AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

Evening Star, Issue 20988, 30 December 1931, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

THE HEW CABINET COUNTRY PARTY REPRESENTATION Tress Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, SYDNEY, December 29. Mr J. A. Lyons expects to be able to announce the new Federal Cabinet on Thursday. The question of what representation the United Country Party will be given in it is the subject of Press controversy, and constitutes a delicate aspect, for, although the Country Party emerged from the election with increased strength, the fact remains that the United Australia Party has an absolute majority over all other parties in the House of Representatives. A section of the Press desires that the Country Party shall be given adequate representation. Several members of the Country Party met in Sydney and discussed the conditions under which the Country Party will co-operate with the United Australia Party in the formation of a new Cabinet, and it was agreed that Mr Lyons should exercise a free hand in making his choice, the Country Party members being less concerned with office than with the adoption of a definite policy which will solve Australia’s difficulties and behind which the united parties can range themselves. Such a policy was agreed upon prior to the elections, the main features of it being as follow; — 1. A revision of the tariff to reduce the cost of living and production. 2. Constitutional changes to enable the people of New South Wales to get control of their own affairs and automatically force Mr Lang to go to the people. 3. Means to deal effectually with Communists. Dr Earle Page, Leader of the Country Party, is willing, if desired, to act merely as a liaison between the new Government and the Country Party. Mr Lyon, who is now in Tasmania, declared that he wants a completely united party, and will consider any representations from the Country Party which will achieve that end. He has accordingly arranged to meet Dr Earle Page at Melbourne to-mor'r'ow.

VOTE COUNTING COMPLETED MR GARDEN DEFEATED. SYDNEY, December 29. The distribution of preferences is now Completed in the Macquarrie electorate where the Minister of Defence (Mr J. B. Chifley) has been defeated by Mr J. Lawson, a member of thq United Australia Party, by 456 votes. Finality has also been reached in the Cook electorate, where the sitting member, the Federal Labourite, Mr E. Riley, jun., triumphed over the wellknown Mr J. S. Garden, who is a Lang Plan candidate, by 713 votes. The result of this contest has been awaited with the greatest interest. Mr Garden’s defeat reduced the Lang Plan Party, otherwise the Beasleyites, to four in a House of 75. Hitherto they had five members. The state of the parties is as follows ; United Australia Party 38 United Country Party ... 16 Independents 2 Federal Labour 14 Beasleyites 4 Doubtful 1 The progress of the Senate count is extremely slow and tedious. The United Australia Party candidates continue to maintain a substantial lead over all other parties, except in Queensland, where the three retiring senators are likely to bo defeated.

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT TO MEET ON FEBRUARY 26. MELBOURNE, December 30. XReceived December 30, at 11.15 a.m.) . It is understood that the Federal Parliament will meet on February 26, when the main business will be the validation of the present tariff schedule for another three months.