.org/|url-status=live}}</ref>

| blank1_title    = [[Governing body]]

| blank2_title    = [[Party conference]]

| blank3_title    = [[Parliamentary group|Parliamentary party]]

| blank4_title    = Party branches

| blank4          = {{hlist|[[ACT Labor Party|ACT]]|[[New South Wales Labor Party|NSW]]|[[Territory Labor Party|NT]]|[[Queensland Labor Party|Qld]]|[[South Australian Labor Party|SA]]|[[Tasmanian Labor Party|Tas]]|[[Victorian Labor Party|Vic]]|[[Western Australian Labor Party|WA]]}}

| position        = <!-- It is important to seek and gain broad consensus on the article talk page before changing this --> [[Centre-left politics|Centre-left]]

| national        =  

| international    = {{Plainlist|

* [[Progressive Alliance]]

| seats1_title    = [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]

| seats1          = {{composition bar|94|150|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| seats3_title    = State/territory governments

| seats3          = {{composition bar|5|8|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| website          = {{URL|https://alp.org.au|alp.org.au}}

| country          = Australia

}}

In standard [[Australian English]], the word [[wikt:labour|''labour'']] is spelt with a ''u''. However, the political party uses the spelling ''Labor'', without a ''u''. There was originally no standardised spelling of the party's name, with ''Labor'' and ''Labour'' both in common usage. According to [[Ross McMullin]], who wrote an official history of the Labor Party, the title page of the proceedings of the [[Australian Labor Party National Conference|Federal Conference]] used the spelling "Labor" in 1902, "Labour" in 1905 and 1908, and then "Labor" from 1912 onwards.{{sfn|McMullin|1991|p=ix}} In 1908, [[James Catts]] put forward a motion at the Federal Conference that "the name of the party be the Australian Labour Party", which was carried by 22 votes to 2. A separate motion recommending state branches adopt the name was defeated. There was no uniformity of party names until 1918 when the Federal party resolved that state branches should adopt the name "Australian Labor Party", now spelt without a ''u''. Each state branch had previously used a different name, due to their different origins.{{sfn|McMullin|1991|p=116}}{{efn|According to ''[[The Australian Worker]]'', in 1918 the state parties comprised the Political Labor League (New South Wales), the Queensland Labor Party, the United Labor Party (South Australia), the Workers' Political Labor League (Tasmania), the Political Labor Council (Victoria), and the Australian Labor Federation (Western Australia).<ref>{{cite news |url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/72188541 |title = 'The Australian Labor Party: Labor's Uniform Name |newspaper = [[The Australian Worker]] |date = 12 December 1918 |access-date = 15 May 2020 |archive-date = 2 April 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200402162807/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/72188541 |url-status = live }}</ref> However, according to the ''[[South Australian Register]]'', the state parties in New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria had already adopted the standardised name by 1917.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60323264 |title = What's in a Name? |newspaper = [[South Australian Register]] |date = 15 September 1917 |access-date = 15 May 2020 |archive-date = 2 April 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200402162809/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60323264 |url-status = live }}</ref>}}

Andrew Scott, who wrote "Running on Empty: 'Modernising' the British and Australian Labour Parties", suggests that the adoption of the spelling without a ''u'' "signified one of the ALP's earliest attempts at modernisation", and served the purpose of differentiating the party from the [[Australian labour movement]] as a whole and distinguishing it from other British Empire labour parties. The decision to include the word "Australian" in the party's name, rather than just "[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]" as in the United Kingdom, Scott attributes to "the greater importance of nationalism for the founders of the colonial parties".<ref>{{cite book |url = https://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30034395/scott-runningonempty-2000.pdf |publisher = Pluto Press |first = Andrew |last = Scott |year = 2000 |title = Running on Empty: 'Modernising' the British and Australian Labour Parties |page = 39 |access-date = 20 November 2018 |archive-date = 11 April 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190411203148/https://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30034395/scott-runningonempty-2000.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref>

