AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1940, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

THE PROSPECTS REVIEWED BOTH SIDES CONFIDENT [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT.] SYDNEY; September 19. The polling in the Federal Parliamentary elections takes place on Saturday,following on a whirlwind campaign by 338 candidates for the House of Representatives. ' It is however, quite impossible, according to disinterested political observers, to predict the outcome. Early in the campaign, a' belief was popular that-the Menzies Government,'in the emergency circumstances of to-day, with’his “AU-iri” war policy, would 'uncloubtedly receive a mandate to carry bn. • * Labour’s programme was similarly based. This appeared to admit of no substantial reason' why there should be any changing of horses when crossing the stream. But", within the past fortnight a change ' has come over the scene. The customary sideissues and fault-finding have intruded to the Government’s disadvantage and discomfiture. Strangely, most, of the criticism which has been directed against the ministry has come from the United Australia Party, members themselves, and not alone from the Labour opponents. ' In this election the United Australia Party machine has departed from custom. This it has done by endorsing more than ope Government candidate 'for certain constituencies, and, according.'to report, some of these candidates have a definite chance of ousting their retiring parliamentary Colleagues. One case in point is that'of the Paramatta electorate, where the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Sir Frederick Stewart, has seven opponents, two of whom are fellow members of- his, party, and who are making political capital out of the petrol rationing trouble. They are pressing him closely: The Postmaster-General, Mr Thorby, is getting bitter opposition. His prospects of success are far from rosy. A crop of Independent candidates has tended to complicate the Government’s task of focussing public attention on' vital war issues. It is generally'conceded that the fate of the Government will largely be determined by the voting ih New South Wales. LABOUR ESTIMATES. <

The Labour Party campaign directors are exceedingly optimistic. They claim that the results of the three recent by-elections in New,. South Wales, particularly that for Ryde, and also of the. Corio by-election in Victoria, earlier. in the year, reveal an unmistakeable swing to Labour. They are hopeful of winning at least four seats in New South Wales, including the Barton seat by their candidate Dr. Evatt, who was formerly of the High Court Bench, and who resigned to stand as a Labourite. , He has given a great fillip to the Labour campaign. The'Labourites claim that they will win at least three seats in other States. Labour will require to win altogether only five seats in order to obtain a narrow working majority in the House of Representatives. Furthermore, Labour expect to get control of the Senate. They possess the initial advantage of holding 14 out of the 17 seats that are not being contested in this election, and they only need to win the Senate seats in two out of the six 'States in order to achieve their objective. In other circumstances, there may be a stalemate. The Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, had a rousing reception at most large centres in the eastern States, but he has had to submit to considerable heckling at a few of his meetings this week, in the southern State. He is in the difficult position of having to keep one eye On his own electorate of Kooyong,, where he has five Opponents, four of whom are Independents of more than average standing. The United Australia Party officials say they cannot see the Government being defeated. They are rather of opinion that it will strengthen its present majority as the result of Labour feuds and factions in New South Wales. The Country Party are confident that their numbers in the House of Representatives will not be diminish- • ed. Indeed they expect to win a couple of seats in New South Wales. The states of the parties at the dissolution was as follows:— HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Labour 33 United Australia Party . . . . 26 ' United Country Party .. . . 15" ‘ Independent 1 SENATE. .. Government 20 Labour .* 16 8 The result of the elections is likely to remain in doubt for some time, owing to the plethora of candidates and parties, and the checking -of soldiers’ votes here an'd abroad; also the distribution of preference votes in doubtful contests.