Campaign Nears End In Australia

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32127, 24 October 1969, Page 11

Campaign Nears End In Australia

(N.Z Press Assn —Copariphti

CANBERRA, Oct. 23. ; Australia’s political ■leaders today began to wind up their campaigns !for Saturday’s election of the 125-member ■House of Representatives.

They made their final radio and television appeals last night to the country’s six and a half million voters. ; The Electoral Act bans radio and television political coverage on the final two days of a campaign, and on polling day.

The electoral law does not apply to newspapers, which will cover the final series of public meetings by the Prime Minister (Mr John Gorton) and the Opposition leader, Mr Gough Whitlam. Mr Gorton says that he expects to be returned with a comfortable majority. Mr Whitlam is confident of winning the 21 extra seats his Australian Labour Party needs to govern. Of the old House of Representatives 124 seats, the Lib-eral-Country Party coalition

i government held 80, the 'A.I.P. 42 and Independents two. A recent electoral distribution has created one addsItional electorate. In his campaign, Mr Gordon has concentrated on defence and foreign policy, at-

s tacking particularly Labour s s promise to withdraw Australian troops from Vietnam,: - Malaysia and Singapore. ■j He has alleged that this will; weaken Australia's alliances - and “place at risk” pledges of! - United States help should -i Australia be attacked.