18 Facts About Lang Labor

Lang Labor was a faction of the Australian Labor Party consisting of the supporters of Jack Lang, who served two terms as Premier of New South Wales and was the party's state leader from 1923 to 1939.

In later years, the term "Lang Labor" included Lang and his supporters who broke away from the ALP in later years, forming breakaway party Australian Labor Party between 1940 and 1941, and between 1943 and 1950.

From very early in his leadership, Lang faced opposition within the caucus due to his domineering manner.

However Lang Labor continued to enjoy the overwhelming support of the party branches and he controlled a large majority at the annual conference, which was the party's ultimate forum.

Lang Labor survived this challenge on the casting vote of the Chairman.

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Lang Labor responded to the challenge by calling a special meeting of the party conference in which, at his request, the conference took a supervisory role in the pre-selection of party candidates, took away from caucus the power to elect the parliamentary leader, and allowed the party leader to select the cabinet.

Lang Labor still faced significant opposition within the caucus and the caucus appointed cabinet, but he was able to defeat his opponents by returning his commission as Premier to the Governor, Sir Dudley de Chair on 25 May 1927.

Lang Labor repudiated the Premiers' Plan agreed by a meeting of the Premiers of the Australian states in June 1931 for the economic management of the Great Depression in Australia.

In November 1931, Lang Labor voted with the United Australia Party opposition to bring down the Scullin Labor government and force an early election.

Lang Labor then ran candidates against the official ALP at the election.

In total, Lang Labor won four seats, while nationwide the ALP retained only 14 seats after the loss of 32 seats, and won only three seats in New South Wales.

Lang Labor significantly increased its total vote, and won nine seats, at the election, which saw the ALP win only one seat in New South Wales.

Lang Labor had some supporters outside of New South Wales, most notably several state MPs in South Australia who won elections under his banner.

Lang Labor remained as the party's state leader in New South Wales.

In 1940, Lang seceded from Labor, along with several supporters, and formed a new party called the Australian Labor Party, in retaliation of a policy opposing Australian involvement in World War II, adopted by the state executive.

In 1943, having published newspaper articles attacking McKell and Prime Minister John Curtin, Lang was expelled from the ALP and restarted the Australian Labor Party.

Lang was a nuisance to the Labor government led, since 1945, by Ben Chifley, whom he repeatedly castigated in public.

Lang Labor was re-admitted to the NSW branch ALP in 1971, at the age of 94, after a campaign by his protege Paul Keating.