PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5321, 6 February 1947, Page 5

PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES

(Press As?n-

HON. J. McGIRR ELECTGD selection after close v0t1ng at ball0t

—Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

SYDNEY, Feb. 5. t The Minister of Housing, the ITon. James McGi.rr, was elected Premier of New South Wales today in succession to Mr. W. J. McKell, now Governor-General. After a series of caucus ballots, lasting into the afternoon, he defeated the Minister of Education, Hon. R. J. B^effron, by two votes. Mr. McKell attended the caucus meeting and voted in all ballots. Caucus rejected an application by cable from the United States by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. E. H. Graham, for permission tq take part in the proceedings by proxy. Earlier ballots succe^ssively eliminated the Minister of Lands, the Hon. W. F. Dunn, the Minister of Works, the Hon. J. J. Cahill and the Chief Secretary, the Hon. J. M. Baddeley. The final ballot was 29 — 27 in favour of Mr. McGirr. He and his Minis"try will be sworn-in after Mr. McKell tenders his re^signation to the Governor, Lieutenant-General North-c-roft. Mr. McGirr, who is 56, has heen 25 years in State politics. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as nlember for Cootamundra in 1932. He was Minister of Health and Transport in the Lang 'Government in 1 92-3-31, and in 1941 was g-iven the portfolio of Minister of Local Government. He was closely associated with Mr. Laing and was oue of the few Labour memhers wlio stayed with him until 1 940.