Rex Connor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rex Connor
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Connor in 1973
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| Minister for Minerals and Energy | |
| In office 19 December 1972 – 14 October 1975 |
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| Prime Minister | Gough Whitlam |
| Preceded by | [First holder] |
| Succeeded by | Ken Wriedt |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Cunningham |
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| In office 30 November 1963 – 22 August 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Victor Kearney |
| Succeeded by | Stewart West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 January 1907 Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 22 August 1977 (aged 70) Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Spouse |
Grace Searl
(m. 1931–1977) |
| Children | Three sons |
| Occupation | Car dealer |
Reginald Francis Xavier Connor (born January 26, 1907, died August 22, 1977) was an important Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Parliament for the Labor Party from 1963 until he passed away in 1977. Rex Connor also served as the Minister for Minerals and Energy in the Whitlam government from 1972 to 1975.
Connor was born in Wollongong, New South Wales. He worked for the Wollongong City Council and later in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. When he joined federal politics, he became a close supporter of Gough Whitlam. Whitlam made him a minister after Labor won the 1972 election.
As Minister for Minerals and Energy, Connor was known for his strong belief in economic nationalism. This meant he wanted Australia to control its own resources. He is most remembered for the "loans affair". This happened when he tried to get large loans from Middle Eastern countries. His resignation in October 1975 was a key event leading to the constitutional crisis that saw Whitlam's government removed a month later.
Connor died while still serving as the member for the Division of Cunningham. This led to a special election in 1977.
Early Life and Education
Rex Connor was born on January 26, 1907, in Wollongong, New South Wales. His father, Peter Francis Connor, was a labourer. His mother was Ethel (née Deegan).
Connor went to Wollongong High School. He was the top student in his graduating class. He had planned to become a chemist. However, after his father died in 1925, he started working to support his family.
In 1926, Connor began working for a lawyer named Charles Morgan. He helped with cases about workers' rights. He later started a successful car dealership during the Great Depression.
State Politics
In 1950, Connor was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He represented the area of Wollongong-Kembla. He served there until 1963.
During his time in state politics, he helped introduce the Clean Air Act 1961. This law aimed to reduce air pollution in New South Wales.
Federal Politics
In 1963, Rex Connor left state politics. He was then elected to the Australian House of Representatives. He represented the Cunningham area, which included Wollongong.
In Canberra, Connor became known for his unique style. He was a large man who often wore a hat, even when hats were no longer common. He rarely spoke in Parliament and almost never talked to journalists. He also kept his exact age a secret.
Working with the Whitlam Government
In the 1972 election, the Labor Party won power. Gough Whitlam became the Prime Minister. Rex Connor was chosen to be a senior minister. He was appointed Minister for Minerals and Energy.
In this role, Connor wanted Australia to have more control over its mining and energy industries. He disliked how much foreign companies controlled these areas. He had big plans, like creating a national energy network. He also wanted a gas pipeline across Australia. This pipeline would bring gas from the North West Shelf to cities in the south-east.
Connor often quoted a poem by Sam Walter Foss:
- Give me men to match my mountains,
- Give me men to match my plains,
- Men with freedom in their visions
- And creation in their veins.
His idea of Australia controlling its own resources was popular with many Labor Party members. The 1973 oil crisis seemed to show that his ideas were right. After the 1974 election, he was the top choice for a ministerial role.
However, the large amounts of money from oil sales, called petrodollars, caused problems for Connor.
The Loans Affair
In 1974, Connor tried to get a very large loan from the Middle East. He used a person named Tirath Khemlani as an intermediary. Usually, the government had specific ways to get loans. But Connor tried to bypass these normal processes.
Other government departments were worried about the loan's legality. They also had concerns about Khemlani. In May 1975, the Cabinet decided that only the Treasurer could negotiate foreign loans.
Despite this, Connor continued to work with Khemlani. He hoped to get a huge loan for his development projects. He believed that if he succeeded, no one would criticize him. If he failed, no one would know.
The Opposition parties called this "the Loans Affair". They said it was a serious issue. This affair led to the Senate blocking money for the government. This situation contributed to the dismissal of the Whitlam government a few weeks later. The Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, removed Whitlam from office.
Journalist Paul Kelly wrote that Rex Connor was driven by what he thought was best for Australia. Kelly said Connor might have been naive, but he was honest.
Personal Life
In 1931, Rex Connor married Grace Searl. They had three sons together. Grace passed away in April 1977. Rex Connor died a few months later.
Connor died at Canberra Hospital on August 22, 1977. He was 70 years old. He had been unwell for two years.
One of his sons, Rex Connor junior, later started a political party called the Advance Australia Party.
Images for kids
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Connor in 1973
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Connor in 1965
