Jack Kane

Jack Kane
Senator for New South Wales
In office
21 November 1970 – 18 May 1974
Personal details
Born 23 July 1908(1908-07-23)
Burraga, New South Wales
Died 27 October 1988(1988-10-27) (aged 80)
Nationality Australian
Political party Democratic Labor Party
Occupation Coal miner, unionist

John Thomas "Jack" Kane (23 July 1908 – 27 October 1988) was an Australian politician. Born in Burraga, New South Wales, he was educated at Catholic schools in Lithgow, after which he became a coalminer. He was Vice-President of the Transport Workers' Union 1952-1956 and Assistant General Secretary of the New South Wales Labor Party 1952-1955. In 1955, he was expelled from the Labor Party together with many other members, joining with them to form the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), which became the Democratic Labor Party (DLP). He was the NSW DLP General Secretary 1956-1971 and the Federal Secretary 1957-71.[1]

In 1970, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a DLP Senator for New South Wales. Kane's election to the Senate resulted from a decision of the New South Wales Branch of the ALP to allocate preferences in favour of the DLP ticket rather than to the lead candidate of the Australia Party, television presenter Diana Ward.[2] He was defeated (along with all the other DLP Senators) in 1974 and the DLP did not hold a Senate seat again until 2011. He died in 1988. The Jack Kane memorial dinner was set up in 2011 by the NSW branch of the DLP. His son John Kane remains active in the party.[3]

References

  1. ^ Jack Kane (1989), Exploding the Myths. The Political Memoirs of Jack Kane, Angus and Robertson, North Ryde, New South Wales ISBN 0207161690
  2. ^ Lyle Allan (2011), "Historical parallels: ALP preferences and the resurgent DLP," in Recorder (Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, Melbourne Branch) No. 270, July, pp.6-7.
  3. ^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia. Retrieved 2008-11-10.