Rex Connor

Reginald Francis Xavier Connor (26 January 190722 August 1977) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1963 until he died in 1977, representing the Labor Party. He was the Minister for Minerals and Energy in the Whitlam government from 1972 to 1975.

Connor was born in Wollongong, New South Wales. He served on the Wollongong City Council from 1938 to 1945, and then in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1950 to 1963. After entering federal politics, Connor became an ally of Gough Whitlam, who appointed him to cabinet when Labor won the 1972 election. As Minister for Minerals and Energy, he was noted for his strident economic nationalism. However, Connor is best known as the central figure in the "loans affair", which arose from his attempts to secure petrodollar loans from Middle Eastern financiers. His resignation from cabinet in October 1975 precipitated the constitutional crisis which resulted in Whitlam's dismissal a month later.

Connor died as the sitting member for the Division of Cunningham, precipitating the 1977 Cunningham by-election.

Early life Connor was born on 26 January 1907 in Wollongong, New South Wales. He was the son of Ethel (née Deegan) and Peter Francis Connor; his father was a labourer.

Connor attended Wollongong High School, of which he graduated as dux despite contracting pneumonia in his final year. He initially intended to pursue a career in analytical chemistry, but after his father's death in 1925 he entered the workforce to support his family. In 1926, Connor began working as an articled clerk under solicitor Charles Morgan. He handled industrial and workers' compensation cases for Morgan, but in 1931 was dismissed after a falling out. He passed the examinations required to practise law but was twice rejected by the Solicitors' Admission Board. Connor remained a backbencher reportedly as he was not a supporter of the dominant Catholic right-wing of the NSW ALP.

The journalist Paul Kelly wrote in his book November 1975: "It was the national interest that drove Rex Connor. He can be criticised for his naivety and poor judgement. But there is no charge against Connor's integrity... The Opposition implied in the lobbies that ministers were chasing personal gain. There is no evidence for this." Nevertheless, by the time Labor returned to office in 1983, Connor's economic nationalism and dreams of massive state investment in energy projects had been totally rejected.

Personal life In 1931, Connor married Grace Searl, with whom he had three sons. He was widowed in April 1977 a few months before his own death. He had been in poor health for two years .

One of his sons, Rex Connor junior, founded and led the Advance Australia Party.