2015 Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) leadership election

An election for the leadership of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party, the party of opposition in the New South Wales, was held on 5 January 2015. The election was triggered following the resignation of Opposition Leader John Robertson on 23 December 2014.

It elected Shadow Environment Minister Luke Foley as the next parliamentary Leader of the New South Wales Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition in the lead-up to the March election, despite Foley not holding a seat in the Legislative Assembly. In the lead-up to the election, Deputy Leader Linda Burney, served as interim Leader of the Opposition and she continued to serve as Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly after the election.

Background[]

The Liberal–National Coalition won the 2011 election in a landslide victory, reducing the parliamentary Labor party to twenty seats in the Legislative Assembly. In the aftermath, Transport Minister John Robertson was elected as leader of the Labor Party in opposition with Linda Burney appointed as his deputy. Following revelations that Robertson had sent a letter on behalf of the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis gunman, Man Haron Monis, a constituent in his Blacktown electorate, to the Department of Family and Community Services in support of Monis' request for a supervised visit with his children on Father's Day in 2011,^[1]^[2] pressure mounted on Robertson to resign as Leader of the Labor Party. Robertson announced his resignation on 23 December 2014 with the 2015 state election three months away.

The first nominee to announce their candidacy for the leadership was Shadow Treasurer Michael Daley, who was followed by Shadow Police Minister Steve Whan on 24 December.

While many within the party favoured Shadow Environment Minister Luke Foley to succeed Robertson, his position in the Legislative Council made it difficult for him to lead the parliamentary party with all Labor preselections for winnable Legislative Assembly seats already decided excepting Auburn, a seat involved in an internal dispute between incumbent MP Barbara Perry and her challenger, Auburn councillor Hicham Zraika, whom Perry accused of branch-stacking. On 29 December, Foley announced that he would contest the leadership and the Auburn pre-selection. Following Foley's announcement, Steve Whan withdrew from the race, citing insufficient support. Daley withdrew for similar reasons the following day.

Candidates[]

Luke Foley,^[3] Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Climate Change and Shadow Minister for Planning and Infrastructure

Withdrew[]

Michael Daley,^[4]^[5] Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Roads
Steve Whan,^[6] Shadow Minister for Police

Declined[]

Linda Burney,^[6] Interim leader, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services

Aftermath[]

Foley was elected unopposed and declared his candidacy for Labor pre-selection in the district of Auburn, then occupied by incumbent MLA Barbara Perry. Perry announced her intention to withdraw her pre-selection candidacy to make way for Foley.

References[]

^ Robertson, James (22 December 2014). "ALP leader John Robertson signed Man Monis letter". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
^ Williams, Kylie (22 December 2014). "Sydney siege: NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson sent letter to DOCS on behalf of Lindt cafe gunman". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
^ "Luke Foley to contest NSW Labor Party leadership". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
^ "New South Wales Labor leadership contest: MP Michael Daley 'confident' of win". Abc.net.au. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
^ "Michael Daley pulls out of NSW Labor leadership race, paving way for Luke Foley to lead party". Abc.net.au. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
^ ^a ^b "Steve Whan withdraws from NSW Labor leadership contest". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.

[1] Robertson, James (22 December 2014). "ALP leader John Robertson signed Man Monis letter". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

[2] Williams, Kylie (22 December 2014). "Sydney siege: NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson sent letter to DOCS on behalf of Lindt cafe gunman". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

[3] "Luke Foley to contest NSW Labor Party leadership". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.

[4] "New South Wales Labor leadership contest: MP Michael Daley 'confident' of win". Abc.net.au. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.

[5] "Michael Daley pulls out of NSW Labor leadership race, paving way for Luke Foley to lead party". Abc.net.au. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2014-12-30.

[Whan-6] "Steve Whan withdraws from NSW Labor leadership contest". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-30.

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v t Australian Labor Party (NSW)
Leaders	Cook McGowen Holman Durack Storey Dooley G. McGirr Dunn Lang McKell J. McGirr Cahill Heffron Renshaw Hills Wran Unsworth Carr Iemma Rees Keneally Robertson Burney Foley Daley Sharpe McKay Minns
Deputy leaders	Dunn Baddeley Cahill Heffron Renshaw Hills Einfeld Ferguson Mulock Refshauge Watkins Tebbutt Burney Daley Sharpe Catley Car
Ministries	McGowen Holman Storey Dooley I Dooley II Lang I Lang II Lang III McKell I McKell II McGirr I McGirr II McGirr III Cahill I Cahill II Cahill III Cahill IV Heffron I Heffron II Renshaw Wran I Wran II Wran III Wran IV Wran V Wran VI Wran VII Wran VIII Unsworth Carr I Carr II Carr III Carr IV Iemma I Iemma II Rees Keneally
Shadow ministries	Robertson Foley Daley McKay Minns
Leadership votes	2015 2018 2019 2021