The Australian Labor Party has its origins in the Labour parties founded in the 1890s in the Australian colonies prior to federation. Labor tradition ascribes the founding of Queensland Labour to a meeting of striking pastoral workers under a ghost gum tree (the [[Tree of Knowledge (Australia)|Tree of Knowledge]]) in [[Barcaldine, Queensland|Barcaldine]], Queensland in 1891. The [[1891 Australian shearers' strike|1891 shearers' strike]] is credited as being one of the factors for the formation of the Australian Labor Party. On 9 September 1892 the ''Manifesto of the Queensland Labour Party'' was read out under the well known [[Tree of Knowledge (Australia)|Tree of Knowledge]] at Barcaldine following the Great Shearers' Strike.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-09-08|title=125th anniversary of the Manifesto of the Queensland Labour Party |url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/125th-anniversary-manifesto-queensland-labour-party|access-date=2021-03-23|website=State Library Of Queensland|language=en|archive-date=11 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211195940/https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/125th-anniversary-manifesto-queensland-labour-party|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[State Library of Queensland]] now holds the manifesto;<ref>{{SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/charles-seymour-papers-1880-1924-treasure-collection-john-oxley-library|title=Charles Seymour Papers 1880–1924: Treasure collection of the John Oxley Library|date=8 November 2021|author(s)=Anne Scheu|access-date=2 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=OM69-18 Charles Seymour Papers 1880–1924|url=http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=slq_alma21148463600002061&vid=SLQ&search_scope=DT&tab=dt&lang=en_US&context=L|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-23|website=State Library of Queensland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109054559/http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=slq_alma21148463600002061&vid=SLQ&search_scope=DT&tab=dt&lang=en_US&context=L |archive-date=9 November 2021 }}</ref> in 2008 the historic document was added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Australian Register<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manifesto of the Queensland Labour Party, 1892 |url=https://www.amw.org.au/register/listings/manifesto-queensland-labour-party-1892|access-date=2021-03-23|website=Australian Memory of the World|archive-date=29 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329200053/https://www.amw.org.au/register/listings/manifesto-queensland-labour-party-1892|url-status=live}}</ref>&nbsp;and, in 2009, the document was added to UNESCO's Memory of the World International Register.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manifesto of the Queensland Labour Party to the people of Queensland (dated 9 September 1892) |url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/memory-of-the-world/register/full-list-of-registered-heritage/registered-heritage-page-5/manifesto-of-the-queensland-labour-party-to-the-people-of-queensland-dated-9-september-1892/|access-date=2021-03-23|website=UNESCO|archive-date=31 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331174524/http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/memory-of-the-world/register/full-list-of-registered-heritage/registered-heritage-page-5/manifesto-of-the-queensland-labour-party-to-the-people-of-queensland-dated-9-september-1892|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Balmain, New South Wales|Balmain]], New South Wales branch of the party claims to be the oldest in Australia. However, the Scone Branch has a receipt for membership fees for the Labour Electoral League dated April 1891. This predates the Balmain claim. This can be attested in the Centenary of the ALP book.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}} Labour as a parliamentary party dates from 1891 in [[New South Wales Labor Party|New South Wales]] and [[South Australian Labor Party|South Australia]], 1893 in Queensland, and later in the other colonies.

At the [[1893 South Australian colonial election|1893 South Australian elections]], the ULP was immediately elevated to balance of power status with 10 of 54 lower house seats. The liberal government of [[Charles Kingston]] was formed with the support of the ULP, ousting the conservative government of [[John Downer]]. So successful, less than a decade later at the [[1905 South Australian state election|1905 state election]], [[Thomas Price (South Australian politician)|Thomas Price]] formed the world's first stable Labor government. [[John Verran]] led Labor to form the state's first of many [[majority government]]s at the [[1910 South Australian state election|1910 state election]].

