Labor Pains - Volume 2

By the middle of the first decade of the 20th Century the Labor Party in New South Wales (the Political Labor League) had become the official Opposition in the NSW Parliament. Its leaders were confident that it could win office within a short space of time. They were right; Labor won the 1910 State election, although only narrowly. This volume charts the preparation for that responsibility, with detailed policies for winning office and governing being spelled out. It was a confident party preparing to accept the responsibilities of power. Tensions became evident as there seemed to be conflict between the Federal and State parties especially about the transfer of industrial relations power to the Commonwealth. Members of the extra-parliamentary organization, especially the Australian WorkersaEURO (TM) Union, were becoming impatient at the MPs insistence on moderating their demands for the sake of gaining office. By 1911, with Labor in office but not effectively in power, this impatience was threatening the unity of the party and the Government.