STATE ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 235, 4 October 1937, Page 7

STATE ELECTION.

VICTORIAN POLLING. Country Party-Labour Alliance Successful. RETURN TO OFFICE. United Press Association.— Copyright. MELBOURNE, October 3. The Country party Government, led by Mr. A. A. Dunstan, and actively supported by Labour, returns to power stronger than ever as the result of the general election for the Victorian Legislative Assembly held yesterday. The probable state of parties in the new Parliament, compared with the last Parliament, is as follows:— Probable Last Position. Parliament. Labour 22 18 Country party . 19 20 United Australia party 21 24 Independents 3 3

The United Australia party probably will lose on this occasion four seats— three to Labour and one to a woman Independent. The Country party may lose one seat to Labour. All the Ministers have been returned as well as the party leaders. The Dunstan Ministry went to the country after the dissolution on September 2 to secure a mandate for the constitutional reform of the Legislative Council. Both the Premier, Mr. Dunstan, and the Labour leader, Mr. T. Tunnecliffe, stated last night that the outcome of the voting indicated approval of their political alliance and approval of their campaign for the reform of the Upper House. The counting is incomplete, but it appears as if the Labour party is the only one likely to gain. The Premier appears to have gained little support for the proposed reform of the Legislative Council, the issue on which the election was fought. Before the final state of the parties is known the distribution of preferences in respect of several seats is necessary.