The colonial Labour<!-- Do not change spelling, it is correct in historical context. --> parties and the trade unions were mixed in their support for the [[Federation of Australia]]. Some Labour representatives argued against the proposed constitution, claiming that the Senate as proposed was too powerful, similar to the anti-reformist colonial upper houses and the [[House of Lords|British House of Lords]]. They feared that federation would further entrench the power of the conservative forces. However, the first Labour<!-- Do not change spelling, it is correct in historical context. --> leader and Prime Minister [[Chris Watson]] was a supporter of federation.

=== Early decades at the federal level ===

[[File:Labor 1901b.jpg|thumb|Group photograph of federal Labour Party MPs elected to the House of Representatives and Senate at the inaugural 1901 election]]

George Reid of the [[Free Trade Party]] adopted a strategy of trying to reorient the party system along Labour vs. non-Labour lines prior to the [[1906 Australian federal election|1906 federal election]] and renamed his Free Trade Party to the Anti-Socialist Party. Reid envisaged a spectrum running from socialist to anti-socialist, with the [[Protectionist Party]] in the middle. This attempt struck a chord with politicians who were steeped in the [[Westminster system|Westminster tradition]] and regarded a [[two-party system]] as very much the norm.<ref>{{cite web|author=Charles Richardson |url=https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2015/04/images/stories/policy-magazine/2009-autumn/25-1-09-charles-richardson.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2015/04/images/stories/policy-magazine/2009-autumn/25-1-09-charles-richardson.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Fusion: The Party System We Had To Have? |date=25 January 2009 |access-date=19 September 2017}}</ref>

The Labor Party is commonly described{{By whom|date=July 2024}} as a [[social democracy|social democratic]] party, and its constitution stipulates that it is a [[democratic socialism|democratic socialist]] party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alp.org.au/platform/chapter_12.php |title=National Constitution of the ALP |year=2009 |work=Official Website of the Australian Labor Party |publisher=Australian Labor Party |access-date=26 December 2009 |quote=The Australian Labor Party is a democratic socialist party and has the objective of the democratic socialisation of industry, production, distribution and exchange, to the extent necessary to eliminate exploitation and other anti-social features in these fields. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091030014535/http://www.alp.org.au/platform/chapter_12.php |archive-date=30 October 2009 }}</ref> The party was created by, and has always been influenced by, the trade unions, and in practice its policy at any given time has usually been the policy of the broader labour movement. Thus at the first federal election 1901 Labor's platform called for a [[White Australia policy]], a citizen army and compulsory arbitration of industrial disputes.{{sfn|McKinlay|1981|p=19}} Labor has at various times supported high [[tariff]]s and low tariffs, [[conscription]] and [[pacifism]], White Australia and [[multiculturalism]], [[nationalisation]] and [[privatisation]], [[isolationism]] and internationalism.

=== World War II and beyond ===

At the conference of the New South Wales Labor Party in June 1949, Chifley sought to define the labour movement as follows: "We have a great objective – [[the light on the hill]] – which we aim to reach by working for the betterment of mankind.{{Spaces}}... [Labor would] bring something better to the people, better standards of living, greater happiness to the mass of the people."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/chifley/in-office.aspx |title=In office – Ben Chifley – Australia's PMs – Australia's Prime Ministers |access-date=13 July 2011 |date=24 February 2009 |publisher=National Archives of Australia | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110613100927/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/chifley/in-office.aspx| archive-date= 13 June 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> To a large extent, Chifley saw centralisation of the economy as the means to achieve such ambitions. With an increasingly uncertain economic outlook, after his attempt to nationalise the banks and a strike by the Communist-dominated [[Australian Coal and Shale Employees' Federation|Miners' Federation]], Chifley lost office at the [[1949 Australian federal election|1949 federal election]] to [[Robert Menzies]]' Liberal-National Coalition. Labor commenced a 23-year period in opposition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/chifley/ |title=Ben Chifley – Australia's PMs – Australia's Prime Ministers |publisher=Primeministers.naa.gov.au |date=13 June 1951 |access-date=5 July 2013 |archive-date=16 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216203242/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/chifley/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/menzies/elections.aspx |title=Elections – Robert Menzies – Australia's PMs – Australia's Prime Ministers |publisher=Primeministers.naa.gov.au |access-date=5 July 2013 |archive-date=12 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512011252/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/menzies/elections.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> The party was primarily led during this time by [[H. V. Evatt]] and [[Arthur Calwell]].

