LABOUR PARTY IN N.S.W.

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27999, 20 June 1956, Page 7

LABOUR PARTY IN N.S.W.

new executive APPOINTED

major rift averted (N-Z- Pfcss Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, June 19. fhe Federal executive of the Australian Labour Partv appears to have .4 led early today the dispute arising tom its dismissal of the New South Wales executive of the party—the ; s ’ ;ue which threatened to lead to a r cond major split in Australian labour. /fter five hours and a half of discussion the executive announced the formation of a new State executive for n, e w South Wales. The new caretaker «ecutive is regarded as a balanced one .jmprisin? 42 members and three Jnajor factions:

The Bi- ht-wing Industrial Group supporters, many of them members of the former dismissed executive. Left-wing anti group members, who are supporters of the Federal Opposition leader (Dr. H. V. Evatt). similar faction which observers describe as “middle-of-the-road”

men. I The former State president of the jtL P- ( Mr F. Campbell) was appointed president of the new executive,* which will have two vice-presidents. When the Federal executive decided in Melbourne on June 6 to dismiss the fcew South Wales executive, and this decision was backed by a special Federal conference of the party, many observers expected to see the formation of three Labour parties in Australia. Similar action taken last year against the Victorian executive of the party led to the formation of the AptiCommunist Labour Party, which put its own candidates against official Labour in the last State and Federal elections, and thus helped to contribute to Labour’s defeat. Members of the old New South Wales executive and their Right-wing supporters were known to have opposed joining the Anti-Communist party, which was virtually wiped out at the State and Federal polls, although its organisation still exists. But the New South Wales Right-wingers were known at one stage to favour the forming of their own party, which would stand at both State and Federal elections, thus giving the pecnle of Australia three distinct Labour Parties to choose from.