Industrial Labor Party

Last updated

The Industrial Labor Party or Heffron Labor Party was a short-lived but influential political party active in New South Wales between 1936 and 1939. It was a splinter group of the Labor Party (ALP) and was formed by Bob Heffron after he and Carlo Lazzarini attempted to depose the party leader Jack Lang (who had been Premier of New South Wales 1925-27 and again 1930-32). Both Heffron and Lazzarini subsequently lost their party endorsements for the 1938 election.

Industrial Labor Party
Leader Bob Heffron
FoundedSeptember 1936 (September 1936)
Dissolved26 August 1939 (26 August 1939)
Split from Australian Labor Party
Ideology Socialism
Industrialisation
Political position Left-wing

At the 1938 election the ILP stood candidates in 6 of the 90 seats and won 3.7% of the popular vote. [1] Heffron and Lazzarini retained their seats in the Legislative Assembly. [2] The party was successful at two subsequent by-elections in the seats of Hurstville, won by Clive Evatt, [3] and Waverley, won by Clarrie Martin. [4] These victories were seen as evidence of Lang's diminishing political power. Three other MLAs, Mat Davidson (Cobar), and Ted Horsington (Sturt) [5] joined the ILP in April 1939 while Frank Burke (Newtown) joined the ILP in June 1939. [6]

Under pressure from the federal executive of the ALP, the ILP was readmitted into the ALP at a unity conference on 26 August 1939. Heffron and William McKell then successfully combined to depose Lang on 5 September 1939.

Parliamentarians

NameTermSeat
Bob Heffron (Leader)August 1936 – 26 August 1939 Botany
Carlo Lazzarini August 1936 – 26 August 1939 Marrickville
William Dickson August 1936 – 26 August 1939Legislative Councillor
Clive Evatt 18 March 1939 – 26 August 1939 Hurstville
Clarrie Martin 22 April 1939 – 26 August 1939 Waverley
Mat Davidson April 1939 – 26 August 1939 Cobar
Ted Horsington April 1939 – 26 August 1939 Sturt
Frank Burke 30 May 1939 – 26 August 1939 Newtown

Related Research Articles

Joseph Cahill Australian politician

John Joseph Cahill, also known as Joe Cahill or J. J. Cahill, was a long-serving New South Wales politician, railway worker, trade unionist and Labor Party Premier of New South Wales from 1952 to his death in 1959. Born the son of Irish migrants in Redfern, New South Wales, Cahill worked for the New South Wales Government Railways from the age of 16 before joining the Australian Labor Party. Being a prominent unionist organiser, including being dismissed for his role in the 1917 general strike, Cahill was eventually elected to the Parliament of New South Wales for St George in 1925.

Gertrude Melville Australian politician

Gertrude Mary Melville was an Australian politician of the Labor Party. In 1952 she was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council.

Bob Heffron Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales

Robert James Heffron, also known as Bob Heffron or R. J. Heffron, was a long-serving New South Wales politician, union organiser and Labor Party Premier of New South Wales from 1959 to 1964. Born in New Zealand, Heffron became involved in various Socialist and labour movements in New Zealand and later Australia before joining the Australian Labor Party. Being a prominent unionist organiser, having been gaoled at one stage for "conspiracy to strike action", he was eventually elected to the Parliament of New South Wales for Botany in 1930. However his disputes with party leader Jack Lang led to his expulsion from the ALP in 1936 and Heffron formed his own party from disgruntled Labor MPs known as the Industrial Labor Party. The success of his party enabled his readmission to the party and his prominence in a post-Lang NSW Branch which won office in 1941.

Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 39th parliament held their seats from 1959 to 1962. They were elected at the 1959 state election, and at by-elections. The Speaker was Ray Maher.</ref>

Lilian Fowler Australian politician

Elizabeth Lilian Maud Fowler MBE, JP was an Australian politician. She was Australia's first female mayor, serving as mayor of Newtown, New South Wales, from 1937 to 1939. She later represented the seat of Newtown in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1944 to 1950. She had a long involvement with the Lang Labor faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), which had evolved into a separate party by the time of her election to parliament.

Clive Raleigh Evatt was an Australian politician, barrister and raconteur. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1939 until 1959. At various times he sat as a member of the Industrial Labor Party, Labor Party and as an independent.

Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 31st parliament held their seats from 1935 to 1938. They were elected at the 1935 state election, and at by-elections. The Speaker was Sir Daniel Levy until his death in 1937 and then Reginald Weaver.</ref>

The Protestant Labour Party, alternatively spelt Protestant Labor, was a minor Australian political party that operated mainly in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia in the 1920s and 1930s. It was formed by Walter Skelton in July 1923 as the Protestant Independent Labour Party. who had stood for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly district of Newcastle at the 1922 election, campaigning as a Protestant Independent Labour candidate, in which he was elected first of five members, receiving 25.19% of the vote. In 1925 he was re-elected to the Assembly under the Protestant Labour label, as the second of five members, receiving 17.70% of the vote. The party stood candidates in 12 of the 24 districts however Skelton was the only one elected, with the next highest candidate receiving 5.10% of the district vote.

1938 New South Wales state election State election for New South Wales, Australia in March 1938

The 1938 New South Wales state election was held on 26 March 1938. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 32nd New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting.

Abram "Abe" Landa was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1930 until 1932 and from 1941 until 1965. He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW) and the Australian Labor Party. He held a number of ministerial positions between 1953 and 1965.

John Francis McGrath was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until 1959. He was a member of the NSW Branch of the Australian Labor Party and held a number of ministerial positions including Minister for Housing.

Heathcote Clifford Mallam was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1953 and 1968 and between 1971 and 1981. He was a member of the Labor Party (ALP).

Frank O'Neill (1893–1975) was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for a single term between 1953 and 1956. He was a member of the Labor Party (ALP).

Bill Carlton Australian politician

William Joseph Carlton was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1935 and his death. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW) and Labor Party.

Francis Hill was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1941 and his death. He was a member of the Labor Party.

Heffron, an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, was created in 1973 and has always been held by the Labor party.

Patrick Joseph Minahan, was an Irish-born Australian politician.

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Heffron on 23 June 1990 because of the resignation of Laurie Brereton (Labor) to successfully contest the 1990 federal election for Kingsford Smith  The Labor candidate for the election was Deirdre Grusovin, the sister of Brereton.

Cobar, an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales had two incarnations, from 1894 until 1920 and from 1930 until 1968.

References

  1. Green, Antony. "1938 Totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  2. Green, Antony. "1938 Botany". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 25 May 2020.
    Green, Antony. "1938 Marrickville". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  3. Green, Antony. "1938 Hurstville by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  4. Green, Antony. "1938 Waverley by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  5. "M.L.A. joins Heffron Labor". Tweed Daily . 31 May 1939. p. 5. Retrieved 5 April 2018 via Trove.
  6. "Two more opponents of Mr Lang". Tweed Daily . 7 April 1938. p. 2. Retrieved 5 April 2018 via Trove.