2001 Australian Democrats leadership spill

Australian political party election May 2025 May 2025 2001 Australian Democrats leadership spill 75px April 2001 1997 Australian Democrats leadership election 1997 2002 Australian Democrats leadership election 2002 3,000 75% Leadership election yes presidential Members' no no Natasha_Stott_Despoja_Portrait_2012.jpg 130 120 160 0 4 ff9600 Natasha Stott Despoja 69% South Australia 100px ff9600 Meg Lees 31% South Australia State Faction Leader Meg Lees Natasha Stott Despoja Deputy leadership election yes presidential Members' no no 100px ff9600 Aden Ridgeway Won New South Wales State Deputy Leader Natasha Stott Despoja Aden Ridgeway The 2001 Australian Democrats leadership spill was held in April 2001 to elect the leader of the Australian Democrats.Bray Hillary The Democrats letters – a series of Crikey exclusives https://www.crikey.com.au/2002/06/30/the-democrats-letters-a-series-of-crikey-exclusives/ Crikey 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250512020457/https://www.crikey.com.au/2002/06/30/the-democrats-letters-a-series-of-crikey-exclusives/ 12 May 2025 30 June 2002 Incumbent leader Meg Lees was defeated by deputy leader Natasha Stott Despoja after a vote of the party's rank-and-file membership, becoming the youngest-ever person to lead a federal parliamentary political party in Australia.Stott Despoja Defeats Lees To Take Democrats Leadership; Youngest Ever Party Leader In Australia https://australianpolitics.com/2001/04/07/stott-despoja-defeats-lees-to-take-democrats-leadership.html/ AustralianPolitics.com 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20241105042719/https://australianpolitics.com/2001/04/07/stott-despoja-defeats-lees-to-take-democrats-leadership.html/ 5 November 2024 7 April 2001 Aden Ridgeway replaced Stott Despoja as deputy leader.Aden Ridgeway Named New Deputy Leader https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/255507262 Torres News 12 May 2025 3 13 April 2001 Background In 1999, after negotiations with Liberal prime minister John Howard, the Democrats party room agreed to support the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).GST deal sparks Democrat crisis http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s28235.htm abc.net.au The 7.30 Report 11 November 2012 7 June 1999 https://web.archive.org/web/20121111043021/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s28235.htm 11 November 2012 Two dissident senators on the party's left, Natasha Stott Despoja and Andrew Bartlett, voted against the GST legislation.Kehoe John Lees has no regrets Democrats gave their support https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/lees-has-no-regrets-democrats-gave-their-support-20100630-iv9fk Australian Financial Review 12 May 2025 https://archive.today/20250512015330/https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/lees-has-no-regrets-democrats-gave-their-support-20100630-iv9fk 12 May 2025 30 June 2010 The decision to pass the GST was opposed by the majority of Democrats rank-and-file members, and led to internal conflict and tensions surrounding the leadership of Meg Lees.Where to for the life of the party? https://www.theage.com.au/national/where-to-for-the-life-of-the-party-20040911-gdym4u.html The Age 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250512020245/https://www.theage.com.au/national/where-to-for-the-life-of-the-party-20040911-gdym4u.html 12 May 2025 11 September 2004 Under the party's constitution, a petition signed by 100 members can trigger a leadership spill.Democrats manager pushes for leadership spill https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-12-16/democrats-manager-pushes-for-leadership-spill/106624 ABC News 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250512010600/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-12-16/democrats-manager-pushes-for-leadership-spill/106624 12 May 2025 16 December 2003 Stott Despoja announced on 27 February 2001 that she would challenge Lees, and after voting took place via post, she emerged victorious on 6 April 2001.Chronology: demise of the Democrats https://www.smh.com.au/national/chronology-demise-of-the-democrats-20020726-gdfhj7.html Sydney Morning Herald 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20220701060002/https://www.smh.com.au/national/chronology-demise-of-the-democrats-20020726-gdfhj7.html 1 July 2022 26 