December 1977 Australian Labor Party
Leadership election
← May 1977
22 December 1977
1982 →
 
Candidate Bill Hayden Lionel Bowen
Caucus vote 36 (56.3%) 28 (43.8%)
Leader before election

Gough Whitlam

 Elected Leader

Bill Hayden

A leadership election of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), then the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 22 December 1977. Following the resignation of Gough Whitlam former Treasurer Bill Hayden was elected Labor's new leader winning 36 votes to 28 over Lionel Bowen who was then elected deputy leader.[1]

Background

After losing the 1977 election Gough Whitlam finally resigned as party leader after more than 10 years.

Bill Hayden who in May had come within two votes of toppling Whitlam, announced the day after election that he would contest the leadership.[2]

Candidates

  • Lionel Bowen, Shadow Attorney-General, Member for Kingsford Smith
  • Bill Hayden, Shadow Minister for Economic Management, Member for Oxley

Results

Australian Labor Party
Deputy Leadership election, 1977
← May 1977
1990 →
 
Candidate Lionel Bowen Tom Uren
First ballot 25 (39.1%) 22 (34.4%)
Second ballot 26 (40.6%) 26 (40.6%)
Third ballot 33 (51.6%) 29 (45.3%)
 
Candidate Mick Young Ralph Willis
First ballot 10 (15.6%) 7 (10.9%)
Second ballot 11 (17.2%) Eliminated
Third ballot Eliminated Eliminated
Deputy Leader before election

Tom Uren

 Deputy Leader
after election

Lionel Bowen

Leadership ballot

The following tables gives the ballot results:

Name Votes Percentage
Bill Hayden 36 56.25
Lionel Bowen 28 43.75

Deputy leadership ballot

Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot
Lionel Bowen 25 26 33
Tom Uren 22 26 29
Mick Young 10 11 Eliminated
Ralph Willis 7 Eliminated
Abstentions 0 1 2

Paul Keating had previously announced that he would stand for the deputy leadership,[3] however he stood aside in favour of Bowen.[4]

Aftermath

Hayden led the party in on the 1980 election where they managed to halve Malcolm Fraser's majority.

References

  1. ^ Davidson, Gay (23 December 1977). "The Labor Leaders: Changes Mark a Swing to the Centre; Hayden Leader, Bowen deputy". The Canberra Times. p. 1.
  2. ^ Gay Davidson (12 December 1977). "Hayden will seek Labor leadership". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Keating to nominate as deputy". The Canberra Times. 21 December 1977. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Labor elects new Leader today". The Canberra Times. 22 December 1977. Retrieved 1 December 2021.