Albert Field

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Albert Patrick Field (11 October 1910 - 1 July 1990) was an Australian French polisher who was plucked from obscurity to become a Senator in 1975. The circumstances of his appointment were instrumental in precipitating the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975.

Labor Senator Bertie Milliner died on 30 June 1975. It was longstanding tradition that, when a casual vacancy occurred in the Senate, the relevant political party would provide the state premier with a list of suitable persons, and the state parliament would choose the replacement senator. The Labor Party nominated only one name, Mal Colston, to replace Milliner.

Instead, Queensland National (Country) Party Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen appointed Albert Field. Although he had been a member of the Labor Party for 30 years, Field was of a conservative and religious bent and was openly critical of the Whitlam Government. The appointment was formally made by the Parliament of Queensland on 3 September 1975. Field was expelled from the party as a result of accepting the appointment.

Field was still employed by the Queensland Public Service at the time of his appointment to the Senate. This may have made him constitutionally ineligible to be chosen as a senator, so the Labor Party challenged his appointment in the High Court. Consequently he was on leave from the Senate, unable to exercise a vote, from 1 October 1975. However, going against tradition, the opposition parties refused to provide a "pair" to maintain the relative positions of the Government and Opposition. This gave the Coalition a majority in the Senate, allowing them to pass motions to defer consideration of supply and force the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975.

Field's Senate term officially ended on 11 November 1975 when the parliament was dissolved in a double dissolution. He stood at the consequent 13 December election that resulted in part from his appointment, but was defeated.

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