1983 Australian Labor Party leadership spill

A leadership spill in the Australian Labor Party, then the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 3 February 1983. It saw the resignation of Leader Bill Hayden followed by the election of Bob Hawke as his replacement.

1983 Australian Labor Party
Leadership spill
3 February 1983
 
Candidate Bob Hawke
Caucus vote Unopposed
Leader before election

Bill Hayden

 Elected Leader

Bob Hawke

Background

Bill Hayden had been leader of the Labor Party since shortly after the 1977 landslide defeat, and he led the party to a much improved result at the 1980 election. However, after only just surviving a challenge from Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Bob Hawke, a disappointing by-election result in December 1982 caused many to question his ability to win the impending federal election. With a second challenge from Hawke imminent, Hayden resigned as party leader and Hawke was returned in the caucus ballot unopposed.[1]

Elsewhere, Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser had announced a snap election hoping to capitalise on Labor's disunity and go to the polls against Hayden rather than Hawke. Later that afternoon at a press conference, Hayden famously said that "a drover's dog could lead the Labor Party to victory, the way the country is". The ensuing federal election was easily won by Labor and Hawke became Prime Minister.

See also

References
  1. "Hayden Resigns as Leader of the Labor Party". The Canberra Times. 4 February 1983. p. 1.
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