Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)

History

Trade unionists in Queensland had begun attempting to secure parliamentary representation as early as the mid-1880s. William McNaughton Galloway, the president of the Seamen's Union, mounted an unsuccessful campaign as an independent in an 1886 by-election. A Workers' Political Reform Association was founded to nominate candidates for the 1888 election, at which the Brisbane Trades and Labor Council endorsed six candidates. Thomas Glassey won the seat of Bundamba at that election, becoming the first self-identified "labor" MP in Queensland. The Queensland Provincial Council of the Australian Labor Federation was formed in 1889 in an attempt to unite Labor campaign efforts. Tommy Ryan won the seat of Barcoo for the labour movement-run People's Parliamentary Association in 1892, and the Labor Party was formally established in Queensland following the first Labor-in-Politics Convention later that year.

The Queensland branch subsequently formed the first Labor government in Australia, albeit briefly, when Anderson Dawson took office for a week in 1899 after a falling out between the non-Labor forces. Since 1989, when the party came back to power after thirty-two years in Opposition, all its leaders have become premier despite two spells in Opposition in 1996–98 and 2012–2015.

Membership and voter base

Historically (1910s–1960s) Queensland Labor's voter base and membership has been distributed fairly equitably across the metropolitan, urban, and rural areas of the state, although maintaining a demographic majority within the South East region. Beginning in the 1970s, Queensland Labor's voter base in particular has swayed more heavily toward the metropolitan and urban areas of the state such as Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, and Townsville, with the Country (later National) and Liberal parties competing with Labor in both regions as an electoral bloc.

Ideology

Historically, the Queensland Labor Party was rooted in socialist principles, advocating for state socialism and agrarian socialism, with the party being broadly left-wing. Prior to 1908, the party also had a radical liberal faction, which split to form the Kidstonites in 1908. Over time, like other Labor/Labour parties, the party has shifted towards the centre-left of the political spectrum. The platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers describe the Queensland Labor Party as social democratic, supporting labourism, which prioritises the rights and conditions of workers, fair wages, and secure employment.

Factions

The Labor Party internal politics has a variety of internal factions; however, since 1989, it has been organised into formal factions. As of 2025, the Queensland branch has three factions: the Left, led by Leader of the Opposition and former Premier Steven Miles, Labor Forum (also known as the right), led by Cameron Dick, and Labor Unity (also known as the 'Old Guard'), led by Grace Grace. While the exact figures are unknown, the Left holds approximately 18 seats, or half the current caucus, with Labor Forum holding about 12 seats and Labor Unity about 6.

Local government

Labor contests Brisbane City Council elections, and has done so since the inaugural election in 1925. It has been in opposition to the LNP (and before that, the Liberal Party) since 2008. The last Labor member to serve as Lord Mayor of Brisbane was Tim Quinn, who was defeated in 2004.

Historically, Labor also endorsed candidates outside of Brisbane, including in Ipswich, Townsville and Toowoomba.

The current Labor leader on Brisbane City Council is Jared Cassidy, who has served in the position since September 2019.

Leaders

Leader

The full list below is the official record of parliamentary leaders:

Election results