About John McDonald (Victorian politician)
Sir John Gladstone Black McDonald (6 December 1898 – 23 April 1977) was an Australian politician who served as the 37th Premier of Victoria, leading a Country Party government from 1950 to 1952. McDonald first attained high office as a minister in the wartime coalition governments led by Albert Dunstan and Thomas Hollway. McDonald became leader of the Country Party and Leader of the Opposition in 1945. Following the 1947 election, he became Deputy Premier in a coalition government led by Hollway, who was the leader of the Liberal Party and served as Acting Premier for much of the term. His tenure as Deputy Premier under Hollway ended in 1948 when the Country Party withdrew from the coalition, accusing the premier of betrayal over the handling of a tramway strike, returning McDonald to the position of Opposition leader. McDonald first attained the premiership in June 1950 through an agreement between his Country Party and the Australian Labor Party that allowed him to form a minority government. His tenure saw the extension of the adult franchise to the Legislative Council and the establishment of the Mental Hygiene Authority. However, his government was marked by political instability, including open conflict with the federal Liberal government over loan funds and a precarious alliance with Labor, which fractured over the issue of rural electoral weighting. After surviving a no-confidence motion, his government fell in October 1952 when Labor blocked supply in the upper house. Following a brief and unsuccessful premiership by Hollway, lasting just four days, McDonald was recommissioned as premier and secured a dissolution of parliament. He led the Country Party to the ensuing December 1952 election but was defeated by Labor under John Cain, which won its first majority government in the state. McDonald remained in parliament until 1955, when an electoral redistribution abolished his seat. Knighted in 1957, he spent his later years involved in agricultural and business interests, notably as chairman of the Shepparton Preserving Co. (SPC), from 1965 until 1970. A staunch anti-communist, he frequently attacked the Cain government for its alleged tolerance of Communist influence in trade unions and its banking policies. As Deputy Premier, he threatened to withdraw the Country Party from the coalition unless the government dealt effectively with Communists and proposed legislation to strip Communists of the right to hold office in trade unions and other organisations. He consistently took a hard line against industrial action and opposed making concessions to striking workers. McDonald came to office by defeating Hollway's Liberals, but was himself vanquished by the Labor Party under John Cain in 1952. McDonald was also Deputy Premier of Victoria from November 1947 to December 1948 under Premier Tho.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.