The transformation of the Australian Labor Party

Abstract

To what extent does the traditional characterisation of the Australian Labor Party as a reformist, trade union based party operating within the framework of capitalism still apply today? It is important not only to consider the Party’s policies but also mechanisms which link the Labor Party with different classes and social groups: Labor’s electoral support, membership and local branches, the backgrounds of the Party’s parliamentarians and leaders, the role of trade unions and leftwing currents inside the ALP, and its sources of funding.