Leader of the Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) is one of the two major political parties in Australia. The party was formed in 1891, and is the oldest political party in Australia. It is a social democratic party with strong links to the Trade Union movement. Since 1944, their main opponents have been the Liberal Party. Since the 2022 federal election, the Labor Party became the majority government of Australia with Anthony Albanese as prime minister.

In the state and territory parliaments, Labor currently governs in every state and territory except Tasmania.

History

In the 1860s the trade unions in Australia began to try to get better wages and working conditions for their members. They were defeated by employers, the legal system, and the governments of the Australian colonies. Workers soon decided that they needed to become active in politics, and make changes through parliament. The first meeting of the ALP is said to have taken place in Barcaldine, Queensland in 1891.^[2] A group of shearers, who were involved in a big strike action, held a meeting in the shade of a large ghost gum (eucalyptus) tree, Corymbia aparrerinja.^[3] This tree became known as the "Tree of Knowledge".^[2]

ALP Prime Ministers of Australia

• Chris Watson, 1904.
• Andrew Fisher, 1908–1909 and 1910–1913 and 1914–1915.
• Billy Hughes, 1915
• James Scullin, 1929–1932.
• John Curtin, 1941–1945.
• Frank Forde, 1945.
• Ben Chifley, 1945–1949
• Gough Whitlam, 1972–1975.
• Bob Hawke, 1983–1991.
• Paul Keating, 1991–1996.
• Kevin Rudd, 2007–2010.
• Julia Gillard, 2010–2013.
• Kevin Rudd, 2013.
• Anthony Albanese, since 2022.

Current leaders of states and territories of Australia

• Leader of the Opposition (New South Wales) – Luke Foley, since 2015.
• Premier of Victoria – Daniel Andrews, since 2014.
• Premier of Queensland – Annastacia Palaszczuk, since 2015.
• Premier of South Australia – Peter Malinauskas, since 2022.
• Leader of the Opposition (Tasmania) – Rebecca White, since 2021.
• Premier of Western Australia – Mark McGowan, since 2012.
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory – Michael Gunner, since 2016.
• Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory – Andrew Barr, since 2014.

References