1959 Australian Labor Party leadership spill

April 2022 1959 Australian Labor Party Leadership spill Australia ALP logo, pre-1980s.png presidential Caucus no 1956 Australian Labor Party leadership spill 1956 1960 Australian Labor Party leadership election 1960 16 February 1959 150x150px H. V. Evatt DC241F 46 (59.0%) 150x150px Eddie Ward DC241F 32 (41.0%) Leader H. V. Evatt H. V. Evatt A leadership spill of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), then the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 16 February 1959. 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.Dr. Evatt Back as Party Leader The Canberra Times 17 February 1959 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 See also 1958 Australian federal election References Category:Australian Labor Party leadership spills Australian Labor Party leadership spill