Labour Senate Teams Carry All States

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1943, Page 3

Labour Senate Teams Carry All States

(Received 12.15 p.m.' (Special) SYDNEY, This Day Labour Senate teams now seem certain to have carried all six Australian States. Only a block service vote against the Government could altei this result—and there are indications that the service vote will follow the same marked trend as the civilians For this reason, most seats still regarded as doubtful are expected to go to Labour. Evidences of the extent of the swing towards the Curtin Government in each State are: In Western Australia, Labour is expected to gain two seats with a third possible; in New South Wales, where many observers considered Labour representation was at its peak, the Government has gained six seats certain and may gain another; in Victoria, one gain certain, two others possible; South Australia may go entirely Labour, with three seats at present certain gains, one probable and one possible; the' Queensland position is expected to be unchanged, but Labour gained votes and only returns from small country centres are expected to save the seat of the Opposition Leader (Mr Faddcn); in Tasmania, one Labour gain is certain and one possible. First Woman Senator The Government’s Senate win in all States, giving it a majority of 22 to 14, effective after the end of June, 1944, means that Miss Dorothy Tangney (West Australia), 32-year-old school teacher, will be the first woman ever to sit in the Australian Senate. Of 338 candidates for the House of Representatives. 153 will probably lose their deposits of £25 each —a record total of £3825. Want To Gel On With War The new Australian Federal Parliament will probably meet for the first time on September 23. The Labour caucus will choose the new Cabinet a few days earlier, “As a whole, Australians want to get on with the war, and the great majority of them decided that a mandate for Mr. Curtin was th<- most effective way of doing so,” says the Sydney “Morning Herald" editorially today.

Political commentators generally warn that Australian Conservative parties must find a new policy, leadership and personnel. Apart, from his own personal prestige, Mr. Curtin’s other great election trump-card was disunity and lack of talent in the Opposition. "Men who might have stopped the rot were never given a chance as leaders,' 1 says the “Daily Telegraph’s’’ political correspondent. “The tragedy of this election lies in the fact that the huge swing to Labour looks like robbing the Federal Parliament of some of the men who realty had something to offer.”