Various ideological beliefs were factionalised under reforms to the ALP under [[Gough Whitlam]], resulting in what is now known as the [[Labor Left|Socialist Left]] who tend to favour a more interventionist economic policy and more [[progressivism|socially progressive]] ideals, and [[Labor Right]], the now dominant faction that tends to be more [[economically liberal]] and focus to a lesser extent on social issues. The Whitlam Labor government, marking a break with Labor's socialist tradition, pursued [[social-democratic|social democratic]] policies rather than [[democratic socialist]] policies. In contrast to earlier Labor leaders, Whitlam also cut [[tariff]]s by 25 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whitlam.org/collection/1973/19730718_Tariff_Reduction/ |title=Tariff Reduction |work=The Whitlam Collection |publisher=The Whitlam Institute |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050720062736/http://www.whitlam.org/collection/1973/19730718_Tariff_Reduction/ |archive-date=20 July 2005 }}</ref> Whitlam led the Federal Labor Party back to office at the [[1972 Australian federal election|1972]] and [[1974 Australian federal election|1974]] federal elections, and passed a large amount of legislation. The [[Whitlam government]] lost office following the [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis]] and dismissal by [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]] [[John Kerr (governor-general)|John Kerr]] after the Coalition blocked [[Loss of supply|supply]] in the Senate after a series of political scandals, and was defeated at the [[1975 Australian federal election|1975 federal election]] in the largest landslide of Australian federal history.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/general/the-dismissal-a-brief-history/2005/11/10/1131578175136.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=The dismissal: a brief history | date=11 November 2005 | access-date=22 March 2012 | archive-date=2 November 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102130937/http://www.theage.com.au/news/general/the-dismissal-a-brief-history/2005/11/10/1131578175136.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Whitlam remains the only Prime Minister to have his commission terminated in that manner. Whitlam also lost the [[1977 Australian federal election|1977 federal election]] and subsequently resigned as leader.

In March 2022, Labor returned to government in South Australia after defeating the Liberal Party in the [[2022 South Australian state election]].

In 2023, Labor won the March [[2023 New South Wales state election]] returning to government for the first time since 2011. This victory marked the first time in 15 years that Labor were in government in all mainland states. In 2024, Labor lost in a landslide in the [[2024 Northern Territory general election|2024 Northern Territory election]], losing its first mainland state or territory since the [[2018 South Australian state election|2018 South Australian election]]. Labor would also lose in the [[2024 Queensland state election]].

== Party structure ==

=== National executive and secretariat ===

The party holds a national conference every three years, which consists of delegates representing the state and territory branches (many coming from affiliated trade unions, although there is no formal requirement for unions to be represented at the national conference). The national conference decides the party's platform, elects the national executive and appoints office-bearers such as the national secretary, who also serves as national campaign director during elections. The current national secretary is [[Paul Erickson (politician)|Paul Erickson]].

=== Federal Parliamentary Labor Party ===

{{Main|Australian Labor Party Caucus}}

The elected members of the Labor party in both houses of the national Parliament meet as the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party, also known as the Caucus (see also [[Caucus#Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa|caucus]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=National Platform of the Australian Labor Party|url=https://cdn.australianlabor.com.au/documents/ALP_National_Platform.pdf|publisher=Australian Labor Party|access-date=16 March 2016|page=215|archive-date=22 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322193603/https://cdn.australianlabor.com.au/documents/ALP_National_Platform.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Besides discussing parliamentary business and tactics, the Caucus also is involved in the election of the federal parliamentary leaders.

