Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 7 August 1954, page 1


[treatt to resign

AS LEADER

Reported Clashes With Executive

Mr. V. H. Treatt said last night he would resign as Leader of the State Opposition at a meeting of the State Parliamentary Liberal Party next Tuesday.

His announcement came as a shock to his Parliamentary colleagues and personal friends.

The president of the New South Wales branch of the Liberal Party, Mr. Lyle Moore, declined to comment last night on Mr. Treatt's resignation.

' Close Parliamentary supporters of Mr. Treatt said that ] repeated disagreements between Mr. Treatt and the executive of j the party were one of the main reasons for Mr. Treatt's

resignation.

"DAMAGING ACTIVITIES"

í Mr. Treatt advised ¡each member of the i Parliamentary Liberal

j Party of his intention j to resign in letters

? posted last night.

The official statement mnouncing Mr. Treatt's inention to resign as leader, ssued from his office at Parliament House last night,

?ead:

"To-day I forwarded a leter to each member of the 'arliamentary Liberal Party in the following terms:

'"Following the unsuccess-ful challenge for the Parlia-mentary leadership, it was ex-pected that there would be an tnd to activities so damaging lo the party's morale and tffectiveness.

"'Unfortunately these actiuties have continued.

"The responsibilities of a political leader, particularly at Ile present time in New South Wales, are very heavy, and a fader giving of his best is infilled to receive the fullest lupport from every member of the party.

.TAINFUL"

"This support has not been forthcoming, and without it Ile burdens on health and tffectiveness would prove too

[much for any man.

I "'Accordingly at the next [meeting of the Parliamentary [party 1 will tender my resig-nation as leader.

' "The unswerving support of many loyal colleagues makes this decision a painful one for me, but 1 have no doubt that I will, along with other members, still be able, as a private member, to do effective work.

, " 'I am informing the pub-lic of my reasons by giving the Press a copy of this let-

ter.' "

Mr. Treatt has narrowly

survived defeat as leader in two party elections since May.

On May 4 a move to elect another leader resulted in a deadlock with 11 votes for and 11 against.

On July 6 Mr. Treatt re-tained the party leadership by

two votes in a second ballot

after deadheating with Mr. P. H. Morton (Mosman), 11 votes to 11.

Some members who had opposed Mr. Treatt said after the meeting that they would not make another attempt to depose him until after the next State elections early in 1956.

However, some of Mr. Treatt's supporters say the anti-Treatt faction has been planning another attempt to

remove Mr. Treatt as leader.

Some Liberal members said last night that Mr. Treatt had not been prepared to follow all suggestions on policy and tactics proposed by the Liberal Party executive."""

Mr. Treatt did not consult

party members about his intention to resign.

Yesterday afternoon he played golf with a friend and then returned to Parlia-ment House to sign the letters to members of the

party announcing his decision.

At night he went to a city theatre.

The Parliamentary Liberal Party is expected to elect its new leader at the party meet-ing on Tuesday.

The most favoured conten-

ders for the position at present

are the former deputy leader.

Mr. W. A. Howarth (Mait-land), and Mr. Morton.

One Liberal M.L.A. said that Mr. E. Murray Robson (Vaucluse) had been asked by Mr. Treatt and other members to nominate for the leadership but had refused.

He said Mr. Howarth was "almost certain" to be the next leader in the House and that Mr. Morton's election was most unlikely.

He said the positions of deputy leader and Liberal Party Whip, now held by Mr. R. W. Askin (Collaroy) and Mr. G. W. Brain (Willough-by), were unlikely to be changed.

MINISTER IN 1939

Mr. Treatt, a barrister, en-tered State Parliament as member for Woollahra in 1938. He has retained this seat ever since.

In 1939 he was appointed Minister of Justice and held that portfolio until the defeat of the ,Mair-Bruxner Govern-ment in 1941.

In 1945 he was elected Deputy Leader of the Opposi-tion and became Leader in 1946.

Mr. Treatt is 59. He served with the A.I.F. in the First World War and was awarded the Military Medal.

After graduating a Bachelor of Arts from Sydney Univer-sity he was chosen as a N.S.W. Rhodes Scholar.

He was admitted to the Bar in 1924 and became a K.C. in 1941.

MR. VERNON TREATT