In Australia, a political party based on socialist principles. It was founded in 1891 and first held office in 1904. It formed governments 192931 and 193949, but in the intervening periods internal discord provoked splits, and reduced its effectiveness. It returned to power under Gough Whitlam 197275, and again under Bob Hawke in 1983, he was succeeded as party leader and prime minister by Paul Keating in 1991, who subsequently lost the 1996 general election.
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