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Evening Star, Issue 15188, 20 May 1913, Page 4

The list of nominations for the Federal Elections to be held at Federal the end of this month Elections, shows to what an extent

a common enemy can unite rival parties. In only a few cases are there more than two candidates for any one seat; the issue is now plainly Labor versus Anti-Labor. Under the electoral law as it stands this is not regrettable. In such a fight the split vote resulting from a three-cornered ctontest usually leads to minority representation, and with an increase in the number of candidates the probabilities of this become much greater. Needless to say, the Labor party have everything to gain and nothing to lose with the law as it stands. Their organisation and discipline are such that there is not, in any of the contests for the 75 seats in the House of Representatives or the 18 seats in the Senate, more than one Labor candidate for any one seat; while in four electorates only has Labor failed to nominate a candidate. Their opponents have to a great extent recognised that if Labor is to be defeated similar tactics must be used to fight the dominant party. In Queensland and Western Australia there axe straight-out “twomen” fights in every Lower House electorate; in South Australia there is the intrusion of a Third Party in only one electorate, the same applying to Tasmania; but in New South Wales there are three contests in which the Opposition vote will be split, while in Victoria there are no less than five. It is only because of the antiquated system of voting to which the Commonwealth clings that the intrusion of third parties is lamentable. Theoretically there should be no reasonable limit to freedom of choice in the matter of candidates, and practically there is none when preferential .voting is the system adopted. But the Labor Government, have not seen tit to entrust the people with this weapon, fearing, no doubt, that it might prove a two-edged sword. Miss Muleahy, who is contesting the Melbourne division with Dr Maloney, the sitting Labor member, has upbraided the Fisher Government for stalling off this urgent reform, a. reform-, bo it noted, that was advocated and promised by them. There have recently been some prominent instances of defection from Labor ranks. Firet there was Mr James Hawker, ex-president of the Amalgamated Miners’ Association of Australasia, who is supporting tha Liberal candidate against, Labor's nominee at Ballarat, and who maintains that he is still in sympathy with the principles of Labor, bid, he is disgusted with the treatment he received after the support he gave to Labor candidates in the past. Next there, was the ease of Miss Muleahy, herself a Labor candidate at the last election. She is now standing foi Melbourne as an Independent, and she has put forward a quiet but forcible statement explaining why she has turned her back on her old party, to whom, by the way, her nomination came as a great surp.ise, as shs had always been regarded as one of the staunchest of their followers.

Though not much out in public I have for the past 20 years been fighting in the came of Labor. For the past seven years I have taken an active part in industrial and political life, and have done my utmost to help the Labor paity. Hie, .mam cry of the party' at the last election was Protection, and I maintain that they have betrayed their pledges in that matter as much as the Fusionists. Preferential voting lias always been a plank in their platform. They believe in it for themselves, as shown by the fact that in the selection of candidates they use the system, but although they dealt with the Electoral Act, they made no attempt to introduce it. "in my opinion it is the fairest means of getting a true expression of the wishes of the people. It would have the effect of doing away with party strife, and giving the people a proper voice in the government of the nation

. Then I strongly disagree with the action of the party in doing away with the system of postal voting. Members of the party have always been loud in their contention that the people should bs trusted, but by taking away the postal vote the Labor party have shown distrust of the people. My contention m that any party which disfranchises the people to any extent is an enemy of the people I must say, further, that the administration of the'departments by the Federal Labor party has always been weak, 'there have been continual complaints about the administration in connection with the Pest Chios. Tbs Lahorites had always said that if they could get control of the, administration they would act in a totallv different manner to their opponents. They would, thev said, see that they had control, and would not give Civil servants all the power, but, in my opinion, they have been the worst offenders in this respect. A greater system of redtiipism now exists than ever before.

And so her indictment runs on through almost every political question of the day. Miss Mulcahy calls the Lahorites “political tricksters ’ “party they started out to be. and I “have lost confidence in ihem. They pro- “ fess to believe in political freedom.'but “ they want to have a monopoly over all “ candidates for Parliament, and by that “ means to make the positions hereditary “ for themselves.” Though we are not in favor of seeing women take their place in Parliament, such keenness of perception and straightforward denouncing of political cant as tins constitute, a very strong argument to the. contrary.