=== Federal parliamentary leaders ===

{{main|Leaders of the Australian Labor Party}}

Until 2013, the parliamentary leaders were elected by the Caucus from among its members. The leader has historically been a member of the House of Representatives. Since October 2013, a ballot of both the Caucus and by the Labor Party's rank-and-file members determined the party leader and the deputy leader.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bill-shorten-elected-labor-leader-20131013-2vfzy.html|title=Bill Shorten elected Labor leader|author=Harrison, Bill|date=13 October 2013|access-date=19 July 2014|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|archive-date=13 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013232934/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bill-shorten-elected-labor-leader-20131013-2vfzy.html|url-status=live}}</ref> When the Labor Party is in government, the party leader is the [[Prime Minister of Australia|prime minister]] and the deputy leader is the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia|deputy prime minister]]. If a Labor prime minister resigns or dies in office, the deputy leader acts as prime minister and party leader until a successor is elected. The deputy prime minister also acts as prime minister when the prime minister is on leave or out of the country. Members of the Ministry are also chosen by Caucus, though the leader may allocate portfolios to the ministers.

=== State and territory branches ===

{{main|List of state and territory branches of the Australian Labor Party}}

The Australian Labor Party is a federal party, consisting of eight branches from each state and territory. While the National Executive is responsible for national campaign strategy, each state and territory are an autonomous branch and are responsible for campaigning in their own jurisdictions for federal, state and local elections. State and territory branches consist of both individual members and [[affiliated trade union]]s, who between them decide the party's policies, elect its governing bodies and choose its candidates for public office.

Members join a state branch and pay a membership fee, which is graduated according to income. The majority of [[Australian labour movement|trade unions in Australia]] are affiliated to the party at a state level. Union affiliation is direct and not through the [[Australian Council of Trade Unions]]. Affiliated unions pay an affiliation fee based on the size of their membership. Union affiliation fees make up a large part of the party's income. Other sources of funds for the party include [[political funding in Australia|political donations]] and [[Elections in Australia#Public funding|public funding]].

Members are generally expected to attend at least one meeting of their local branch each year, although there are differences in the rules from state to state. In practice, only a dedicated minority regularly attend meetings. Many members are only active during election campaigns.

!Seats

|-

|[[New South Wales Labor Party|New South Wales Labor]]

|[[Chris Minns]] <br> {{small|(since [[2021 New South Wales Labor Party leadership election|2021]])}}

|[[2023 New South Wales state election|2023]]

|37.1

|54.3

|37.1

|{{composition bar|4|12|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

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|[[Victorian Labor Party|Victorian Labor]]

|[[Jacinta Allan]] <br> {{small|(since [[2023 Victorian Labor Party leadership election|2023]])}}

|{{composition bar|5|12|hex={{Australian politics/party colours|labor vic}}}}

|-

|[[Queensland Labor Party|Queensland Labor]]

|[[Steven Miles]] <br> {{small|(since [[2023 Queensland Labor Party leadership election|2023]])}}

|{{composition bar|4|12|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

|-

|[[Western Australian Labor Party|Western Australian Labor]]

|[[Roger Cook (politician)|Roger Cook]] <br> {{small|(since [[2023 Western Australian Labor Party leadership election|2023]])}}

|{{composition bar|5|12|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

|-

|[[South Australian Labor Party|South Australian Labor]]

|[[Peter Malinauskas]] <br> {{small|(since 2018)}}

|{{yes2|[[Malinauskas ministry|Majority]]}}

|{{composition bar|7|10|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

|{{composition bar|5|12|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

|-

|[[Tasmanian Labor Party|Tasmanian Labor]]

|{{composition bar|10|35|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

|align=right {{n/a}}{{efn|Tasmania uses a semi-proportional system and thus TPP is not calculated.}}

|{{composition bar|4|12|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

|-

|[[ACT Labor Party|ACT Labor]]

|[[Andrew Barr]]

