The Honourable Jack Thomas Lang | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 December 1876 Brickfield Hill, Colony of New South Wales, British Empire |
| Died | 27 September 1975 Auburn, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political orientation | Australian labour movement Social democracy Anti-communism |
Jack Thomas Lang was an anti-communist yet still somewhat progressive politician in Australia from the 1920s to the 1940s who was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He accomplished several things during his leadership of New South Wales (NSW) such as improving infrastructure, increased social programs, and somewhat pro-worker policies (including mandatory workers' compensation). He spoke out against wage slavery and attempted to abolish the undemocratic New South Wales Legislative Council. He also achieved universal suffrage for all citizens of NSW. His progressive policies almost ended up causing an Australian civil war in the 1930s. He also split from the main ALP several times due to disagreements with the party, creating Lang Labor and later the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist).[1]
Lang's authoritarian and non-communist yet still progressive actions have caused the man to be compared to Huey P. Long,[1] an American politician who used several somewhat socialist policies during his tenure as the Governor of Louisiana as a "defense against socialism".[2]