VIRTUAL STALEMATE IK FEDERAL POLLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 236, 4 October 1940, Page 7

VIRTUAL STALEMATE IK FEDERAL POLLING.

CRISIS MAY RESULT.

National Government Seems

Only Solution.

United Press Association.—Copyright.

(Reed. 10 a.m.)

SYDNEY, this day.

The Federal elections have reached a virtual stalemate, capable of producing a major political crisis in the event of Labour declining to be associated with the National Government which, according , to political observers, is the only way out.

Authoritative Labour opinion ie already declaring that in .no circumstances will the Labour party accept fewer than half the portfolios in any National Government. Labour also demands the right to select its own Ministers.

The position will be surveyed at the conference of Parliamentary leaders convened by Mr. R. G. Menziea for Monday.

Two of three doubtful seats were decided during yesterday's check-up of candidate*' preferences, resulting in the. Government winning both.

One seat, Maromoa, in Queensland, remains in doubt, but indications poiut to the official Labour candidate, Mr. F. Baker, winning, in which case the State of parties in the House of Representatives will be equal, 3« seats each, with two Independents.

The two Government candidates returned yesterday were the former Minister of Customs, Mr. J. Perkins, who retained the Eden-Monaro e eat, and Lieutenant-Colonel K. S. Ryan, who won the Flinders seat in Victoria, formerly held by the Minister of Air, the late Mr. J. V. Fairbairn. the latter contest has been extremely interesting, largely owing to a neck-and-neck fight between the Labour candidate, Mr. T. Lee, and an Independent, Mr. £. A. Mann, who, prior to the election, was an official commentator for the national broadcasting stations, known as "The Watchman."

The Senate count will not be concluded for a fortnight owing to delay in receiving the soldiers' votes. It is generally expected that Labour will win in only New South Wales, thereby reducing the Government's majority in the Senate to one.