LABOUR SPLIT

Grey River Argus, 5 August 1940, Page 10

LABOUR SPLIT

In New South Wales PARTY EXECUTIVE ALL SUSPENDED. SYDNEY, August 3. The Federal Executive of the Australian Labour Party, last night suspended from office all officials and members of the New South Wales Executive of the Labour Party, and decided to create a new State Executive. There will now be three distinct Labour parties in this State contesting the next Federal election. Firstly, the new official Labour Party; secondly, the party led by the expelled executive, which will probably become a new industrial party; thirdly, the Lang non-Communist breakaway group.

The reasons for the dissolution o( the State executive are: Firstly, alleged disloyalty to the Federal Executive, which has the over-riding influence in the Australian Labour movement. Secondly, damaging propaganda. Thirdly, derogatory criticism of Federal politicians who voted with the Federal Government on the National Security Bill. The Federal Labour Party Executive held a further meeting late last right, and decided that the suspensions should not become effective until after August 16. On that date, it is proposed that the principal officers of the Federal Executive, with Mr Curtin and Mr Kogan Smith (Premier of Queensland), shall address the suspended members. Federal officials hope that the majority of suspended members will then decide to remain loyal to the Federal Labour Party, in which case they would probably be appointed to the new official State Executive.