2009 New South Wales Labor Party leadership spill

2009 New South Wales Labor Party
leadership spill

← 2008 3 December 2009 2011 →

Spill motion

Candidate Spill motion Nathan Rees Caucus vote 43 25 Seat – Toongabbie Faction – Unaligned [a]

Leadership election

Candidate Kristina Keneally Nathan Rees Caucus vote 47 21 Seat Heffron Toongabbie Faction Right Unaligned [a]

Leader before election Nathan Rees Elected Leader Kristina Keneally

Deputy leadership election

Candidate Carmel Tebbutt Caucus vote Unopposed Seat Marrickville Faction Left

Deputy before election Carmel Tebbutt Elected Deputy Carmel Tebbutt

The 2009 New South Wales Labor Party leadership spill was held on 3 December 2009 to elect the leader of the New South Wales Labor Party and, ex officio, Premier of New South Wales. ^{[1] [2]}

Incumbent premier Nathan Rees lost a spill motion after several months of speculation about a possible challenge. ^{[3] [4]} He contested the subsequent leadership election, but was defeated by planning minister Kristina Keneally. ^{[5] [6]} Carmel Tebbutt was returned unopposed as deputy leader (and Deputy Premier), creating the first all-female leadership team in Australia at a state or federal level. ^{[7] [8]}

Keneally was sworn in as premier the following day, becoming the first female Premier of New South Wales and the state's fourth premier in as many years. ^{[9] [10]} She led Labor to a landslide defeat less than two years later at the 2011 New South Wales state election. ^{[11] [12]}

Prior to the spill, Rees said that any challenger "would be a puppet" of factional powerbrokers Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi. ^{[13] [14]} The claim was rejected by Keneally, who stated "I am nobody's puppet, I am nobody's protege, I am nobody's girl". ^{[15] [16]}

Candidates

Leader

Declared

Candidate			Electorate	Faction	Announced
		Nathan Rees	Toongabbie	Unaligned [a]	3 December 2009 [20] [21]
		Kristina Keneally	Heffron	Right	3 December 2009 [22]

Withdrew

Frank Sartor was defeated by Keneally in a vote of Labor Right MPs, with Keneally becoming the Right's candidate for leader. ^{[23] [24]}

Candidate			Electorate	Faction
		Frank Sartor	Rockdale	Right

Deputy leader

Declared

Candidate			Electorate	Faction	Announced
		Carmel Tebbutt	Marrickville	Left [25]	3 December 2009

Results

Spill motion

2009 New South Wales Labor Party leadership spill: Spill motion ^{[26] [27]}

Faction		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Spill motion		43	63.2
	Labor	Nathan Rees	25	36.8
Total votes			68	100.0

Leader

2009 New South Wales Labor Party leadership spill: Leader ^[28]

Faction		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor Right	Kristina Keneally	47	69.1
	Labor	Nathan Rees	21	30.9
Total votes			68	100.0

Deputy leader

2009 New South Wales Labor Party leadership spill: Deputy leader

Faction		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor Left	Carmel Tebbutt	unopposed
Total votes			68	100.0

Notes

1. Rees was a member of the Left faction until he became Premier in 2008, when he moved to being factionally unaligned. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

References

1. "Unions back Rees, threaten Labor funding". ABC News . 3 December 2009. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
2. "New South Wales Parliament Chronicle — The 54th Parliament (2007 – ongoing)" (PDF). Australasian Study of Parliament Group. Autumn 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
3. Clennell, Andrew (9 June 2009). "Sartor and Della Bosca target Rees". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
4. "Defiant Rees vows to stay on". ABC News. 27 August 2009. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
5. Alafaci, Annette (16 February 2016) [31 January 2006]. "Keneally, Kristina Kerscher". The Australian Women's Register. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
6. Farnsworth, Malcolm (27 March 2018). "Sen. Kristina Keneally (ALP-NSW) – Maiden Speech". AustralianPolitics.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
7. Jerga, Josh (3 December 2009). "NSW boasts first female leadership team". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
8. "Women at Work" (PDF). Parliament of New South Wales. 16 January 2017. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
9. "Keneally sworn in as premier" . Australian Financial Review . 4 December 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
10. Gerathy, Sarah (14 November 2017). "Kristina Keneally's greatest hits and hurdles as premier of NSW". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
11. "Keneally loses NSW election, stands down". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
12. "Disunity let us down: Keneally". ABC News. 27 March 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
13. Nicholls, Sean (25 June 2012). "Rees stays firm on puppetry remark". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
14. "Retiring Rees offers final advice to Labor". SBS News . AAP. 28 March 2014. Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
15. Grattan, Michelle (14 November 2017). "Shorten recruits Keneally for Bennelong, as citizenship crisis claims Lambie". The Conversation . Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
16. Bartlett, Samuel (5 January 2022). "Federal election: Can ex-premier Kristina Keneally help Labor win?". Yahoo! News . Archived from the original on 2 December 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
17. "Stalking horse or tried stayer?". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 July 2008. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
18. "Resignation of Premier Morris Iemma, New Premier Nathan Rees". Hawker Britton. 5 September 2008. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
19. "Rees takes on NSW top job". ABC Listen . 6 September 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
20. "Defiant Rees denounces 'puppet' challengers". ABC News. 3 December 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
21. Rees, Nathan (3 December 2009). "Full speech by Nathan Rees in response to NSW Labor leadership rumours" . The Australian . Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
22. "Keneally to challenge Rees for top job". ABC News. 3 December 2009. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
23. Clennell, Andrew (3 December 2009). "Kristina Keneally first female NSW Premier". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
24. Nicholls, Sean (3 December 2010). "Frank Sartor quits Parliament". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
25. "Carmel Tebbutt named NSW deputy premier". ABC News. 4 September 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
26. Jerga, Josh (3 December 2009). "Katrina Keneally is Catholic feminist with American twang". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 18 March 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
27. Clennell, Andrew; Robins, Brian; Hall, Louise (4 December 2009). "The 'puppet' Premier". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
28. O'Brien, Rob (4 December 2009). "Keneally ousts Rees as NSW Premier". Government News. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.