GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF AUSTRALIA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5305, 18 January 1947, Page 5

GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF AUSTRALIA

(Press Assn —

N.S.W. PREMIER NAMED STORM OF PROTEST AT RUMOUR

1 -Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

, SYDNEY, Jan. 17. The departure to-night of the Duke of Gloucester for England has caused the controversy as to his successor to break- out anew. The only name now mentioned in cannection with t^e post is that of Mr. W. J. McKell, Premier of New bouth Wales. Judging by the voluminous comment from all sources, the cnly people who approve of his nomination are members of the Australian Labour Party, and their decision is far from unanimous. Information first lealced out from Canberra that the Australian Labour Party was backing Mr. McKell for Goverhor-General. These reports have not been denied by the Prime Minister, Mr. Chiffey. The Prime Minister's last proncuncement on the negotiations was that they started informally and had not developed for some time. He said. however, that the name of the new Governor-General would he known hefore the New South Wales olections. Protests range from the objection by tbe Sydriey Morning Herald to the principle of a non-politi-cal post being beld by an active politician to a violent attack by a popular weekly on Mr. McKell as tbe representative for 30 years of "the sub-standard suburb of Redfern." The New South Wales Parliamentary Labour caucus will discuss a statement hy Mr. W. F. Sheahan, a member of the Legislative Assemhly, that the next Governcr-General should he a man who had proved his patriotism by active service. When some members of the caucus charaeterised this remark as "an unrrovoked and indirect attack," Mr. Sheahan replied : "I have always tried to be a Labour man, but not a McKell man. They are entitled to their opinions and I ara to mine." There has been a bitter Labour re-actio-n to this mild statement of the Labour principle of preference for ex-servicemen. Tn the meantime the Governor of Victoria, Major-General Sir Winston Dugan, is preparing to take office temporarilv as the King's representative in Australia.