MR. LANG LOSES AND WINS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 111, 13 May 1935, Page 8

MR. LANG LOSES AND WINS

; First fact of importance in the two State elections in Australia is the re-election of two Governments who have for the last three years kept their step fairly well in the march of Australia towards recovery and balanced .Budgets. Other facts of importance are that the electors in New South Wales have % reduced the unusually large majority of .the nonLabour (Stevens-Bruxnei) Government, while the electors in Queensland have expanded to unusual pro- xpprtions the majority of the Labour (Forgari Smith) Government; but, from the point of view of thei Labour movement, still more significant, is the heavy defeat of Federal Labour by Lang Labour. Is this a turningpoint in Mr. Lang's future? "He ' showed little statesmanship in his I conduct of the electoral campaign; his past to some extent still hangs over him; his appeal to Mrs. Grundy was a step away from the vital issues; yet he has made good'in the normal Labour . constituencies against the other Labour section, and he has turned at least some of the non-party voters who in 1932 revolted from the I actions of his Government and gave I an overwhelming majority to Messrs. , Stevens and Bruxner. The Lang I party's figures leave it still ,in defeat, but, as a. section of Labour, they strengthen its position against the i rest of Labour. Federal Labour 1 would have had a simplified task had this election, suppressed ' Mr. Lang. But that hope he has exploded. To I the next "Labour unity" negotiations ,he will go with a. stronger hanS. Subject to' Country Party support, and assuming no secession coup like that of Mr. Dunstan's followers in Victoria, Mr. Stevens now has another three years in which to balance the Budget and pursue his recovery I policy, which is a compromise between deficits and tax concessions, with a limited.leaning on loans. His loss of former, Labour seats dpes not alter the fact that everything is in his favour for the term of the new Parliament. But almost as soon as recovery policy is made safe in one three-year Parliament it , comes up for the popular-vote^in some other three-year . Parliament; and a country with seven Parliaments thus finds it always difficult to see clearly ahead in «ny national long-term programme like the Premiers' Plan. It is in this sense—looking at the whole outlook in Federal as well as in State politicsl—that the partial recovery of Mr. Lang becomes important, even if expected. Does Mr. Lang , now represent a permanent rock in I the channel dividing the Labour I stream into two, and weakening its j force? •• Or will he succeed in recreating Australian Labour in bis own likeness? He has persistence enough to aim at continental conquest, and, if he cannot win by negotiation, to carry the war into neighbouring States, as he did before. Possibly,before Labour is Langised, or Lang is Labouriged, Australia will be running on an even financial keel, but the possibilities of mischief will hot have terminated. Saturday's polling in New South Walesf'is a renewal of trust in a stabilising Government,', but there is some writing on the wall. The trust has a time limit, and, after stability, people demand progress. *