VIC. LABOUR OUSTED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22481, 10 November 1947, Page 5

VIC. LABOUR OUSTED

HALF SEATS LOST IN ELECTION

TRIUMPH OF LIBERAL PARTY

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter —Copyright.) (10 a .m.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 10. In the greatest landslide in political history in Victoria, Labour, in the State elections on Saturday, was reduced to almost half its former strength in the Legislative Assembly. At the close of counting last night, it was apparent that Labour had lost at least 12 and probably 16 seats.

Three Ministers Defeated

A striking feature of the election has been the success of the Liberal Party, which has captured most of Labour's lost seats and now stands well ahead of the Country Party, its former companion'in the Opposition. The state of the parties in the old Legislative Assembly, with probable figures in the New House, are as follows: „,., , T „,„

independent .. •• * So far three Ministers have been defeated and others are hard pressed. The defeated Ministers are the deputy Premier, Mr. Field, the Minister of Mines, Mr. McKenzie, and the Chief Secretary, Mr Slater, who had majorities in their favour of 837, 1931 and 3715 votes respectively in the last elections. Polling: Officer in Trouble

The voting started slowly and was unmarked by incidents. All the hotels remained open. Police headquarters received only one call from electoral officers. A polling booth official of South Yarra was detained by the police after a report by another officer that he opened a ballot box an hour before the polling ended and took out a handful of votes. He tearfully explained that he was trying to make a correction at the request of a voter. An immediate inquiry is being held.

Though the returns from the counfry were slow in coming in, it was soon apparent that Labour would suffer a reverse and that the Liberals were strong even in the country areas where formerly the Country Party had been the chief contestant against Labour.

Two Independents, on whose votes the Cain Government had been retained in power since the previous election, were the earliest casualties. The Opposition leader, Mr. John Gladstone McDonald, made an early prediction that the Opposition would claim 15 seats. "Socialism Out For Good”

"It is a definite landslide in which the Victorian people have confirmed their faith in the British way of life,” he added. "It means that socialism is out for good in Victoria.” “What can anybody say about figures such as these?” “The people have spoken,” commented the general secretary of the Labour Party, Mr. P. J. Kennedy. . Senior Labour Party men are blaming attacks by Federal and State Labour men on former prisoners of war, Mr. Blain and Mr. Kent Hughes, for the loss of some seats ahd thousands of votes. The result is regarded in all camps as an unequivocal condemnation of the Federal Government’s banking policy which was undoubtedly the principal The Liberal leader and the probable new Premier is Mr. Thomas Tuke Hollway ,aged 41, of Ballarat, who has been in the Victorian Parliament for 15 years. He holds two university degrees and is a former officer of the R.A.A.F. reserve.

Mr. Hollwey is regarded as a fighter who does not mince words and who has more appeal to the average elector than the Menzies and Casey stamp of Victorian politician. Beginning of the Fight

“This victory is the beginning of the fight against the Commonwealth Government," said Mr. Hollway, at the close of counting last night. “We will fight to the end to defeat Mr. Chifley’s bank nationalisation programme. I believe there will be no nationalisation of the banks because the new Victorian Government will protect the people’s interests. This can be the end of the Labour dictatorship.’’ ' Tasmanian Liberals who have been watching the Victorian election with great interest are reported to be considering using the same methods to force an election on the bank nationalisation issue.

In Tasmania the Upper House is nonLabour and, in the Lower House, Labour holds 16 seats, Liberals 12 and Independents two. A motion sent down by the Upper House criticising the nationalisation bill was lost last week in the Lower House by one vote. The Upper House may refuse supply to the Cosgrove Government later this year as the next elections are not due until the end of 1951. Significance of Vote

“The significance of the vote cannot escape Mr. Chifley," says the Sydney Sunday Telegraph. “Despite the protestations of the Labour Party leaders that banking was not an election issue, there can be no doubt that Victoria has, voted against the Federal Government’s bank nationalisation plans. Nor can there be much doubt that the electors in other States, if given a similar opportunity, would record equally emphatic disapproval.” The Sunday Sun comments that "though the Legislative Council’s refusal to vote supply was an outrageous political subterfuge which ordinarily would have roused the anger of the. electorate, there was a much more important issue. The people chose to forget about their own State issues and gave an unmistakable expression on the nationalisation of banking.” The Federal Prime Minister, Mr. J. B. Chifley, and most Federal Ministers declined to comment on the Victorian election result. The Minister of Trade and Customs said the result was chiefly the outcome of a fear complex whipped up by every available means of Opposition propaganda. He believed that in time, as the people came to know the motives of the Federal Government and appreciate the problems which would surely confront Australia in the next few years, they would lose that fear complex and endorse the banking legislation.

Old New . 31 16 Independent Labour . 1 1 97 . 13 «2 1 Country Party .. . . 18 8 21 0