EVATT STILL LEADER

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28822, 17 February 1959, Page 13

EVATT STILL LEADER

Narrow Margin Over Ward

(Rec. 10 pan.) CANBERRA, February 16. Dr. Herbert Evatt was today reappointed leader of the Australian Parliamentary Labour Party and. will again be Leader of the Opposition when the House rf Bepreseptatives begins? its hew session tomorrow. Dr. Evatt, a controversial figure in Australian politics, has thus survived the fourth direct challenge to his leadership in' five years. Today he defeated another .controversial labour figure, Mr E. J. Ward, by 46 votes to 32. It was the biggest challenge yet to Dr. Evatt’s leadership. It was the first meeting of the Labour caucus since the party's defeat by the Liberal-Country Party coalition in the General Election on November 26. Dr. Evatt has been the party's leader since 1951. The leadership vote was the’ first of an exhaustive series of secret ballots for 14 positions .on the party’s “shadow Cabinet” and other offices. Mr Ward’s vote means that a ipajority of the 25 Right-wingers in the caucus of 78 supported him against Dr. Evatt. However. 32 votes cannot be considered a leadership vote for the future as Mr Ward, a doctrinaire Socialist, is almost as unacceptable to the Right wing as Dr. Evatt.

Labour membef-s said tonight the vote was humiliating to Dr. Evatt. who had expected to win decisively. Mr Ward is now expected to be openly defiant to Dr. Evatt’s leadership in caucus and Parliament and members said they believed he would take every opportunity to fight deviation from “strict Labour principles.” The Deputy-Leader, of the Opposition, Mr Arthur Calwell, and the . Opposition Senate leader. Senator Nicholas McKenna, were re-elected unopposed and the deputy Senate Opposition leader. Senator Patrick Kennelley, defeated his Right-wing opponent. Senator John Armstrong, by 52 votes to 26; - At the Liberal Party meeting today Mr Jack McLeay was reelected the party’s nominee for Speaker of the House —a position he has held for three years. He defeated a Victorian barrister, Mr Percy Joske. The party did not release the figures, but the win was believed to be decisive.