Arthur Tonge
Encyclopedia
Arthut Tonge was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
between 1926 and 1932 and from 1935 to 1962. He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP), the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
and the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
, the son of a broker, and was educated to intermediate level. He worked as a newspaper clerk and became the secretary of the Federated Clerks' Union. He was involved in community groups including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
.
state election as the second candidate on the Labor list for the 5 member seat of North Shore
. Cecil Murphy
, Labor's first candidate was elected but Tonge failed to take a seat.
The result of the election, which was the last election held in New South Wales using multi-member seats and proportional representation, gave a majority of 1 to the Labor Party under premier Jack Lang
. However, the Labor government could also generally count on the support of Walter Skelton
of the Protestant Labor Party
and Alick Kay
, the independent member for North Shore. Kay's political ideology was somewhat obscure and he has been described by the Australian Dictionary of Biography as a "harmless ratbag".
To avoid by-elections under the proportional representation voting system, the Parliamentary Casual Vacancies Act ensured that retiring members were replaced by the first unsuccessful candidate from their party list in their electorate. In an attempt to make his majority more secure, Lang offered Kay the position as the consumer representative on the Metropolitan Meat Board. Kay accepted and, as this was a paid government position, he was required to resign from parliament. The method for replacing an independent member, under the act, was not completely clear but the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ruled that as Kay had supported the government in questions of confidence and supply he could be replaced in parliament by the defeated Labor candidate for North Shore, Arthur Tonge. The reverberations from this piece of sharp political practice continued to disrupt the state Labor party for the next 15 years (see Lang Labor
).
state election, Tonge successfully transferred to the relatively safe Labor seat of Canterbury
, which was physically and demographically far removed from the North Shore. He lost the seat to the United Australia Party
candidate, Edward Hocking by 111 votes at the 1932
landslide that swept Jack Lang
and Labor from power. However he regained the seat at the next election in 1935
. Tonge was a member of Lang's Australian Labor Party (NSW) when that party was estranged from the Federal Executive of the ALP between 1931 and 1936 and was also a member of Lang's short lived breakaway Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
in 1940. He retained the seat of Canterbury until he lost ALP endorsement for the 1962
election. He then retired from public life. He was secretary of the Labor Party caucus between 1959 and 1962 but did not hold a ministerial or parliamentary position.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
between 1926 and 1932 and from 1935 to 1962. He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP), the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
Australian Labor Party (NSW)
The Australian Labor Party , commonly known as Lang Labor, was the name given to a major breakaway of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales that operated from 1931 to 1936....
and the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
The Australian Labor Party was the second Lang Labor breakaway party, associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang. It operated from 1940 to 1941....
Personal life
Tonge was born in Glebe, New South WalesGlebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
, the son of a broker, and was educated to intermediate level. He worked as a newspaper clerk and became the secretary of the Federated Clerks' Union. He was involved in community groups including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
.
Election to parliament
Tonge entered the New South Wales Parliament in highly controversial circumstances in 1926. After two unsuccessful attempts, Tonge contested the 1925New South Wales state election, 1925
The 1925 New South Wales state election was held on 30 May 1925. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 27th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in multiple member constituencies with compulsory preferential single transferable vote usit the Hare Clark system)...
state election as the second candidate on the Labor list for the 5 member seat of North Shore
Electoral district of North Shore
North Shore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Jillian Skinner of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
. Cecil Murphy
Cecil Murphy
Cecil Horace Murphy was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly....
, Labor's first candidate was elected but Tonge failed to take a seat.
The result of the election, which was the last election held in New South Wales using multi-member seats and proportional representation, gave a majority of 1 to the Labor Party under premier Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
. However, the Labor government could also generally count on the support of Walter Skelton
Walter Skelton
Walter Peden Joyce Skelton MBE was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly....
of the Protestant Labor Party
Protestant Labor Party
The Protestant Labor Party was a minor Australian political party that operated mainly in New South Wales and Queensland in the 1920s and 1930s. It was formed by Independent MP Walter Skelton, member for Newcastle in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1922–27...
and Alick Kay
Alick Kay
Alick Dudley Kay was an Australian politician and Domain orator. He is described by the Australian Dictionary of Biography as a "harmless ratbag"....
, the independent member for North Shore. Kay's political ideology was somewhat obscure and he has been described by the Australian Dictionary of Biography as a "harmless ratbag".
To avoid by-elections under the proportional representation voting system, the Parliamentary Casual Vacancies Act ensured that retiring members were replaced by the first unsuccessful candidate from their party list in their electorate. In an attempt to make his majority more secure, Lang offered Kay the position as the consumer representative on the Metropolitan Meat Board. Kay accepted and, as this was a paid government position, he was required to resign from parliament. The method for replacing an independent member, under the act, was not completely clear but the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ruled that as Kay had supported the government in questions of confidence and supply he could be replaced in parliament by the defeated Labor candidate for North Shore, Arthur Tonge. The reverberations from this piece of sharp political practice continued to disrupt the state Labor party for the next 15 years (see Lang Labor
Lang Labor
Lang Labor was the name commonly used to describe three successive break-away sections of the Australian Labor Party, all led by the New South Wales Labor leader Jack Lang premier of NSW .-Initial opposition to Lang's leadership:...
).
State Parliament
With the end of proportional representation at the 1927New South Wales state election, 1927
The 1927 New South Wales state election to elect the 90 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly was held on 8 October 1927. During the previous parliament the voting system, which had been a form of proportional representation with multi-member seats and a single transferable vote , was changed...
state election, Tonge successfully transferred to the relatively safe Labor seat of Canterbury
Electoral district of Canterbury
Canterbury is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Linda Burney of the Australian Labor Party.-History:...
, which was physically and demographically far removed from the North Shore. He lost the seat to the United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
candidate, Edward Hocking by 111 votes at the 1932
New South Wales state election, 1932
The 1932 New South Wales state election was held on 11 June 1932. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 30th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting...
landslide that swept Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
and Labor from power. However he regained the seat at the next election in 1935
New South Wales state election, 1935
The 1935 New South Wales state election was held on 11 May 1935. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 31st New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting....
. Tonge was a member of Lang's Australian Labor Party (NSW) when that party was estranged from the Federal Executive of the ALP between 1931 and 1936 and was also a member of Lang's short lived breakaway Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
The Australian Labor Party was the second Lang Labor breakaway party, associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang. It operated from 1940 to 1941....
in 1940. He retained the seat of Canterbury until he lost ALP endorsement for the 1962
New South Wales state election, 1962
The 1962 New South Wales state election was held on 3 March 1962. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1961 redistribution...
election. He then retired from public life. He was secretary of the Labor Party caucus between 1959 and 1962 but did not hold a ministerial or parliamentary position.