GAIR GETS SUPPORT

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28262, 27 April 1957, Page 11

GAIR GETS SUPPORT

Moves To Stop Labour Split

(N.Z. Press Associatioru—Copyright) (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) BRISBANE, April 26. With s> defiant Queensland Premier dismissed from the Australian Labour Party this week, organising his own party to carry on the State’s Government, leaders in the Federal Labour organisation are seeking ways |o intervene to prevent the Labour Party split from widening further.

In Brisbane today, the Queensland Premier, Mr Vincent Gair, said that a meeting of 22 of his supporters in the Parliamentary Labour Party “pledged themselves to help carry on the Government in a sound, constitutional manner.”

Mr Gair needs 24 supporters to command the largest group in the State Parliament and remain Premier. State Labour Party executives in the other five Australian States met at the request of the party’s Federal president (Mr F. E. Chamberlain) to determine their attitudes.

One section of the Australian Labour Party wants the Federal executive to intervene, but another section has countered with the objection that it cannot intervene in a State dispute unless asked by one of the parties. Another Meeting

Mr Gair said late this afternoon that his followers would meet again tonight to make plans to carry on the Government. The split developed when the Queensland central executive of the State Labour Party expelled Mr Gair for failing to legislate for three weeks’ annual leave for employees under State awards. Mr Gair is not opposed in principle to this but says that the State, a big employer, could not afford it at this time. Mr Gair said that members who attended today’s meeting said that they would ignore a request by the Queensland central executive for them to attend a meeting with it on Monday. He invited 25 members of Parliament to his rally today and 22 attended. At a caucus meeting this week, before his expulsion, Mr Gair got a 26-21 vote of support. The strength of the parties in Parliament before the split was—Labour 47, Country Party 16, Liberal 6, Independents 4. Opposition Support The State Opposition leader, Mr Nicklin, said today that the Liberal-Country Party Opposition would be prepared to support the Gair Government “in certain circumstances” if it were challenged by the official Labour Party. The “Melbourne Herald” industrial reporter said today that some Labour leaders outside Queensland who favour a compromise said today that they thought the Federal executive would take control in Queensland. Under the compromise plan, they said, the executive would propose to cancel the order expelling Mr Gair and place the three weeks’ leave for State workers high on the priority list of Labour policy. This is understood to have strong support in at least two State Labour Parties, the “Melbourne Herald” reporter said.