June 1991 Australian Labor Party leadership spill

A leadership spill in the Australian Labor Party, the party of government in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 3 June 1991. It was the first of two ballots that year with Prime Minister Bob Hawke surviving the ballot against Treasurer Paul Keating, who then went to the backbench.

Background[]

Bob Hawke had been leader of the Labor Party since 3 February 1983, and Prime Minister since the 1983 election, with Labor winning a record four elections under his leadership. However, the unexpectedly close win at the 1990 election, coupled with the deepening economic recession, fuelled tensions within the government over economic policy.^{[citation needed]}

Furthermore, a re-energised Liberal opposition led by John Hewson, a qualified economist, gained ground in the opinion polls.^{[citation needed]} Hawke had alienated key NSW Right faction powerbroker, Senator Graham Richardson by late 1990, with the latter bluntly telling Hawke he no longer had the support of the Right.^{[citation needed]}

Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Paul Keating launched his first June challenge against Hawke after the latter apparently reneged on a Kirribilli agreement that he would hand over the leadership in 1990.^[1]

Results[]

The following table gives the ballot results:

Name		Votes	Percentage
	Bob Hawke	66	60.0
	Paul Keating	44	40.0

References[]

^ "Playing politics is playing for keeps". The Advertiser. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.

[1] "Playing politics is playing for keeps". The Advertiser. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.

[1]

show v t Australian Labor Party
Leaders	Chris Watson Andrew Fisher Billy Hughes Frank Tudor Matthew Charlton James Scullin John Curtin Ben Chifley H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Bill Hayden Bob Hawke Paul Keating Kim Beazley Simon Crean Mark Latham Kim Beazley Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd Bill Shorten Anthony Albanese
Deputy leaders	Gregor McGregor Billy Hughes George Pearce Albert Gardiner James Scullin Arthur Blakeley Ted Theodore Frank Forde H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Lance Barnard Jim Cairns Frank Crean Tom Uren Lionel Bowen Paul Keating Brian Howe Kim Beazley Gareth Evans Simon Crean Jenny Macklin Julia Gillard Wayne Swan Anthony Albanese Tanya Plibersek Richard Marles
Governments	Watson Curtin Chifley Whitlam Hawke Keating Rudd I Gillard Rudd II
Ministries	Watson Fisher 1 2 3 Hughes Scullin Curtin 1 2 Forde Chifley 1 2 Whitlam 1 2 3 Hawke 1 2 3 4 Keating 1 2 Rudd 1 Gillard 1 2 Rudd 2
Shadow cabinets	Crean Latham Beazley (2005–06) Rudd Shorten Albanese
State branches	Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia
Party institutions	National Conference National Executive Australian Young Labor Australian Fabian Society Australian Labor Party Caucus Chifley Research Centre John Curtin House
Factions	Labor Right Labor Left Historical Ferguson Left Lang Labor
History	History of the Australian Labor Party 1916 split 1931 split 1955 split 1975 Australian constitutional crisis Faceless men Federal Labor (NSW) Gang of Four Industrial Groups The light on the hill Tree of Knowledge
Leadership votes	1907 1913 1922 1928 1931 1935 1945 1951 1954 1956 1959 1960 1966 1967 1968 1976 1977 (May) 1977 (Dec) 1982 1983 1991 (Jun) 1991 (Dec) 1996 2001 2003 (Jun) 2003 (Dec) 2005 2006 2010 2012 2013 (Mar) 2013 (Jun) 2013 (Oct) 2019

June 1991 Australian Labor Party leadership spill

Contents

Background[]

Results[]

See also[]

References[]