The Stevens–Bruxner ministry (1932–1935) or First Stevens–Bruxner ministry or First Stevens ministry was the 46th ministry of the

New South Wales Government The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the executive state government of New South Wales, Australia. The government comprises 11 portfolios, led by a ministerial department and supported by several agencies. Th ...

, and was led by the 25th

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

, Bertram Stevens, in a

United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four Elections in Australia, federal elections in that time, usually governing Coalition (Australia), in coalition ...

coalition A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces. Formation According to ''A G ...

with the Country Party, that was led by Lieutenant-Colonel

Michael Bruxner Lieutenant Colonel Sir Michael Frederick Bruxner (25 March 1882 – 28 March 1970) was an Australian politician and soldier, serving for many years as leader of the Country Party (and its predecessors) in New South Wales. Born in the north ...

, DSO. The ministry was one of three occasions when the Government was led by Stevens, as Premier; and one of four occasions where Bruxner served as Deputy Premier. Stevens was first elected to the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House ...

in 1927 and served continuously until 1940. Having served as a senior minister in the Bavin ministry, following the defeat of the

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

coalition led by Bavin, who was in poor health, at the 1930 state election, Stevens was elected leader of the newly formed United Australia Party in New South Wales and became

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...

. Bruxner was first elected to the Assembly in 1920 and served continuously until 1962. Initially a member of the Progressive Party, he served as

party leader In a governmental system, a party leader acts as the official representative of their political party, either to a legislature or to the electorate. Depending on the country, the individual colloquially referred to as the "leader" of a politica ...

in opposition between 1922 and 1925; and resumed leadership in 1932, following the resignation of his successor, Ernest Buttenshaw. By this stage, the party was renamed as the Country Party. This ministry covers the period from 13 May 1932 when, as a result of the

Lang Dismissal Crisis The 1932 dismissal of Premier of New South Wales, Premier Jack Lang (Australian politician), Jack Lang by New South Wales Governor of New South Wales, Governor Philip Game was the first real constitutional crisis in Australia. Lang remains th ...

, the

Governor of New South Wales The governor of New South Wales is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia, Governor-General of Australia at the national level, the governor ...

Philip Game Sir Philip Woolcott Game (30 March 1876 – 4 February 1961) was a Royal Air Force commander, who later served as Governor of New South Wales and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (London). Born in Surrey in 1876, Game was educated at Cha ...

used the

reserve power In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government, a reserve power, also known as discretionary power, is a power that may be exercised by the head of state (or their representative) without the approval of another branch or part of th ...

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

to remove Jack Lang as Premier. The ministry served until 10 February 1935 when the 1935 state election saw the Stevens–Bruxner coalition re-elected for a subsequent term.

Composition of ministry

In the first arrangement, lasting just two days, Stevens was the only Member of Government pending formation of the full ministry as a result of the turmoil following the dismissal of Lang and his third ministry. The composition of the ministry was announced by Premier Stevens on 16 May 1932 and covers a period of a little over one month as an "emergency ministry" up until 17 June 1932 when the outcome of the 1932 state election was determined. At that point, a minor reshuffle of the ministry was effected. Ministers are members of the Legislative Assembly unless otherwise noted.

References

! colspan="3" style="border-top: 5px solid #cccccc" , New South Wales government ministries {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens-Bruxner ministry (1932-1935) New South Wales ministries 1932 establishments in Australia 1935 disestablishments in Australia

Composition of ministry

See also

References