VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT

Evening Star, Issue 23500, 14 February 1940, Page 2

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT

PREMIER REQUESTS DISSOLUTION INTERNAL DISSENSION IN COUNTRY fARTV Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright■ MELBOURNE, February IS. The Premier, Mr A. A. Dunstan, saw the Governor, Sir Winston Dugan, to. day and presented the case for the dissolution of the State Parliament; and an early election. Trouble has been developing for some time in' Mr Dunstan’s Country Party Government, which holds office, with the support of the Labour Party. The Central Council ,of _the Country Party, which -is -the administrative section party as distinct from the'parliamentary section, made many recent attempts to dominate Ministers to such an extent that Mr Dunstan last week made an extensive tour of Victoria, denouncing what he described as attempts of “ outside dictation.” Some members of the parliamentary jiarty are supporters or the Central Council, hut the majority are not. ■ . The dispute was brought to a head recently when the Ministry refused to reappoint Mr A..E. Hocking, former president of the Central as Commissioner • of the ' State Savings Bank. Several motions have since been placed on the agenda of the annual conference of the party, demanding that all future appointments to State positions be Country Party members. , . t . Mr Dunstan now desires to seek a mandate from "the people to continue to govern without dictation from outside sources. The Governor’s reply is expected tonight. DISSOLUTION GRANTED ; MELBOURNE, February 18. (Received February 14, at 8 a.ra.) Dissolution has been granted and a& election will be held on March 16.