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TheLabor Right (LR), also known asLabor Forum,Labor Unity or simplyUnity, is one of the two majorpolitical factions within theAustralian Labor Party (ALP). It is characterised bysocial democratic^[4] andThird Way economic policies, in contrast with theLabor Left faction, which leans towarddemocratic socialism.^[5]

Labor Right is composed of autonomous groups in each state and territory of Australia. The groups within the Labor Right come together as a broad alliance at the national level.^[6] The faction includes members with a range of political perspectives, includingcentrism,Third Way,partial privatisation,Keynesianism,Social democracy, andLabourism.^[7]

Factional power usually finds expression in the percentage vote of aligned delegates at party conferences. The power of the Labor Right varies from state to state, but it usually relies on certain trade unions, such as theAustralian Workers' Union (AWU),Transport Workers Union (TWU), theShop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA),Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union (PPTEU) and theHealth Services Union (HSU). These unions send delegates to the conferences, with delegates usually coming from the membership, the administration of the union or local branches covered by their activists.

State-based factions (national sub-factions) which make up Labor Right include:

• Centre Unity^[8]

• Labor Forum (dominated by the AWU)^[9][10][11]

• Centre Coalition^[12]

• Labor Centre Unity (AWU: Consisting of Branch Members and both federal and state members of parliament aligned with the Victorian branch of the Australian Workers' Union, and representatives from the Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union)
• Labor Progressive Unity (The Cons: Consisting largely of Branch Members aligned to and supporters of Labor Deputy Leader Richard Marles and the Transport Workers Union)
• Labor Unity (The Shoppies: Consisting largely of branch members aligned to and supports of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association)

• WA Labor Unity (AWU,SDA,TWU).
• Progressive Labor (Consists ofAWU,SDA,TWU andCFMEU)^[13][14] An alliance between WA Labor Unity and the 'Industrial left' unions of WA, formed in 2019 for the purpose of binding at State conferences against some subgroups within WA'sBroad left; such as theUWU. Historically, theMUA andCFMEU have voted at State conferences in alignment with the Broad left.

• Labor Unity

• Labor Unity (dominated by the SDA).^[15]

• Labor Unity

The faction is most famous for its support ofThird Way policies such as theeconomic rationalist policies of theBob Hawke andPaul Keating governments, includingfloating theAustralian dollar in December 1983, reductions in tradetariffs, taxation reforms such as the introduction ofdividend imputation to eliminate double-taxation of dividends and the lowering of the top marginal income tax rate from 60% in 1983 to 47% in 1996, changing from centralised wage-fixing toenterprise bargaining, the privatisation ofQantas andCommonwealth Bank, making theReserve Bank of Australia independent, and deregulating the banking system.^[16]

Alongside these economic reforms, Labor Right also supported more traditional social democratic policies, such as the introduction ofMedicare^[17] under Bob Hawke in 1984 andcompulsory superannuation under Paul Keating in 1992. The faction also supported significant socially progressive policies, including theblocking of the Franklin River Dam construction^[18] and the passage of theNative Title Act^[19] in 1993 following theHigh Court's Mabo decision.

‡ Sterle was formerly a member of the now-defunct Centre Left.

• Labor Left
• Moderates – Centrist faction in theLiberal Party of Australia
• New Democrats – centrist faction in theDemocratic Party of the United States
• Blue Dog Coalition – centrist faction in the Democratic Party of the United States
• Progress – organisation associated with theLabour Party (UK)
• Seeheimer Kreis – economically liberal faction in theSocial Democratic Party of Germany

• Cumming, Fia (1991).Mates: Five Champions of the Labor Right. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.ISBN 978-1-86373-021-1. – Paul Keating, Graham Richardson, Laurie Brereton, Bob Carr and Leo McLeay recount events which shaped the Australian labour movement from the 1960s to the 1980s.
• Richardson, Graham (1994).Whatever It Takes. Moorebank, NSW: Bantam Books.ISBN 978-1-86-359332-8. – Graham Richardson recounts his career and outlines the philosophy and operation of the NSW and National Labor Right during his time in the ALP.

• Australian Labor Party factions
• Third Way

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• Articles with short description
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• Use dmy dates from June 2020