Allan Fraser (Australian politician)

Allan Fraser
CMG
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Eden-Monaro
In office
21 August 1943 – 26 November 1966
Preceded by John Perkins
Succeeded by Dugald Munro
In office
25 October 1969 – 2 November 1972
Preceded by Dugald Munro
Succeeded by Bob Whan
Personal details
Born 18 September 1902(1902-09-18)
Carlton, Victoria
Died 12 December 1977(1977-12-12) (aged 75)
Canberra, Australia
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s) Eda Kathleen Bourke
Relations Jim Fraser (brother)
Children A son
Occupation Journalist

Allan Duncan Fraser CMG (18 September 1902 – 12 December 1977) was an Australian politician and journalist.

Fraser was in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton and brought up in Tasmania. He left State High School, Hobart at 17 to become a journalist on the Hobart Mercury. He worked for the Argus in Melbourne from 1922 to 1929 when he moved to Canberra to work for the Sydney Sun. He married Eda Kathleen Bourke in 1931. In 1933, he worked for The Times in London, before returning to Australia to work for the Sun and the Sydney Daily Telegraph, but was sacked in 1938. Bob Heffron, the leader of the Industrial Labor Party, which had broken from the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party led by Jack Lang, appointed him as his secretary. He acted as Heffron's media officer and helped formulate the strategy that overcame Lang's control of the branch. He subsequently worked as news editor on the Daily News and then returned to the Canberra parliamentary press gallery in 1940 as political correspondent for Ezra Norton's Truth and from 1941 Norton's new Daily Mirror.[1]

Fraser was active in the Australian Journalists Association and had been secretary, treasurer and president of its Victorian district between 1926 and 1929 and treasurer of the New South Wales district from 1937 to 1938. Between 1941 and 1944 he was president of the Canberra sub-district of the AJA.[1]

Political career

In 1943, Fraser beat Jessie Street for Labor preselection for Eden-Monaro. He won in the landslide to the Curtin government in the 1943 election. Fraser tended to be independent and at times critical of his party. In particular, he was critical of H. V. Evatt in relation to his handling of the Industrial Groups and the 1954 Labor Party split. After Labor's defeat in 1955 Fraser stood against Evatt for the leadership, but lost 58 to 20 and lost his high ranking in caucus' executive. He later became increasingly interested in foreign affairs and was particularly critical of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. In the 1966 election Labor's opposition to the war led to its decisive defeat and Fraser lost his seat. He regained it in 1969, when the war had become less popular, but retired at the 1972 election, when the Whitlam government came to power.[1]

In 1974, Fraser won a seat as an independent in the original Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly[2] and was, in consequence, expelled from the Labor Party. He died in Canberra and was survived by his wife and son. His brother, Jim Fraser, was MP for the adjoining seat of Australian Capital Territory from 1951 to 1970.[1]

Honours

He was a made a Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1977.[1]

Notes

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
John Perkins
Member for Eden-Monaro
1943–1966
Succeeded by
Dugald Munro
Preceded by
Dugald Munro
Member for Eden-Monaro
1969–1972
Succeeded by
Bob Whan