The Australian Labor Party Caucus comprises all Australian Labor Party (ALP) senators and members of parliament of the current Commonwealth Parliament. The Caucus determines some matters of policy, parliamentary tactics, and disciplinary measures against disobedient parliamentarians. It is alternatively known as the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party (FPLP).
The Caucus is also involved in the election of the federal parliamentary leaders from among its members, as well as their dismissal. The leader has historically been a member of the House of Representatives, but though by convention a Prime Minister is the person who has the support of a majority in the House of Representatives. Since October 2013, a ballot of both the Caucus and by the Labor Party's rank-and-file members has determined the party leader and the deputy leader. Bill Shorten was the first leader elected under the new system in late 2013. In government, the federal Caucus also chooses the Ministers, with the portfolios then allocated by the Labor Prime Minister.
The word "caucus" has American roots and is not commonly used in Australia outside of the ALP. In the non-Labor parties, such party meetings are more commonly described as a "party room".
Caucus leadership + Office Officer Chamber Electorate State Faction Term of office Caucus Chair Sharon Claydon House Newcastle New South WalesLeft 1 June 2022 – present Prime Minister Anthony Albanese House Grayndler New South WalesLeft 23 May 2022 – presentLeader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party 30 May 2019 – present Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles House Corio VictoriaRight 23 May 2022 – present Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party 30 May 2019 – present Leader of the House Tony Burke House Watson New South WalesRight 1 June 2022 – present Deputy Leader of the House Mark Butler House Hindmarsh South AustraliaLeft 1 June 2022 – present Leader of the Government in the Senate Penny Wong Senator for South Australia South AustraliaLeft 1 June 2022 – present Leader of the Labor Party in the Senate 27 June 2013 – present Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate Don Farrell Senator for South Australia South AustraliaRight 1 June 2022 – present Deputy Leader of the Labor Party in the Senate 30 September 2016 – present Manager of Government Business in the Senate Katy Gallagher Senator for the Australian Capital Territory Australian Capital TerritoryLeft 1 June 2022 – present Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate Anthony Chisholm Senator for Queensland QueenslandRight 1 June 2022–present
Party whips
+ Office Officer Chamber Electorate State Faction Term of office Chief Government Whip in the House Joanne RyanHouse Lalor VictoriaLeft 31 May 2022 – presentHouse Whip Anne StanleyHouse Werriwa New South WalesLeft 31 May 2022 – present David SmithHouse Bean Australian Capital TerritoryRight 31 May 2022 – present Chief Government Whip in the Senate Tony Sheldon Senator for New South Wales New South WalesRight 9 May 2025 – presentDeputy Senate Whip Lisa Darmanin Senator for Victoria VictoriaLeft 9 May 2025 – present Karen Grogan Senator for South Australia South AustraliaLeft 18 March 2024 – present
Full caucus membership
+ Member Position Chamber Electorate State Faction Term of office Ref BackbenchHouse Calwell VictoriaLeft 2025–present CabinetHouse Grayndler New South WalesLeft 1996–present CabinetHouse Cowan Western AustraliaLeft 2016–present BackbenchHouse Barton New South WalesLeft 2025–present Backbench Senator for Victoria VictoriaRight 2025–present Cabinet Senator for New South Wales New South WalesLeft 2019–present BackbenchHouse Dunkley VictoriaLeft 2024–present BackbenchHouse Whitlam New South WalesLeft 2025–present CabinetHouse McMahon New South WalesRight 2004–present BackbenchHouse Maribyrnong VictoriaLeft 2025–present Backbench