1954 Australian Labor Party leadership spill

1954 Australian Labor Party
Leadership spill motion

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| <- 1951 | 21 October 1954 | 1956 ->

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Candidate  | H. V. Evatt | Spill motion
Caucus vote  | 52 (65.0%) | 28 (35.0%)

* * *

| Leader before election

H. V. Evatt

| Elected Leader

H. V. Evatt

|

A leadership spill of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), then the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was rejected on 21 October 1954.

## Background[edit]

On 5 October 1954 Evatt gave an aggressive speech against 'disloyal elements' within the Labor Party, which aimed "to deflect the Labor Movement from the pursuit of established Labor objectives and ideals."[1] The speech caused ructions within the ALP leading many to question Evatt's position.

Labor's caucus rejected by 52 to 28 votes a motion for a spill moved by Senators George Cole and James Fraser. Deputy leader Arthur Calwell and Allan Fraser would have stood for election as Leader and deputy leader respectively in the event of a spill occurring.[2] After the ballot, Evatt insisted on counting the names for and against, which only furthered his opponents animosity.[1]

## See also[edit]

* 1954 Australian federal election
* Australian Labor Party split of 1955

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Bolton, G. C. (1996). "Evatt, Herbert Vere (Bert) (1894–1965)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 14\. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
2. ^ "Dr. Evatt retains leadership". Illawarra Mercury. 21 October 1954. p. 1.

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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
* Anthony Albanese

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
* Richard Marles

Governments|

* Watson
* Fisher I
* II
* III
* Hughes
* Scullin
* Curtin
* Forde
* Chifley
* Whitlam
* Hawke
* Keating
* Rudd I
* Gillard
* Rudd II
* Albanese

Ministries|

* Watson
* Fisher 1
* 2
* 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
* Albanese

Shadow cabinets|

* Whitlam (1967–72)
* Whitlam (1975–77)
* Hayden
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* Crean
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State branches|

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Party institutions|

* National Conference
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Factions|

| Current|

* Labor Right
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* Independent Labor

|

Historical|

* Ferguson Left
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History|

* History of the Australian Labor Party
* 1916 split
* 1931 split
* 1955 split
* 1975 Australian constitutional crisis
* Faceless men
* Federal Labor (NSW)
* Gang of Four
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* Norfolk Island Labor Party
* The light on the hill
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Leadership votes|

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Leadership spills and elections in Australia

Labor Party|

* 1901
* 1907
* 1913
* 1915
* 1916
* 1920
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* 1931
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* 1945
* 1951
* 1954
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Liberal Party|

| UAP|

* 1931
* 1939
* 1941
* 1943

|

Liberal|

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National Party|

* 1921
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Greens|

* 2005
* 2012
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See spills of: New South Wales • Victoria
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