July 2002 Stott Despoja won 69% of the vote, as well as the support of membership in every state. Endorsements Natasha Stott Despoja List of Natasha Stott Despoja endorsements Former Democrats leaders Don Chipp – Leader of the Australian Democrats (1977–1986)Democrats' Leadership Contest Causing Bitterness https://australianpolitics.com/2001/03/12/democrats-leadership-contest-causing-bitterness.html/ AustralianPolitics.com 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250512012728/https://australianpolitics.com/2001/03/12/democrats-leadership-contest-causing-bitterness.html/ 12 May 2025 12 March 2001 Aftermath Australian Democrats#History Throughout 2002, Stott Despoja struggled to keep the Democrats together as senators publicly strayed from party positions and privately expressed a lack of confidence in her leadership.Honestly, who are the bastards now? https://www.theage.com.au/national/honestly-who-are-the-bastards-now-20020824-gduiul.html The Age 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250222023921/https://www.theage.com.au/national/honestly-who-are-the-bastards-now-20020824-gduiul.html 22 February 2025 24 August 2002 In March 2002, Ridgeway publicly stated that the party was wrong to replace Lees.We were wrong on Lees, says Democrats deputy Ridgeway https://www.theage.com.au/national/we-were-wrong-on-lees-says-democrats-deputy-ridgeway-20020330-gdu37g.html The Age 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250512011420/https://www.theage.com.au/national/we-were-wrong-on-lees-says-democrats-deputy-ridgeway-20020330-gdu37g.html 12 May 2025 30 March 2002 After the party opened an investigation into Lees for allegedly damaging party unity, which Lees and her allies saw as part of a campaign by Stott Despoja to silence her, Lees left the Democrats in July 2002 and formed the Australian Progressive Alliance. Her departure was followed by a stand-off with Andrew Murray, who threatened to follow her.Smith Tony On the use and abuse of power: A snapshot of 'an extraordinary woman in an extraordinary time' http://www.australianreview.net/digest/2005/03/smith.html Australian Review of Public Affairs 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20230926233254/http://www.australianreview.net/digest/2005/03/smith.html 26 September 2023 14 March 2005 After deciding to stay, Murray proposed a ten-point package to reform party structures and address the issues raised by Lees, designed to shift power from the leader. At a party room meeting on 21 August 2002, all ten measures were passed four votes to three: Murray, Ridgeway, Lyn Allison and John Cherry in favour, with Stott Despoja and her allies Andrew Bartlett and Brian Greig against. Understanding her position to be untenable after this defeat, Stott Despoja announced her resignation as Democrats leader to the Senate after 16-and-a-half months in the role.McGrath Catherine Senator Cherry speaks about Natasha Stott Despoja http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s655263.htm abc.net.au PM 3 November 2012 21 August 2002 https://web.archive.org/web/20121103060506/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s655263.htm 3 November 2012 Stott Despoja resigns leadership http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s655390.htm abc.net.au Lateline 3 February 2007 21 August 2002 https://web.archive.org/web/20070203155548/http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s655390.htm 3 February 2007 Support for the Democrats fell significantly at the 2004 federal election in which it achieved only 2.1% of the national Senate vote.MacCallum Mungo Dining with the devil: Milne's risky power play https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-09/maccallum-greens-debt-deal/5143486 ABC News 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250512020817/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-09/maccallum-greens-debt-deal/5143486 12 May 2025 9 December 2013 Its remaining Senate seats were lost at the 2007 federal election.So long, it's been good to see you https://www.smh.com.au/national/so-long-its-been-good-to-see-you-20080621-gdsixw.html Sydney Morning Herald 12 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250512021012/https://www.smh.com.au/national/so-long-its-been-good-to-see-you-20080621-gdsixw.html 12 May 2025 21 June 2008 References Democrats Democrats Category:Australian Democrats leadership spills