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Summary:: Badge, alternatively known as a button, depicting controversial and divisive New South Wales labor politician Jack Lang. Lang was premier of New South Wales from 1925 - 1927 and 1930 - 1932. His period in office was marked by considerable social reforms. He insisted on opening the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932, rather than allowing the State Governor to do it as custom suggested. He proposed a radical solution to the economic and societal problems associated with the Great Depression and he was greatly opposed to the Melbourne Agreement of 1930 and the later Premiers Plan which was the agreed response of the Prime Minister and all of the other state premiers to the worsening economic situation. The Lang Plan, as he called it, garnered considerable public support and the slogans 'Lang is Right' and 'Lang is greater than Lenin' were used in the campaign. The latter is surprising given Lang's anti-Communist stance. His approach divided the New South Wales branch of the ALP. Some members supported him while others supported Ben Chifley. Lang was dismissed as premier by the state governor in 1932 due to the controversial economic approach he had attempted to implement. Lang was dismissed from the ALP in 1942. He died in 1975.
Description:: This is a cream coloured button with a black ink head and shoulders sketch of Jack Lang. The caption is around the top of the button.
Acquisition Information:: Donation from Mr Andrew Reeves, 1991

Tagged with:	economics, politics, societies, trade unions, politicians, political parties
Themes this item is part of:	Public Life & Institutions Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection
Primary Classification:	POLITICS & PUBLIC PROTEST
Secondary Classification:	Parliamentary Politics
Tertiary Classification:	badges
Inscriptions:	Text obverse: LANG IS RIGHT
Person Depicted:	Mr John (Jack) Lang - Australian Labor Party (ALP), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1925-1932
Place & Date Used:	Australia, 1925-1932