Senator for Tasmania TasmaniaLeft 2005–present CabinetHouse Watson New South WalesRight 2004–present BackbenchHouse Spence South AustraliaRight 2022–present Special envoyHouse Macnamara VictoriaLeft 2019–present CabinetHouse Hindmarsh South AustraliaLeft 2007–present BackbenchHouse Cunningham New South Wales Right 2022–present BackbenchHouse Moreton QueenslandLeft 2025–present CabinetHouse Rankin QueenslandRight 2013–present Assistant ministryHouse Parramatta New South WalesRight 2022–present BackbenchHouse Bendigo VictoriaLeft 2013–present Assistant ministry Senator for Queensland QueenslandRight 2016–present Backbench Senator for Victoria VictoriaRight 2019–present CabinetHouse Blaxland New South Wales Right 2007–present Deputy SpeakerHouse Newcastle New South Wales Left 2013–present BackbenchHouse Sturt South AustraliaRight 2025–present BackbenchHouse Griffith QueenslandLeft 2025–present BackbenchHouse Corangamite VictoriaLeft 2019–present CabinetHouse Franklin TasmaniaLeft 2007–present Backbench House Petrie QueenslandRight 2025–present CabinetHouse Shortland New South WalesRight 2013–present BackbenchHouse Bonner QueenslandLeft 2025–present BackbenchHouse Bullwinkel Western AustraliaLeft 2025–present Backbench Senator for Western Australia Western AustraliaLeft 2021–present Senate Whip Senator for Victoria VictoriaLeft 2024–present House Speaker House Oxley QueenslandRight 2016–present Backbench Senator for Tasmania TasmaniaLeft 2025–present Backbench Senator for Tasmania TasmaniaRight 2025–present BackbenchHouse Aston VictoriaLeft 2023–present Special envoyHouse Isaacs VictoriaRight 2007–present BackbenchHouse Richmond New South Wales Right 2004–present Cabinet Senator for South Australia South AustraliaRight 2008–2014;2016–present BackbenchHouse Holt Victoria Right 2022–present BackbenchHouse Dickson QueenslandLeft 2025–present Backbench House Macarthur New South Wales Right 2016–present BackbenchHouse Moore Western AustraliaLeft 2025–present Cabinet Senator for the Australian Capital Territory Australian Capital TerritoryLeft 2015–2018;2019–present BackbenchHouse Chisholm Victoria Left 2022–present BackbenchHouse Adelaide South AustraliaRight 2004–2013;2016–present Backbench Senator for Western Australia Western AustraliaRight 2024–present Outer ministryHouse Scullin VictoriaLeft 2013–present Assistant ministryHouse Perth Western AustraliaLeft 2018–present Special envoyHouse Solomon Northern TerritoryRight 2016–present Assistant ministry Senator for Queensland QueenslandLeft 2019–present BackbenchHouse Deakin VictoriaRight 2025–present Senate Whip Senator for South Australia South AustraliaLeft 2021–present Assistant ministryHouse Bruce VictoriaLeft 2016–present BackbenchHouse Forde QueenslandLeft 2025–present Backbench House Chifley New South Wales Right 2010–present BackbenchHouse Brisbane QueenslandLeft 2025–present Backbench House Gorton Victoria Right 2025–present Assistant ministryHouse Cooper VictoriaLeft 2018–present Outer ministryHouse Burt Western Australia Right 2016–present Assistant ministryHouse Wills VictoriaRight 2016–present CabinetHouse Ballarat VictoriaLeft 2001–present Cabinet House Brand Western Australia Right 2016–present BackbenchHouse Hasluck Western Australia Right 2022–present BackbenchHouse Bennelong New South Wales Left 2022–present Assistant ministryHouse Fenner Australian Capital Territory Unaligned 2010–present BackbenchHouse Tangney Western AustraliaRight 2022–present Senate president Senator for Western Australia Western AustraliaLeft 2013–present CabinetHouse Corio Victoria Right 2007–present BackbenchHouse Swan Western AustraliaLeft 2022–present Outer ministry Senator for New South Wales New South WalesLeft 2015–present Outer ministryHouse Eden-Monaro New South WalesRight 2020–present Assistant ministryHouse Dobell New South WalesRight 2016–present Cabinet Senator for the Northern Territory Northern TerritoryLeft 