Discontent: After Election Of New South Wales Premier

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5322, 7 February 1947, Page 5

Discontent: After Election Of New South Wales Premier

SYDNEY, Feb. 6. Several aspects of the election of Mr. James McGirr to the position of Premier of New South Wjales have drawn much comment in Sydney. The Telegraph says that the rank and file members of the State Parliamentary Lahour Party "bucked" the party machine to elect Mr McGirr. It is noted by all papers that only two Ministers voted for Mr. McGirr and that Mr. McKell, as .Gover-Uor-General Designate, ran the rislc of censure in order to vote for Mr R. J. Heffron. Mr. McKell and the Attorney-General, Mr Martin, were so sure of Mr. tleffron's election that Mr. Martin informed the press, beforehand, that it was eertain. The Telegraph reports that after congratulating Mr. McGirr, Mr. McKell strode from the. room, his face white with anger. Hinting that the defeat of Mr Heffron was due to a last-minute whispering campaign that he was a noniinee of big business pressure groups, the Telegraph predicts a faction" fight in the State Lab our. Party. , The Opposition Leader," Mr Treatt, eommented that the result of the election was a victory for industrial extremists over moderates and that the act of the Governor-General Designate, in assoeiating himself with a pojitical factipn fight "set an all--time low in i>olitical indiscretion."