SOUTH AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26985, 10 March 1953, Page 9

SOUTH AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT

Decision To Stay In Office (Rec. 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 9. The Premier of South Australia (Mr T. Playford) said in Adelaide last night that his Government would continue in office. He said that although his majority after the State elections on Saturday would not be large, it would be sufficient to carry on. Mr Playford’s majority will probably be reduced from seven to one. The state of the new House will probably be: Liberal-Country League 20, Labour 15, Independents 4—an overall majority of one for the LiberalCountry League Government. With the appointment of a Speaker, this may mean that Mr Playford will call upon the support of at least one of the Independents in the House. In Queensland, counting last night in the State elections did not alter the position after Saturday night’s counting. Labour has held all its seats, won four from the Opposition, and has good chances of winning three more. AUSTRALIAN TROOPS AT CORONATION ABORIGINAL OFFICER NOT TO BE INCLUDED CANBERRA. March 9. The Federal Government has refused requests for the inclusion of Australia’s only aboriginal commissioned officer. Captain Reg Saunders, in the Coronation contingent on the ground that the size of the contingent ; limited and cannot be increased. The Government was forced to make a decision by public requests for Captain Saunders’s inclusion. Members of the public? argued that, as the New Zealand contingent would include Maoris, the Australian contingent should include at least Captain Saunders. Another proposal was that Captain Saunders should go to the Coronation as an honordry aide to the Prime Minister (Mr Menzies), but this also has been refused by the Government