TEST FOR MENZIES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29384, 10 December 1960, Page 13

TEST FOR MENZIES

By-Election In Australia MELBOURNE. Dec. 9 Tomorrow about 56.500 voters will elect a new member of the Federal House of Representatives for the Melbourne suburban electorate of Higinbotham. The byelection, made necessary by the death of Mr T. F. Timson, who held the seat for the Government, is being keenly contested, and should show public reaction to the economic policies of the Menzies Government. ’ The by-election is generally regarded as a pointer to the Federal General Election next year. The Government is expected to hold the seat, but with a reduced majority, perhaps a greatly reduced majority. Most first-preference votes in the by-election should be counted by tomorrow night. But the final result is almost certain to depend on the second preferences of the Democratic Labour Party candidate. The D.L.P. is urging supporters to give second preferences to the Liberal Party. In the 1958 General Election. D.L.P. voters overwhelmingly followed the official D.L.P. “how to vote” ticket However, Australian Labour Party leaders claimed today that the Federal Government’s recent economic measures would react against the Liberal Party. T n the 1958 election Mr Timson had a majority of 9805 votes after distribution of preferences. He received 5150 D.L.P. second preferences to the A.L.P. candidate’s 515. Labour leaders expect the Government’s vote will be reduced by about 8-per cent., and that more than half of this swing will go to Labour.