The Mair–Bruxner ministry or Mair ministry was the 49th 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 26th

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 ...

Alexander Mair Alexander Mair (25 August 18893 August 1969) was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 5 August 1939 to 16 May 1941. Born in Melbourne, Mair worked in various businesses there before moving to Albury, New Sou ...

, 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

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 ...

. The ministry was the only occasion when the Government was led by Mair, as Premier; and fourth and final occasion where Bruxner served as Deputy Premier. Mair 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 1932 and served continuously until 1946. Having served as a junior minister in the third Stevens ministry and subsequently promoted, Stevens had resigned as Premier following the passing of a censure motion concerning Mair's proposal to cut government spending in order to restrain a growing deficit, with ten United Australia members crossing the floor to vote against the government.

Eric Spooner Eric Sydney Spooner (2 March 1891 – 3 June 1952) was an Australian politician. Early life Spooner was born in the Sydney suburb of Waterloo and educated at Christ Church St Laurence School. At 14 he became a telegraph messenger and studie ...

had ambitions to replace Stevens as leader however Bruxner refused to join a coalition with him and Mair won the leadership ballot and hence became Premier. 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 5 August 1939 until 16 May 1941, when the 1941 state election saw the defeat of the Mair–Bruxner coalition, and the Labor Party winning government under the leadership of

William McKell Sir William John McKell, (26 September 1891 – 11 January 1985) was an Australian politician who served as the 12th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1947 to 1953. He had previously been Premier of New South Wales from 1941 to 19 ...

Composition of ministry

The composition of the ministry was announced by Premier Mair on 5 August 1939 for eleven days until 16 August 1939 as an "emergency cabinet" pending formation of the full ministry as a result of the turmoil following the resignation of Stevens. At that point there was a minor rearrangement. 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:Mair-Bruxner ministry New South Wales ministries 1939 establishments in Australia 1941 disestablishments in Australia

Composition of ministry

See also

References