TASMANIAN ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20870, 12 May 1931, Page 8

TASMANIAN ELECTIONS.

From the tentative returns of the general elections in Tasmania it is apparent that Labour has suffered a serious setback. This docs not appear from the mere statement that the Nationalist Government has won four seats from Labour, but an analysis of the result thus briefly described makes this conclusion clear. With proportional representation in vogue for many years, Tasmania has not for a long time had ,any considerable margin of difference in the represented strength of parties. In the last House of Assembly the 30 seats were thus held—Nationalists. 15; Labour, 14; Independent. 1. It is expected that the new House will see, when the final results are announced, a change as follows: Nationalists, 19; Labour, 10; Independent, 1. To understand the full significance of the change, regard must be paid to the voting system and the fact that in this instance voting was compulsory. Further, the crucial question in the contest was the Feder.al financial issue, and the conditions governing the poll—one of all Tasmanians residing continuously in the State for six months—made it virtually a referendum on that issue, with almost a two-to-one majority against the policy of the Labour Government of the Commonwealth. The comments of both the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition confirm this reading of the result. It is the first State test of the issue, and may be taken as an indication of an arousal of widespread concern lest the Federal Government be allowed to pursue recklessly its ill-considered proposals. "With a Federal general election looming, this Nationalist victory, while not to be read as a certain forecast, gives promise of a similar result throughout Australia.