NO FIREWORKS EXPECTED

Evening Star, Issue 26067, 3 April 1947, Page 9

NO FIREWORKS EXPECTED

AUSTRALIAN STATE ELECTIONS LABOUR MAY HOLD FORT (From C. It. Mentiplay, N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) • SYDNEY, April 2. Now that May 3 has been fixed as the polling day for the New South Wales and Queensland elections, both sides are busily weighing their chances in the light of recent events. The clash in New South Wales is more than merely another State election, as it will confirm or deny the hypothesis that the Australian Labour' Party is losing favour' with the electors. In the Federal elections last year the Labour Party ran strictly according to form in the State, but since then events throughout Australia, chiefly connected with industrial unrest, have indicated that the body of opinion opposed to the “ wait and see ” policy of the Chifley Government is gaining many recruits. The Liberal and Country Parties have exchanged a pledge that if their candidates are ejected in a majority they will form a Coalition Government; but apart ’ from _ that and a certain similarity in policies they are still distinct parties, with rival candidates opposing each other in many electorates. Thus the Opposition is in no way more united than it was in the Federal elections, after which many Opposition supporters bitterly admitted that lack of unity cost them victory. Less easy to fathom is the refusal of the State Liberals to permit the Federal Leader, Mr R. G. Menzies, to take part in _ their campaign. The Queensland Liberals have reached a similar decision, which means that all four State elections fought in the first half of 1947 will have been without the. assistance of the National Liberal Leader. . THE PROSPECTS. In New South Wales the Opposition faces the task of taking at least 15 Labour seats to win, but party leaders agree that a swing of less than 10 per cent, could jeopardise 21 seats. The chances of the Opposition in Queensland, where 19 seats would have to change hands for a Government upset, are not considered bright, but abandonment of preferential voting for the “ first past the post ” system, as practised in New Zealand, may have important results. In the past few days the McGirr Government- in New South Wales lias been fortunate. The effects of the Domain riot have not been as deep as Opposition supporters hoped. The decision of the- Arbitration Court in the matter of week-end penalty rates has been well received in New South Wales, though not in Victoria. The May Day strike, which would have occurred two days before the election, has been called off, even by the militants. From this distance it appears as if the election will be fought on the broader issues of industrial unrest, mob violence, and the need for greater production and housing, with accent on reasons for the suppression of the Communist Party. Thus what could be an undignified but exciting brawl may turn out to be a gentlemanly sparring display.