ELECTION IN VICTORIA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25326, 28 October 1947, Page 7

ELECTION IN VICTORIA

POSSIBLE ACTION JN OTHER STATES OPPOSITION TO BANK NATIONALISATION (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) MELBOURNE. Oct. 27. Reports that action might be taken in South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania to test the feeling of the electorates towards the nationalisation of banking have given fresh impetus to the election campaign in Victoria. It is understood that such action would be considered in the other States only if the Labour Government were defeated in Victoria. Western Australia and South Australia have non-Labour Governments and in Tasmania there is a non-Labour majority in the Upper House. Those interested in the move for action in these States maintain that if the electors in the four States showed that they were opposed to the nationalisation of banking the Federal Government would be seriously embarrassed in persisting with its proposals. The election campaign in Victoria is developing into one of the most actively organised in the State’s history. Nominations closed on Friday ana polling day is November 8. Lab our will contest 52 seats, the Liberals 50, and the Country Party 27. There are 30 triangular contests, but in only nine of these are Liberal and Country Party candidates opposed to each other. There is only one Communist candidate. Three New South - Wales Ministers and six Labour members will take part in the campaign. They have divided into two teams of which the first will go into action in Melbourne to-day, delivering three speeches a man daily. The first team will be relieved by the second on November 2. State Ministers from South Australia have been called in on the side of the Opposition and the South Australian Premier (Mr T. Playford) will begin campaigning in the wheat areas of Western Victoria this week. The Federal Ministers are taking great interest in the election and win take an active part against the large meetings being held by the Opposition leaders, Mr R. G. Menzies and Mr A. W. Fadden. So far the reaction of electors at meetings has revealed that though Labour members began the campaign by insisting that reform of the Upper House and not banking was the main election issue, the elector, are most in. terested in the bank nationalisation struggle. Whether the Labour members wish it or not. they are being forced by public opinion to light the campaign on bank nationalisation. With two exceptions the election meetings have been orderly, in spite of the tense atmosphere. Brawls and interruptions broke up two meetings I’ eld the Liberal candidate for Carlton (Mr S. Lang). The Labour Premier (Mr J. Cain), who said last Friaay that the State Labour Party favoured the nationalisation of the private banks, professes optimism about the result of the campaign. He says that a three day,' tour of country areas has convinced him that there will be no landslide against the Labour Party.