The Queensland Labor Party (QLP) was a political party of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

formed in 1957 by a breakaway group of the then ruling Labor Party Government after the expulsion of Premier

Vince Gair Vincent Clair Gair (25 February 190111 November 1980) was an Australian politician. He served as Premier of Queensland from 1952 until 1957, when his stormy relations with the trade union movement saw him expelled from the Labor Party. He was e ...

. In 1962 the party became the Queensland section of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP). The party continued to hold seats in the Queensland state parliament until 1972, then suffered a collapse in its vote and wound itself up in 1978.

History

In Queensland,

became Labor leader and premier in 1952. The Central Executive of the ALP expelled Gair on 24 April 1957 because of his support of the Groupers. A total of 25 Labor

MLAs The Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) was a proposed alternative to the Maxime Faget-invented "tractor" launch escape system (LES) that was planned for use by NASA for its Orion spacecraft in the event an Ares I malfunction during launch requir ...

left the party with him, including all the Cabinet except Deputy Premier Jack Duggan, to form the Queensland Labor Party. The two ex-Labor Independents joined the QLP. The ALP was left with 23 members with Duggan as leader. The

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

and Liberal Parties had a combined 24 seats. Gair tried to gain Country Party support for his

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in t ...

, but talks with Frank Nicklin broke down when federal Country Party leader

Arthur Fadden Sir Arthur William Fadden, (13 April 189421 April 1973) was an Australian politician who served as the 13th prime minister of Australia from 29 August to 7 October 1941. He was the leader of the Country Party from 1940 to 1958 and also served ...

(himself a Queenslander) told Nicklin that he had a chance to become Premier himself. On 12 June, the ALP, now led by Duggan, voted to deny " supply" (that is, the money needed to govern) to what was left of the Gair government. The Country-Liberal Coalition moved to block supply as well and brought the government down.Frank Mines (1975), ''Gair'', Canberra City, ACT, Arrow Press. A state election was called for 3 August 1957. At that time, Queensland had a unicameral parliament which was elected by

first-past-the-post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast the ...

rather than the present preferential voting system. Since all sitting ALP and QLP members were opposed by a candidate from the other faction, the Labor vote was split in many seats. While the Coalition actually suffered a small swing against it, the large number of three-cornered contests resulted in the ALP and QLP losing seats to the Coalition. The two Labor factions won only 31 seats between them to the Coalition's 42 (up from 24 previously). The QLP won 23.4% of the vote, second behind Labor, and 11 of the 75 seats. Nicklin became Premier and for the first time in 25 years and only the second time since 1915, a Labor Government was out of office in Queensland. Gair himself was reelected in South Brisbane. At the 1960 state election, the QLP won only four seats, with even Gair losing his seat. Gair stood for the Senate in 1961 for the QLP, but was unsuccessful. Gair's QLP merged with the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) in 1962 to become the Queensland branch of the DLP. However this decision split the state parliamentarians with two,

Bunny Adair Herbert Arthur "Bunny" Adair (23 August 1905 – 10 October 1994) was a politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Early life Herbert Arthur Adair was born 23 August 1905 at Wolfram Camp, Qu ...

and Ted Walsh, opposing joining the DLP and instead becoming independent members. At the 1963 state election preferential voting was reintroduced. This enabled the DLP to not only draw votes away from the ALP, but also to direct their preferences to the Coalition. Gair became federal DLP leader in 1964, after his election to the Senate. From the 1963 election, the party's support in Queensland slipped below 8%, and the party retained only one seat in Queensland's unicameral parliament. The party's electoral support remained at about that level until the 1972 election when its last seat was lost in a redistribution. The DLP lost its raison d'être after 1972 when Labor won office at the federal level. At the time the state Country Party explored a merger with the DLP as part of a strategy of seeking greater unity with groups opposed to the federal Labor government, but this plan was soon abandoned. The DLP went into further decline in 1974 when Gair was forced to resign from the party as a result of the so-called

Gair Affair The Gair Affair was an episode in Australian political life in 1974, during the government led by the Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Whitlam offered the post of Ambassador to Ireland to a non-government senator from Queensland, Vince Gair, ...

. At the 1974 state election, the DLP did not contest all seats, and recorded only 1.91% of the vote. The DLP did not contest the 1977 state election and ceased to exist in 1978. The ALP would remain in opposition in Queensland, even after the QLP and its successor the DLP had ceased to exist, returning to government in 1989 with

Wayne Goss Wayne Keith Goss (26 February 1951 – 10 November 2014) was Premier of Queensland from 7 December 1989 until 19 February 1996, becoming the first Labor Premier of the state in over thirty two years. Prior to entering politics, Goss was a solic ...

as leader.

