Commonwealth

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 10, 11 December 1931, Page 7

Commonwealth

THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS A Commonwealth election has been precipitated in Australia by the action of the left wing of the Labour party which broke away from the Government some time ago, but decided to keep it in office, until, with the willing help of the anti-Labour parties, they found it convenient to turn it out. The election will take place on Saturday week and five distinct parties will go to the poll with a few Independents. The United Australia party is being led by Mr. J. A. Lyons, lately a Labour Minister, who deserted Mr. Sculiin when he adopted Mr. Theodore and his financial policy. He advocates safe and sane administration, sound finance and no unorthodox experiments. The Country party, under Dr. Earle Page, which had a rather unhappy experience when it combined with the old Nationalist party, is willing to give Mr. Lyons general support, but prefers to remain independent, and favours closer Empire trade. The All for Australia League, which made a sensational entry into politics with a large membership and great enthusiasm some time ago, seems suffering from disagreement among the leaders, but is to run its own candidate in New South Wales. The Beasley section of the Labour party, which favours the financial plans Mr. Lang cannot get his State of New South Wales to adopt, is to run 24 candidates for the 28 N.S.W. seats and a full ticket of 3 for the Senate. For the House of Representatives seats are allocated to the various States in proportion to population, but with a minimum of 5. For the Senate each State elects three Senators at this election, voting as a single constituency. The Northern Territory is entitled to elect a member of the Lower House, who sits and speaks but has no vote.