The Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is a democratic socialist party with the stated objectives of the democratic socialisation of industry, production, distribution and exchange. In short, the Australian Labor Party seeks to eliminate exploitation and other perceived anti-social features of capitalism. The Australian Labor Party is a centre/left political persuasion forming the political wing of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Immediately following the aftermath of the first world war and the Russian Revolution; support for socialism grew in trade union ranks with the formalisation of the socialist objective in Australia. Originally registered in 1908 as the Australian Labour Party inspiring trade union representation of the division of labour, the name was changed to the American spelling of labor in 1912 signifying the influence of the American trade union movement.

Incumbent Labor governments have not attempted the democratic socialisation of any industry after the Chifley government spectacularly failed to nationalise private banks immediately in the aftermath of the second world war. Not only did the Chifley government lose government, the Australian Labor Party remained in the political wilderness until 1972, a period of 23 years.

The highly competent Hawke government of the 1980s and early 1990s implemented the Campbell report into the Australian Financial System floating the Australian dollar, deregulation of the financial system that saw foreign banks established in Australia, further opening up the tariff system, ended government subsidation of loss making government industries and privatisation of government departments and assets. 

The irony of the Hawke government position saw government deregulation and a number of high profile privatisations of government assets including the Commonwealth Bank and Qantas directly opposing Labor party doctrine - yet, the Hawke government was the most successful Labor government.