A.L.P. Dispute Worsens

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32396, 8 September 1970, Page 13

A.L.P. Dispute Worsens

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) MELBOURNE, September 7. Victorian branch members of the Australian Labour Party failed in a final attempt last night to stop the AX.P.’s federal executive intervening in their affairs.

The Victorians had moved that because of the electricity strike in the state, today’s meeting between the two factions should be put off. After two days of exhaustive debate on the State-aid policy, the A.L.P. Federal executive was last night poised for a take-over of the Victorian branch.

The Victorian delegates to the week-end meeting, the state secretary, Mr W. Hartley, and Senator W. Brown, seemed to have increased the likelihood of a Federal takeover by desperately trying to delay the debate. Mr Hartley told the Federal executive that its members would offend the unions and run the risk of being called “scabs,” if they met today. Last night, after the formal

executive meetings, the delegates supporting intervention, including the leader of the Opposition (Mr Gough Whitlam), were meeting in small groups to draw up a plan of intervention acceptable to the majority. Victorian executive members were meeting separately to discuss tactics if the Federal executive took over control.

By a majority that might be as high as 12 votes to five the A.L.P. executive is c - pected today to decide that the Victorian branch has contravened Federal policy and that it had no right to do so.

The Victorian branch of the Labour Party has, by its Left-wing attitude, been growing steadily more removed from the parent body of the party.