National Labor Party
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| National Labor Party | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Last Leader | Billy Hughes |
| Founded | 14 November 1916 |
| Disbanded | 17 February 1917 |
| Preceded by | pro-conscription Labor |
| Succeeded by | Nationalist Party of Australia |
| Political Ideology | Conservatism, Nationalism |
| Political Position | Centre-right |
For other parties of the same or similar name, see National Labour Party
The National Labor Party was the name used by the Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes for himself and his followers after he was expelled from the Australian Labor Party in November 1916 over his pro-conscription stance in relation to World War I. Hughes had taken over as leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister of Australia when anti-conscriptionist Andrew Fisher resigned.
On September 15, 1916 the executive of the Political Labour League (the Labor Party organisation in New South Wales at the time) expelled Hughes from the Labor Party. When the Federal Parliamentary Labor caucus met on 14 November 1916, lengthy discussions ensued until Hughes walked out with 24 other Labor members and the remaining (43) members of Caucus then passed their motion of no confidence in the leadership, effectively expelling Hughes and the other members.
Hughes and his followers formed a minority Government (briefly using the title "National Labor"). In February 1917 the National Labor group merged with the Commonwealth Liberal Party led by Joseph Cook to form the Nationalist Party of Australia with Hughes as leader. The National Labor Party was never formally constituted a party and had no organisational structure, although some trade union officials and Labor Party branches, particularly in Western Australia and Tasmania, supported it.
