LABOUR PARTY CLEAVAGE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27614, 22 March 1955, Page 13

LABOUR PARTY CLEAVAGE

Warring Factions In Australia (Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 21. Launching a campaign in support of the Federal executive of the Australian Labour Party throughout New South Wales industrial strongholds, the Australian Labour leader, Dr. H. V. Evatt, will address affiliated unions at Woolongong on Thursday night. The campaign will extend to other New South Wales coalfields where, in the north, all Federal Labour members of Parliament have already declared support for Dr. Evatt The Labour Party cleavage on fundamental policies is so deep that it now dominates even the future election prospects of the party. With the faction battle raging on five State fronts—South Australia alone is not involved—Labour men said today that basic issues of policy and leadership had to be resolved before any consideration of political expediency. The clash in New South Wales is now moving into branches and electorate councils. Regional conferences throughout the State to be held soon will serve as a guide to the strength of the factions. “Gravest In Party’s History” Both party and trade union officials declared today that the division was the gravest in the history of the partar. The Federal Executive of the party has always prevailed in past clashes, but this is the first time the Federal Executive has been faced with a revolt—in varying degrees'-of intensity —involving five States. Issues in the struggle are: A fight for survival by the Industrial Group Organisation. Leadership of the Federal Parliamentary Labour Party, with both Dr. Evatt and Mr A. A. Calwell likely to be displaced. State rights—particularly in Queensland—and constitutional points involving the Federal Executive authority. The secretary of the party in New South Wales, Mr W. R. Colbourne (a boycott delegate at Hobart), today said he wanted to repudiate any suggestion that the action of the absentee delegates constituted a breakaway from the party. Mr Colbourne said the suggestion that the New South Wales executive would lose £30,000 by unions withholding their dues was nonsense. The total revenue from unions and branches was only £19,000 a year, he said.