AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1943, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

LABOUR PROSPECTS IMPROVING

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, August 15.

The Independents may again hold the balance of power in Australia’s seventeenth Federal Parliament, to be elected on Saturday. An increasing number of political observers now believe the Labour Government will be returned to office—perhaps with its own very slender working majority, and perhaps dependent on the continued support from Independent members. The Opposition seems likely to retain its Senate majority. A victory for Labour would be due in full measure to Mr. Curtin’s personal prestige. Without his leadership, Labour would face certain defeat at the polls. Heavy Opposition attacks and his own often uninspiring election addresses have in no way diminished the popular belief that Mr. Curtin is the political figure best fitted to lead the Australian wartime Government. The Opposition continues to stress the need for a national administration, as the first plank of its platform. In this, it has general newspaper editorial support—but Labour steadfastly refuses to consider such wartime coalition. Public acceptance of this labour attitude has been assisted by broadcast differences between the leaders of the Opposition factions, notably Mr. Fadden and Mr. Menzies. From being strong at the opening of the election campaigning about four weeks ago, when their victory at the polls seemed probable, the Opposition’s position has been inclined gradually to deteriorate. Labour supporters are accepting as significant a pointer that their party will win this week by the record' majority of a formerly Independent .seat in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. Labour’s campaign has been shrewdly conducted.' In the main, it has been a plea for re-election on the record of its wartime achievements as compared with, those of the earlier MenziesFadden Government. Labour has made few promises and given no blueprint of its plans for the postwar years, consequently, the scope ol Opposition criticism has been restricted. Communists, whose clinging attentions seemed likely to alienate the strong religious vote following 'the issue of a denunciatory manifesto by the Roman Catholic bishops of New South Wales, have been disowned: the suspended Minister ol Labour. Mr. Ward and the boomerang “Brisbane line” controversy that he provoked, have been allowed to lie forgotten. ~ For the last days before polling, the partv leaders returned to their homes —Mr. Curtin to Western Australia, and Mr. Fadden to Queensland, fine Opposition leader travelled nearly 6000 miles in three weeks. In the course of a hectic campaign tour m most centres he received rough handlings, in marked contrast to Mr, Curtin, who invariably had enthusiastic audiences. These, however, were evidently comprised largely of convinced Labour supporters and not political converts. Some commentators suggest that the joint Opposition Parties’ failure to gain a majority at the polls would be the personal failure of Opposition leaders to convince the people that any one of them (Fadden Hughes, Menzies) would make ah alternative satisfactory Prime Minister to Mr. Curtin. The wide dissatisfaction with the whole Australian Parliamentary party machine is reflected in the record number of Independents contesting elections, says the Sydney “Herald, in an editorial. However, only a tew of these candidates are conceded co have good chances at the polls but these '’few may well determine the shape of the new Australian Government.