The ALP leader, Simon Crean, survived a leadership challenge from Kim Beazley on June 16, 2003.
Crean, leader since 2001, defeated Beazley by 58 votes to 34.
Beazley was formerly ALP leader from 1996 until 2001.
The challenge to Crean’s leadership came as elements of the ALP worried that the former Hawke and Keating minister was incapable of appealing to the electorate.
In the days leading up to the challenge, shadow ministers Wayne Swan and Stephen Smith said the electorate had stopped listening to Crean. They argued the ALP faced a “train wreck” in the election due in 2004.
Crean survived as leader for another six months before he was persuaded to resign. Mark Latham defeated Kim Beazley and went on to be defeated by Prime Minister John Howard in the 2004 election.
- Listen to Caucus secretary Bob Sercombe announce the ballot result (1m)
- Listen to Kim Beazley’s remarks after the ballot (3m)
- Listen to Simon Crean’s remarks (4m)