Queensland election results

* In the 3 August 1957 Queensland election, the QLP won 23.4% of the vote, the second highest of the contesting parties, and won 11 seats in the Legislative Assembly. * At the 28 May 1960 election, the QLP's vote dropped significantly to 12.28% and won only 4 seats in the Legislative Assembly. * At the 1 June 1963 election the party's vote (now part of the DLP) had dropped further to 7.23% winning only 1 seat. * At the 28 May 1966 election, the DLP won 6.25% of the vote and 1 seat. * At the 17 May 1969 election, the DLP won 7.24% of the vote and 1 seat. * At the 27 May 1972 election, the DLP won 7.69% of the vote and no seat. * At the 7 December 1974 election, the DLP won 1.91% of the vote and no seat. * By the 1977 election, the DLP did not contest the election and had ceased to exist in 1978.

QLP parliamentarians

;Federal *

Condon Byrne Condon Bryan Byrne (25 May 1910 – 25 November 1993), Australian politician, was a Senator for the Australian Labor Party and later the Democratic Labor Party. Prior to entering politics he was private secretary to Vince Gair who was then Pre ...

(

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

), 1957–58, 1968–74 *

(

), 1965–74 ;

Legislative Assembly of Queensland The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly ...

(

Cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...

), 1957–62 (left in opposition to joining the DLP) *

Mick Brosnan Michael Timothy Brosnan (5 December 1907 – 20 July 1966) was a publican and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Biography Brosnan was born in the outback Queensland town of Winton to parents Michael Brosnan and his wife Edith Eli ...

(

Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley (often called "The Valley" by local residents) is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the , Fortitude Valley had a population of 9,708 people. The suburb features two pedestr ...

), 1957 * Harold Collins ( Tablelands), 1957 *

Viv Cooper Vivian Joseph Northcote Cooper (19 June 1909 – 10 September 2000) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Biography Cooper was born at Parkhurst, a suburb in Rockhampton, Queensland, the son of Joseph Cooper and his wife Nora ...

( Keppel), 1957 *

George Devries George Henry Devries (4 July 1896 – 13 July 1957) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Biography Devries was born at Stretford, England, the son of John Arms Devries and his wife Elizabeth (née Ware). He was apprenticed as a ...

( Gregory), 1957 * Les Diplock ( Condamine, Aubigny), 1957–72 *

Alfred Dohring Alfred Dohring (11 July 1896 – 13 July 1982) was an Australian politician. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Early life Alfred Dohring was born on 11 July 1896 in Alpha, Queensland, the son of August Dohring and his ...

(

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council * Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...

), 1957 *

Charles English Charles Bernard English (1902–1974) was a politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Early life Charles English was born 30 January 1902 as Goonengerry near Lismore, New South Wales, the so ...

( Mulgrave), 1957 * Tom Foley ( Belyando), 1957–60 *

( South Brisbane), 1957–60 * Mick Gardner (

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of t ...

), 1957–60 * Bob Gardner (

Bulimba Bulimba is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Bulimba had a population of 6,843 people. Geography Bulimba is located north-east of the CBD on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, but it is by road. Topony ...

), 1957 *

Jim Hadley James William Hadley (12 June 1893 – 16 July 1971) was an Australian politician. Born in Brisbane, he received a primary education before becoming a timber worker, after which he worked with the railways. He was also an organiser with the ...

(

Nundah Nundah (previously called German Station) is an inner suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It contains the neighbourhood of Toombul. In the , Nundah had a population of 12,141 people. Prior to European settlement, Nundah was i ...

), 1957 * Paul Hilton ( Carnarvon), 1957–63 * Arthur Jones (

Charters Towers Charters Towers is a rural town in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It is by road south-west from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the town boomed as the rich gold deposits unde ...

), 1957–60 * Greg Kehoe ( Nash), 1957 * Colin McCathie ( Haughton), 1957–60 * Bill Moore (

Merthyr Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Ty ...

), 1957 *

Tom Moores Thomas James Moores (born 4 September 1996) is an English cricketer who plays for Nottinghamshire. He is a left-handed batsman who also plays as a wicket-keeper. Domestic and franchise career On 21 June 2016, Moores joined Lancashire on lo ...

( Kurilpa), 1957 * Bill Power ( Baroona), 1957–60 * Tom Rasey ( Windsor), 1957 * Herbert Robinson ( Sandgate), 1957 * Alexander Skinner (

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

), 1957 * Norm Smith ( Carpentaria), 1957–60 * Ted Walsh (

Bundaberg Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The B ...

), 1957–62 (left in opposition to joining the DLP)

References

External links

University of Western Australia Election Database

House divided left Labor disarray
{{Defunct Australian political parties Australian Labor Party breakaway groups Defunct political parties in Queensland Political parties established in 1957 Political parties disestablished in 1978 1957 establishments in Australia 1978 disestablishments in Australia