John Cann

John Henry Cann (19 April 1860 – 21 July 1940) was a New South Wales politician, Treasurer, and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of James McGowen and William Holman.

Background Cann was born in 1860 in Horrabridge, moving with his family to Northumberland in 1866. When the AMA formed a local branch of the Labor Electoral League in 1891 Cann was preselected as candidate for the state parliament seat of Sturt and elected in the same year. Cann was elected unopposed as the sitting member, Wyman Brown, decided to retire after local unions passed a motion of no confidence in him. Other labour candidates including Sleath (then serving as AMA secretary) and William Ferguson (supported by the Barrier Ranges Trades and Labour Council) withdrew from the contest once it was clear Cann had the majority support of local unions.

Cann served as Labor's central campaign director for the 1897 election to the Federation Convention. Labor opposed the 1897 federation proposal, instead advocating a unicameral legislature elected by universal suffrage. This opposition to federation was controversial locally, and although the "No" vote was successful, it caused significant internal conflict within the Labor party in the far west. Cann resigned as speaker as part of the political crisis caused by the resignations of Bill Dunn and Henry Horne, causing Labor to lose its majority. Parliament was porouged and on its resumption, Liberal Reform member Henry Willis was elected speaker and restoring Labor's majority.

Cann continued to serve as MLA for Broken Hill until the seat was abolished in 1913, He was succeeded as the member for Sturt by the more radical Percy Brookfield.