[1] The term originated in 1963, when it was used with great success by Prime Minister Robert Menzies, as an election tactic to discredit the Australian Labor Party.
[4] The term "faceless men" henceforth became a permanent part of Australia's political lexicon, nearly always being used in a pejorative sense when making reference to the Labor Party.
[9] The expression was also used to refer to the figures in the NSW branch of the Labor Party, such as Karl Bitar and Arbib who brought about the successive removals of Morris Iemma and Nathan Rees as Premier of New South Wales.
[10][11][12] The term returned to prominence in February 2012, when Rudd resigned as Minister for Foreign Affairs and announced he would challenge Gillard in an attempt to regain the Labor leadership.
[15] In response, Labor MP Michael Danby, a Gillard supporter, said that Rudd had his own "faceless men", notably the lobbyist Bruce Hawker.
"[17] Opposition leader at the time, Tony Abbott, attempted to use Rudd's comments to highlight instability in Labor and its preference deals with The Greens.
In a strategic communication sense, Kevin Rudd’s use of 'faceless men' in recent days is a tactical message designed to support his long-standing argument against the faction leaders who now run the party.