1960 Australian Labor Party leadership election

A leadership ballot in the Australian Labor Party, the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 7 March 1960. It followed the retirement of previous leader H. V. Evatt. Calwell received 42 votes to Reg Pollard's 30 in a caucus ballot.[1] Future Prime Minister Gough Whitlam would defeat Eddie Ward to become Calwell's deputy.

1960 Australian Labor Party
Leadership election

← 1959 7 March 1960 1966 →
 
Candidate Arthur Calwell Reg Pollard
Caucus vote 42 (58.3%) 30 (41.7%)

Leader before election

H. V. Evatt

Elected Leader

Arthur Calwell

This marked the first time that the party elected a new leader which wasn't triggered by the death of an incumbent leader since the retirement of former Prime Minister James Scullin as leader in 1935.

Results

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Leader

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The following table gives the ballot results:

Name Votes Percentage
Arthur Calwell 42 58.33
Reg Pollard 30 41.66

Deputy leader

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The following table gives the ballot results:

Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot
Gough Whitlam 22 28 38
Eddie Ward 28 32 34
Les Haylen 12 12 Eliminated
Jim Harrison 10 Eliminated

References

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  1. ^ "Calwell New A.L.P. Leader". The Canberra Times. 8 March 1960. p. 1.