1959 Australian Labor Party leadership spill
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A leadership spill of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), then the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 16 February 1959.
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16 February 1959
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Background
Senior Labor left-winger Eddie Ward unsuccessfully challenged ALP leader H. V. Evatt following Evatt's third defeat at the polls in the 1958 election. Evatt was re-elected by a lower than expected margin of only 14 votes.[1] The closeness of the ballot further highlighted the dissatisfaction with Evatt's leadership.
At the same caucus, Arthur Calwell was re-elected as deputy leader unopposed.
Results
The following table gives the ballot results:
| Name | Votes | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| H. V. Evatt | 46 | 58.97 | |
| Eddie Ward | 32 | 41.03 | |