State Labor Party
Encyclopedia
The State Labor Party was an Australian political party which operated exclusively in the state of New South Wales
(NSW) in the early 1940s. The party was initially a far-left faction of the Australian Labor Party
, strongly opposed to the right-wing faction of the party dominated by Jack Lang
, former premier of NSW (1925-27, 1930-32). Lang dominated the NSW Branch of the Labor Party, in the 1920s
and for most of the 1930s
, and his leadership had produced a great deal of instability in the NSW Labor Party, with Lang's dominant group seceding in 1931 and rejoining the (National) Labor Party in 1936. In 1940 Lang again seceded from Labor, along with several supporters, and formed a new party called the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
, which operated in the Federal sphere from 1940 to 1941 but had only minority support in the Labor movement of NSW. Lang and his group were reconciled to Labor in late 1941 (This reconciliation was to be short-lived. He again seceded in 1943.)
The grouping which was to become the State Labor Party (NSW), was led by Jack Hughes
, President of the NSW Labor Council, and Walter Evans, General Secretary of the NSW Labor party. Both of these men were undercover members of the Communist Party of Australia
(CPA), and worked closely with the CPA executive leadership, which had adopted a policy of encouraging disaffected ALP members seeking membership of the CPA, to remain in the Labor Party as undercover operatives. With the outbreak of World War II
, preceded by the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
, the priority of the CPA was to work to ensure Australian neutrality towards the war in Europe. Hughes and Evans devoted their efforts towards this end, in their capacity as powerful executives within the ALP.
Ultimately, the position of the Hughes-Evans group came to be seen as untenable within the ALP, and their influence began to wane. In August, 1940, the federal executive of the ALP moved to suspend the NSW executive, including Hughes and Evans. Several weeks later Hughes, Evans and their supporters formed a new party, the State Labor Party. This was only weeks away from the federal elections of September 1940. State Labor contested the poll for election to the House of Representatives in NSW, and achieved 6.6% of the vote in that state (2.6% nationally), but failed to see any of its candidates (including Greg McGirr
) elected.
The party contested the NSW State elections of May, 1941, and secured 5.6% of the primary vote, but again failed to secure any seats. The party's final attempt to gain parliamentary representation was at the federal election of August, 1943, but it polled less than 1% nationally. Five months later (January 1944), the State Labor Party voted to end its own existence and amalgamated with the CPA.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(NSW) in the early 1940s. The party was initially a far-left faction of 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...
, strongly opposed to the right-wing faction of the party dominated by Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
, former premier of NSW (1925-27, 1930-32). Lang dominated the NSW Branch of the Labor Party, in the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
and for most of the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
, and his leadership had produced a great deal of instability in the NSW Labor Party, with Lang's dominant group seceding in 1931 and rejoining the (National) Labor Party in 1936. In 1940 Lang again seceded from Labor, along with several supporters, and formed a new party called the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
The Australian Labor Party was the second Lang Labor breakaway party, associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang. It operated from 1940 to 1941....
, which operated in the Federal sphere from 1940 to 1941 but had only minority support in the Labor movement of NSW. Lang and his group were reconciled to Labor in late 1941 (This reconciliation was to be short-lived. He again seceded in 1943.)
The grouping which was to become the State Labor Party (NSW), was led by Jack Hughes
Jack Hughes (trade unionist)
Morris John Rodwell "Jack" Hughes was an Australian trade unionist and communist.Hughes was born in Sydney and joined the Australian Labor Party's Rockdale branch in 1927. He was elected to the State Conference in 1931 and the Central Socialisation Committee in 1932...
, President of the NSW Labor Council, and Walter Evans, General Secretary of the NSW Labor party. Both of these men were undercover members of the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
(CPA), and worked closely with the CPA executive leadership, which had adopted a policy of encouraging disaffected ALP members seeking membership of the CPA, to remain in the Labor Party as undercover operatives. With the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, preceded by the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
, the priority of the CPA was to work to ensure Australian neutrality towards the war in Europe. Hughes and Evans devoted their efforts towards this end, in their capacity as powerful executives within the ALP.
Ultimately, the position of the Hughes-Evans group came to be seen as untenable within the ALP, and their influence began to wane. In August, 1940, the federal executive of the ALP moved to suspend the NSW executive, including Hughes and Evans. Several weeks later Hughes, Evans and their supporters formed a new party, the State Labor Party. This was only weeks away from the federal elections of September 1940. State Labor contested the poll for election to the House of Representatives in NSW, and achieved 6.6% of the vote in that state (2.6% nationally), but failed to see any of its candidates (including Greg McGirr
Greg McGirr
John Joseph Gregory McGirr was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly....
) elected.
The party contested the NSW State elections of May, 1941, and secured 5.6% of the primary vote, but again failed to secure any seats. The party's final attempt to gain parliamentary representation was at the federal election of August, 1943, but it polled less than 1% nationally. Five months later (January 1944), the State Labor Party voted to end its own existence and amalgamated with the CPA.