|{{composition bar|1|2|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

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|[[Territory Labor Party|Territory Labor]]

|[[2024 Northern Territory general election|2024]]

|28.7

Country Labor was used as a designation by candidates contesting elections in rural areas. The Country Labor Party was registered as a separate party in [[New South Wales]],<ref>[https://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/candidates_and_parties/registered_political_parties/list_of_registered_parties List of Registered Parties] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330055833/https://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/candidates_and_parties/registered_political_parties/list_of_registered_parties |date=30 March 2019 }}, Electoral Commission NSW.</ref> and was also registered with the [[Australian Electoral Commission]] (AEC) for federal elections.<ref name="Current register of political parties">[https://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/party_registration/Registered_parties/ Current register of political parties] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418193211/https://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/party_registration/Registered_parties/ |date=18 April 2018 }}, Australian Electoral Commission.</ref> It did not have the same status in other states and, consequently, that designation could not be used on the ballot paper.

=== Australian Young Labor ===

{{main|Australian Young Labor}}

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== Election results ==

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![[1919 Australian federal election|1919]]

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![[1934 Australian federal election|1934]]

| {{increase}} 4

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| {{increase}} 11

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!rowspan=2|[[1940 Australian federal election|1940]]

|rowspan=2| {{composition bar|32|74|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

|rowspan=2| {{increase}} 3

| {{no2|Opposition (1940–41)}}

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| {{composition bar|49|74|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{increase}} 17

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![[1946 Australian federal election|1946]]

| {{composition bar|43|75|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

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![[1949 Australian federal election|1949]]

| {{increase}} 4

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![[1951 Australian federal election|1951]]

| {{increase}} 5

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![[1954 Australian federal election|1954]]

| {{increase}} 5

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![[1955 Australian federal election|1955]]

| {{decrease}} 10

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![[1958 Australian federal election|1958]]

| {{decrease}} 2

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![[1961 Australian federal election|1961]]

| {{increase}} 15

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![[1963 Australian federal election|1963]]

| {{decrease}} 10

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![[1966 Australian federal election|1966]]

| {{decrease}} 9

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![[1969 Australian federal election|1969]]

| {{increase}} 18

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![[1972 Australian federal election|1972]]

| {{decrease}} 30

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![[1977 Australian federal election|1977]]

| {{composition bar|38|124|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{increase}} 2

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![[1980 Australian federal election|1980]]

| {{composition bar|51|125|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{increase}} 13

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![[1983 Australian federal election|1983]]

| {{increase}} 24

| {{increase}} 1st

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![[1984 Australian federal election|1984]]

| {{composition bar|82|148|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{increase}} 7

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![[1987 Australian federal election|1987]]

| {{composition bar|86|148|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{increase}} 4

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![[1990 Australian federal election|1990]]

| {{composition bar|78|148|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{decrease}} 8

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![[1993 Australian federal election|1993]]

| {{composition bar|80|147|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{increase}} 2

|-

![[1996 Australian federal election|1996]]

| {{decrease}} 31

| {{decrease}} 2nd

|-

![[1998 Australian federal election|1998]]

| {{increase}} 18

| {{increase}} 1st

|-

![[2001 Australian federal election|2001]]

| {{decrease}} 2

| {{decrease}} 2nd

|-

![[2004 Australian federal election|2004]]

| {{decrease}} 5

| {{steady}} 2nd

|-

![[2007 Australian federal election|2007]]

| {{composition bar|55|150|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{decrease}} 17

|-

![[2016 Australian federal election|2016]]

| {{composition bar|69|150|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{increase}} 14

|-

![[2019 Australian federal election|2019]]

| {{composition bar|68|151|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{decrease}} 1

|-

![[2022 Australian federal election|2022]]

|{{composition bar|77|151|hex={{party color|Australian Labor Party}}}}

| {{increase}} 9

|-

![[2025 Australian federal election|2025]]

| {{increase}} 17

| {{steady}} 1st