Leadership

The Labor Party Split

07 April 1955

Anti-communist fervour leads to a split in the Australian Labor Party.

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) entered the 1950s in opposition and deeply divided over communism. In 1954 its leader, Dr Herbert Evatt, accused the Liberal-Country Party government of staging the Petrov Affair to win votes. Disaffected ALP members, including supporters of anti-communist industrial groups (Groupers) and the Catholic Social Studies Movement (The Movement) bitterly opposed this 'conspiracy theory'. They argued it amounted to a defence of communism.

Dr Evatt publicly attacked the group which he believed to be a disloyal minority based in Victoria. He had the Victorian state executive dissolved and replaced by a 'new' more supportive body. Both the 'old' and 'new' executives attempted to attend the Hobart Federal Conference in March 1955, but the 'old' was locked out.

On 7 April 1955 all prominent Victorian ALP members and officials associated with Groupers and The Movement were formally expelled from the party. The elected members of Parliament moved to the crossbench where they sat as Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist) representatives. Later they would form the Democratic Labor Party.

The new party aimed to reform the ALP's perceived pro-communist policies by denying it government. Its strategy of directing preferences to the anti-communist Liberal and Country parties succeeded in keeping the ALP in opposition for over 15 years.

This group, since 1949, has become increasingly disloyal to the Labor movement and to Labor leadership... Whenever it suits their real aims, one or more of them never hesitates to attack or subvert Labor policy or Labor leadership.
Opposition Leader Herbert Evatt, denouncing a minority of ALP members, 5 October 1954.
Black and white drawing of two men standing in an art gallery looking at a painting where the distorted figures are poking each other in the eye.

'Party Unity' by John Frith, 1955

National Library of Australia. Courtesy of the family of John Frith.

'Party Unity' by John Frith, 1955

Black and white drawing of two men standing in an art gallery looking at a painting where the distorted figures are poking each other in the eye.

National Library of Australia. Courtesy of the family of John Frith.

Description

Political cartoon depicting the leader of the opposition, Dr Herbert Evatt, viewing an abstract painting - ironically titled "Party Unity" - where the characters are physically attacking each other.

You may save or print this image for research and study. If you wish to use it for any other purposes, you must declare your Intention to Publish.

View this milestone in the timeline