interview with
Robert Menzies and Allan Fraser, discussing their recollections of the
Petrov Affair. In 1943, Fraser beat
Jessie Street for Labor preselection for
Eden-Monaro. He entered federal parliament at the
1943 election, which gave
John Curtin's ALP government a large majority. A split in the conservative vote knocked
United Australia Party incumbent
John Perkins into third place, allowing Fraser to become only the second Labor member ever to win the seat. He was one of four candidates for the party's deputy leadership
in 1951, but was eliminated on the first ballot after polling only nine votes out of 81. Fraser tended to be independent and at times critical of his party. In particular, he condemned
H. V. Evatt in relation to his handling of the
Industrial Groups and the 1954 Labor Party split (although he himself was no Grouper). After Labor's defeat in
1955 Fraser stood against Evatt for the leadership, but lost 58 to 20 and lost his high ranking in caucus' executive. He later became increasingly interested in foreign affairs and was particularly critical of Australia's involvement in the
Vietnam War. In the
1966 election Labor's opposition to the war led to its being vanquished in a landslide, and Fraser lost his seat to Liberal challenger
Dugald Munro. He regained it in
1969, when the war had become less popular and a strong swing to Labor nearly allowed it to win government. He retired at the
1972 election, when the
Whitlam government came to power. and was, in consequence, expelled from the Labor Party. He died at
Royal Canberra Hospital on 12 December 1977, two days after the
1977 federal election, following several years of heart trouble. He was survived by his wife and son. His brother,
Jim Fraser, was MP for the adjoining seat of
Australian Capital Territory from 1951 to 1970. ==Honours==