Word: chifley
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Taking over the leadership in 1951 at the death of ex-Prime Minister Ben Chifley, Evatt was immediately caught up in a bitter sectarian fight between Communists and Catholic Actionists inside the labor movement. When the Soviet Embassy defector Vladimir Petrov named two Evatt secretaries as accomplices in espionage (they were later cleared), Evatt appeared as their lawyer, thereby alienating the immigrant vote (many are refugees from Communism). Turning on the Catholic Actionists, Evatt antagonized many of the Irish Catholics who traditionally vote Labor. Conservative Robert Menzies has won a decisive victory in the last three elections...