2019 Australian Labor Party leadership election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2019 Australian Labor Party leadership election
| flag_image = Australian-Labor-Party-stub.svg
| type = presidential
| vote_type = caucus
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = October 2013 Australian Labor Party leadership election
| previous_year = {{nowrap|Oct 2013}}
| next_election =
| next_year =
| election_date = 30 May 2019
| 1blank = Caucus
| 2blank = Members
| 3blank = Result
| 4blank = Seat
| 5blank = Faction
| image1 = 160x160px
| candidate1 = Anthony Albanese
| colour1 = DC241F
| 3data1 = Unopposed
| 4data1 = Grayndler (NSW)
| 5data1 = Left
| title = Leader
| before_election = Bill Shorten
| after_election = Anthony Albanese
}}
A leadership election was held in May 2019 to determine the successor to Bill Shorten as leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition. Shorten announced his pending resignation on 18 May, following Labor's surprise defeat in the 2019 federal election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-australia-48304993|title=Labor's Shorten concedes Australia election|website=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=18 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-17/live-coverage-election-results-2019-scott-morrison-bill-shorten/11118632|title=Live: Shorten concedes defeat, says he will step down as Labor leader|last1=Sweeney|first1=Lucy|last2=Belot|first2=Henry|date=17 May 2019|website=ABC News|language=en-AU|access-date=18 May 2019|last3=Marsh|first3=Peter|last4=Bilton|first4=Dean}} The leadership was confirmed unopposed; Anthony Albanese was elected as Leader, with Richard Marles elected Deputy Leader.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-27/anthony-albanese-the-new-labor-leader-following-election-loss/11152036|title=Anthony Albanese to become Labor's new leader unopposed following shock federal election loss|work=ABC News|date=27 May 2019}}
The day after the general election, Albanese, a member of the party's left-faction, announced his candidacy for the leadership.{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/we-have-an-obligation-to-keep-fighting-labor-faces-an-open-field-leadership-contest-20190519-p51oxb.html|title='Need to reexamine our policies': Albanese pitches for leadership as Labor faces an open field contest|date=19 May 2019|website=The Sydney Morning Herald}} He had run for the role in the party's previous leadership election in 2013 but was defeated by Bill Shorten. On 21 May Chris Bowen announced he would also contest the ballot; however the next day he announced his withdrawal, citing lack of support among the party membership.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-22/federal-election-labor-chris-bowen-leadership-anthony-albanese/11127254|title=Chris Bowen pulls out of Labor leadership battle after party's election defeat|work=ABC News|date=22 May 2019|access-date=22 May 2019}} Several other Labor MPs such as Tanya Plibersek and Jim Chalmers considered nominating for the leadership, but decided not to stand. Albanese was the only person to have declared his candidacy at the time when nominations closed on 27 May 2019. Consequently, he was formally appointed to the role when the Labor Party caucus met later on 30 May; at which point Shorten's leadership expired and Albanese's term commenced.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/no-deals-albanese-unveils-a-new-look-labor-frontbench|title='No deals': Albanese unveils a new look Labor frontbench|work=SBS News|date=30 May 2019}}
Process
Under party rules implemented by then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd after the June 2013 leadership spill, candidates had one week after the formal declaration to nominate themselves for the election. In cases where the election is held as a result of vacancy, candidates were required to receive the support of 20% of the federal Labor caucus to be eligible for nomination.{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/national-news/prime-minister-kevin-rudd-to-propose-major-leadership-reform-to-labor-caucus/story-fncynjr2-1226676106177 |title=Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to propose major leadership reform to Labor caucus |publisher=News.com.au |date=2013-07-08 |access-date=2013-09-14}} If two or more candidates are successfully nominated, ballot papers are issued to party members who have two weeks to return them, at which point Labor MPs and Senators cast their votes for the position. According to the party's rules the two voting blocs are weighted equally, with the parliamentary caucus and the party members each representing 50%.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-13/how-do-labor-leadership-voting-rules-work/4955726 |title=How do Labor's leadership voting rules work? |publisher=Abc.net.au |access-date=2013-09-14}}
As Albanese was the only candidate to have declared when nominations closed at 10:00am on Monday, 27 May, he was formally elected to the leadership alongside deputy leader Richard Marles later that week when the party caucus met to confirm the new Shadow Ministry. Victorian MP Clare O'Neil considered running for the deputy leadership in competition with Marles, though later announced she would not run for the position.{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/clare-o-neil-pulls-out-of-labor-deputy-race-paves-way-for-marles-20190526-p51r7h.html|title=Clare O'Neil pulls out of Labor deputy race, paving the way for Richard Marles|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=26 May 2019|access-date=26 May 2019}}
Candidates
=Declared=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
!colspan=2 |Name !Positions ! Faction !Announced |
| 100px
|Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, | Left |
=Withdrew=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
!colspan=2 |Name !Positions !Faction !Announced !Withdrew |
| 100px
|Interim leader (2013) MP for McMahon, NSW (2010–present) | Right |
= Declined =
- Tony Burke, Manager of Opposition Business in the House (2013–2022) (endorsed Albanese)
- Jim Chalmers, Shadow Minister for Finance (2016–2019) (endorsed Albanese){{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/albanese-to-become-labor-leader-as-chalmers-pulls-out-of-race-20190523-p51qe2.html|title=Albanese to become Labor leader as Chalmers pulls out of race|first=Eryk|last=Bagshaw|date=23 May 2019|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=23 May 2019}}
- Joel Fitzgibbon, Shadow Minister for Agriculture (2013–2022) (endorsed Albanese)
- Richard Marles, Shadow Minister for Defence (2016–2022) (elected Deputy Leader){{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/we-have-an-obligation-to-keep-fighting-labor-faces-an-open-field-leadership-contest-20190519-p51oxb.html|title='We have an obligation to keep fighting': Labor faces an open field leadership contest|last=Peatling|first=Stephanie|date=19 May 2019|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=19 May 2019}}
- Tanya Plibersek, Deputy Leader of the Opposition (2013–2019){{cite web |title='Now is not my time': Tanya Plibersek rules herself out of race for Labor leadership |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-election-2019/tanya-plibersek-rules-herself-out-of-race-for-labor-leadership-20190520-p51pb2.html |website=Brisbane Times |access-date=20 May 2019 |date=20 May 2019}}
- Penny Wong, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (2013–2022) (endorsed Albanese){{cite web|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ffederal-election%2Fbill-shortens-shock-defeat-raises-questions-of-who-would-be-likely-to-lead-labor-to-victory%2Fnews-story%2F87f7e0d52fa33aa857640ef8bb6b81f7&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE&nk=87467c6c5d6f4430b724b02ef7eca2e3-1737451627|title=Federal Election results: Tanya Plibersek blasts Clive Palmer for Labor loss|website=Daily Telegraph|access-date=22 May 2019}}
See also
{{Portal|Australia|Politics}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Australian Labor Party}}
{{Leadership spills in Australia}}