Jack Lang
David Clune
Australian Biographical Monographs 15
Paperback, 80 pages, $19.95
ISBN: 9781922815019
April 2022 Release
The cabinet has one leader who announces its policy. When he
announces it, we follow, and as soon as he announces it, we know where
we stand. We do not seek to know what he is going to do, and are
prepared to surrender our judgement, if necessary, in advance.
-- Mark Gosling, Chief Secretary in Lang’s 1930-32 Cabinet (quoted by LF Crisp)
Jack Lang, Labor Premier of New South Wales from 1925-27 and 1930-32,
was until his death in 1975, a hero for some in his party and reviled
by others. This biography highlights the disruption he was responsible
for, particularly to the Labor Party. Indeed, his legislative
achievements are outweighed by the damage he caused to the economy,
politics and social cohesion of New South Wales. Lang’s leadership style
was autocratic, messianic, radical, and vindictive. Although he still
has his defenders, Lang is now better remembered for his notoriety,
particularly his 1932 dismissal by Governor Game, rather than his
achievements. It was left to others like Bill McKell, who became Premier
in 1941, rebuild the Labor Party, and, more importantly, bring it back
to its true mission of helping those in need rather than indulging in
self-serving political crusades of the type pursued by Lang.
Dr David Clune OAM was for many years the Manager of the NSW
Parliament’s Research Service and the Parliament’s Historian. He is
currently an Honorary Associate in the Department of Government and
International Relations at the University of Sydney and Consultant
Historian to the NSW Legislative Council History Project. Dr Clune has
written extensively about NSW politics and history.
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