Independent Labor (Australia)

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Independent Labor (or Independent Labour) is a description used in Australian politics, often to designate a politician who is an Australian Labor Party (ALP) member but not endorsed by the party at elections or if siting in a parliament, not a member of the Labor party room caucus. The label has also been used to describe candidate who identify with the labour movement, but not the ALP. [1]

Contents

The label is often used at local government elections, especially in states where the ALP does not endorse any candidates. However, registering a party or affiliation as an "Independent Labor" is not permitted in New South Wales under section 64 of the Electoral Act 2017, and the use of the term in electoral material is also considered an offence under section 180 of the act. [2] [3]

Currently, the there are two Independent Labor MPs in state parliament: David O’Byrne, who resigned from the Tasmanian Labor Party caucus in 2021, and Will Fowles, who resigned from the parliamentary Victorian Labor Party following allegations of a serious assault in 2023. [4] [5]

History

The first Independent Labour MP in federal politics was James Wilkinson, who was elected at the 1901 election. He had been a member of the ALP previously, and rejoined the party in 1903. [6]

Charlie Mutton was expelled from the Victorian Labor Party after contesting the 1940 Victorian state election as an Independent Labor candidate. [7] He was readmitted to the party in 1956. [7]

Doris Blackburn, a prominent socialist, was elected as the first female federal independent MP in 1946, standing as an Independent Labor candidate in the seat of Bourke. [8]

The Independent Labor Group was a grouping in the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1959 to 1977, after a number of Labor MLCs were expelled from the party for voting against the abolition of the Legislative Council, which was then party policy. [9]

In more recent years, the label has been rarely used outside of local elections. Former MP Brenton Best nominated as an Independent Labor candidate in 2017, and Territory Labor MP Jeff Collins used the label after resigning from the party in 2019, before later joining Territory Alliance. [10] [11]

On 23 August 2021, former Tasmanian Labor leader David O’Byrne resigned from the party caucus to sit as an Independent Labor MP, which he continued to do so until resigning his ALP membership on 4 February 2024. [12] [13]

On 5 August 2023, Ringwood MP Will Fowles was asked to resign from the parliamentary Victorian Labor Party by then-Premier Daniel Andrews following allegations of a serious assault. [5]

Similar political descriptions

Australian politicians have also been elected under other independent labels, including Independent Liberal, Independent National, Independent Free Trade, Independent UAP and Independent Socialist. [14]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "The Age of Independence? Independents in Australian Parliaments" (PDF). Australasian Study of Parliament Group. p. 3.
  2. ↑ "Electoral Act 2017 No 66". legislation.nsw.gov.au. NSW Government. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "Regulation of electoral material and election conduct". NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Denholm, Matthew. "Labor bloodletting sees frontbencher quit, ex-leader forced out". The Australian.
  5. 1 2 "Statement from the Premier". www.premier.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 11 June 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2007.
  7. 1 2 Parliament of Victoria (2001). "Mutton, Charles". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Our Political Writer (24 October 1946). "Mrs. Blackburn: New Federal Figure" (digitised). The West Australian . p. 7. Retrieved 7 February 2015– via trove.nla.gov.au. Mrs. Blackburn has the honour of being the second woman to enter; the House of Representatives; the other is Dame Enid Lyons, ...
  9. ↑ "Mr Cyril Joseph Cahill". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "Brenton Best unloads on Labor after losing Braddon recount, eyes off next state election". ABC News. 4 April 2017.
  11. ↑ "Northern Territory Labor 'manufactured' leaks to drive out dissenters over budget crisis, politician says". ABC News. 22 December 2018.
  12. ↑ "David O'Byrne addressed parliament, calls on Labor to release Deegan report into his conduct". The Examiner. 24 August 2021.
  13. ↑ "Next move: Former Labor leader David O'Byrne makes big call on his political future". The Mercury.
  14. ↑ "Mrs Moira Deeming". Parliament of Victoria.
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