2016–present BackbenchHouse Boothby South AustraliaLeft 2022–present BackbenchHouse McEwen Victoria Right 2010–present BackbenchHouse Hughes New South Wales Right 2025–present Backbench Senator for Queensland QueenslandRight 2025–present Outer ministryHouse Fraser VictoriaRight 2019–present BackbenchHouse Blair QueenslandRight 2007–present BackbenchHouse Menzies VictoriaLeft 2025–present Backbench Senator for New South Wales New South WalesRight 2013–present CabinetHouse Hotham VictoriaRight 2013–present BackbenchHouse Canberra Australian Capital Territory Unaligned 2019–present BackbenchHouse Gilmore New South Wales Left 2019–present CabinetHouse Sydney New South WalesLeft 1998–present Backbench Senator for Tasmania TasmaniaRight 2005–present Outer ministryHouse Hawke Victoria Right 2022–present BackbenchHouse Robertson New South WalesRight 2022–present Special envoyHouse Hunter New South WalesRight 2022–present CabinetHouse Kingston South AustraliaRight 2007–present BackbenchHouse Pearce Western AustraliaRight 2022–present CabinetHouse Greenway New South WalesRight 2010–present Chief House WhipHouse Lalor VictoriaLeft 2013–present Special envoyHouse Lingiari Northern TerritoryLeft 2022–present Chief Senate Whip Senator for New South Wales New South WalesRight 2019–present BackbenchHouse Reid New South WalesRight 2022–present House WhipHouse Bean Australian Capital TerritoryRight 2019–present Backbench Senator for South Australia South AustraliaRight 2019–present BackbenchHouse Leichhardt QueenslandLeft 2025–present BackbenchHouse Banks New South WalesLeft 2025–present House WhipHouse Werriwa New South WalesLeft 2016–present Backbench Senator for Western Australia Western AustraliaRight 2005–present Backbench Senator for Victoria VictoriaRight 2022–present BackbenchHouse Paterson New South WalesRight 2016–present BackbenchHouseBass TasmaniaLeft 2025–present Special envoyHouse Macquarie New South WalesLeft 2016–present Assistant ministryHouse Kingsford Smith New South Wales Right 2013–present Special envoyHouse Jagajaga Victoria Left 2019–present Backbench Senator for Tasmania TasmaniaRight 2022–present BackbenchHouse Braddon TasmaniaLeft 2025–present Backbench Senator for South Australia South AustraliaLeft 2025–present Outer ministry Senator for Victoria VictoriaLeft 2019–present Cabinet Senator for Queensland QueenslandLeft 2016–present Special envoyHouse Gellibrand VictoriaRight 2013–present CabinetHouse Lilley QueenslandRight 2019–present Assistant ministryHouse Lyons TasmaniaLeft 2025–present Backbench Senator for Western Australia Western AustraliaLeft 2025–present Assistant ministryHouse Fremantle Western AustraliaLeft 2016–2018;2018–present BackbenchHouse Melbourne VictoriaLeft 2025–present Cabinet Senator for South Australia South AustraliaLeft 2002–present BackbenchHouse Makin South AustraliaLeft 2007–present
Party factions
The Caucus is divided along formal factional lines, with most voting taking place on a bloc factional basis, especially in the case of appointments, and may involve cross-factional deals. The two biggest factions are the Labor Right and the Labor Left. Each of these factions contains smaller state-based factions, such as (on the Right) the Victorian Labor Unity group and (on the Left) the Victorian Socialist Left. Members who are not associated with either faction are described as Independents. The two main factions hold factional meetings once a week during Parliamentary sitting weeks.
Factional allegiances in the Caucus tend to be closely related to state political loyalties, and also to trade union affiliations. Large unions such as the Australian Workers' Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, regard as "theirs" Members and Senators who formerly held office in those unions, or who have received union support in gaining their preselections, and expect them to act in the union's interests.
Caucus committees