The Independent Left, or the Ferguson Left or Soft Left as it is more commonly known, is a political faction within the Australian Labor Party

Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

. The faction was founded by Martin Ferguson

Martin Ferguson

Martin John Ferguson AM , Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Batman, Victoria. He was born in Sydney, the son of Jack Ferguson, who was Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1976...

, a former president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions

Australian Council of Trade Unions

The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...

 (ACTU). The power base of the Ferguson Left is concentrated in the NSW and Victorian branch of the party.

Although educated in Sydney, Martin Ferguson is a Victorian

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 member of the Australian House of Representatives

Australian House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....

. Ferguson Left is a sub-faction is within the federal parliamentary left faction, membership viewed in the Australian Labor Party Caucus 2004-2007

Australian Labor Party Caucus 2004-2007

The Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party, commonly known as The Caucus, is divided along formal factional lines. The two biggest factions are the National Right and the National Left. Each of these factions contains smaller state-based factions, such as the Victorian Labor Unity group and ...

. Members include Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Julia Gillard

Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...

, Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O'Connor. Outside of federal politics faction membership extends to former Victorian government Minister for Housing and Local Government Candy Broad

Candy Broad

Candy Celeste Broad is an Australian politician. She has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council since September 1999, first representing the electorate of Melbourne North Province until 2006, and then as a Member for the Northern Victoria region.After making a...

, and Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is Australia's main trade union in construction, forestry and furnishing products, mining and energy production....

 (CFMEU) Assistant National Secretary Michael O'Connor.

The Ferguson Left faction is often seen as more moderate than the larger and older Socialist Left faction.

Some MPs outside Victoria are close to the group, including Daryl Melham

Daryl Melham

Daryl Melham , Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1990, representing the Division of Banks, New South Wales. He was born in Sydney, New South Wales, to a family of Lebanese descent and studied Law and Economics at...

 (NSW), Warren Snowdon

Warren Snowdon

Warren Edward Snowdon is an Australian politician. He is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives. He represented the Division of Northern Territory from July 1987 to March 1996, and from October 1998 to November 2001.Since November 2001 he has represented the...

 (NT) and Ferguson's brother Laurie Ferguson

Laurie Ferguson

Laurie Donald Thomas Ferguson , Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1990, representing Reid until 2010 and Werriwa thereafter, both in New South Wales. He was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and grew up in the...

(NSW).