STATE ELECTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22845, 28 September 1937, Page 6

STATE ELECTION

VICTORIAN CAMPAIGN POLLING NEXT SATURDAY CANDIDATE WHO FORGOT TOO LATE FOR NOMINATION [from OUR OWN CORRESPONDf <T l MELBOURNE. SW><- 23 Only the candidate who ftrgot to nominate has so far brigA' enc d the election campaign for tli" Victorian Legislative Assembly wit! a n incident out of the ordinary. generally are still inditferent tqftbe campaign, although polling takes place on October 2. The reason may that the State election ,is being o/® rs hadowcd by the Federal election fJree -weeks later. The forgot was Mr. S. P. Ashton, q/chitect, of Maffra, who had been endc/sed by the United Australia Party 'o contest the Gippsland North seat, which is held by Mr. J. W. McLac*' a n, an Independent. There were to lave been five candidates for this sea*, the largest nmnber in any contest Now Gippsland North is one of thf three seats with four candidates. "J could tear the house down," said Mr- Ashton when interviewed on the long-distance telephone about his failure to nominate. "I was engaged with a client in my office at Maffra and simply forgot the time. I had all my papers ready and was just on the point of starting for Sale, when I found that it was right on noon —the time for the closing of nominations—and I realised I could not get to Sale in time.

Three Women Candidates "I had everything ready to open my campaign to-night with a radio address," said Mr. Ashton. "I will still go on with the broadcast and explain to my supporters why they have not a candidate to support." Three women are among the candidates, all seeking metropolitan seats, and all standing as Independents. They are Mra. L. Kloofc, for Albert Park; Mrs. Clarence Weber, Nunawading; and Mrs. Mary M. Jones, Port Melbourne. The - only woman ever elected to the Victorian Parliament was Ladv Peacock, who succeeded her husband, the late Sir Alexander Peacock. However, she sat in Parliament for only about a year and did not seek re-election at the last election early in 1935. The election was precipitated by the Premier, Mr. A. A. Dunstan, six months before the normal date because he argued that the obstruction by the Legislative Council of a bill for the reform of that chamber obliged him to take the issue to the country. But, as only 45 of the 65 seats will be contested, between 250,000 and 300.000 electors will be unable to indicate their opinion on that subject through -voting for or against' . candidates supporting the Ministry. Mr. Dunstan's Future The Country Party has fared best in the 20 "walk-overs." Eleven of its retiring members, including throe Ministers, have been returned unopposed. Five Labour candidates and four United Australia Party candidates, all retiring members, are in the same happy position.

The total number of candidates "is 124, and their party allegiances are:; — United Australia Party, 42; Labour Party, 37; Country Party, 30; Independent, 13; Communist, 2. The strengths of the parties in the Assembly which was dissolved recently were:— United Australia Party, 24; Country Party, 20; Labour, iB. There were three Independents. The nominations reveal the curious fact that the Country Party Ministry cannot secure a majority. Its 30 candidates are contesting 28 seats, so if all are the party will be still five members short of a bare majority. It is obvious, then, that Mr. Dunstan can have another term of office only by relying, as he has done for the past two and a-half years, on the support of Labour.

In the city some Labour candidates hare placards which, urge, "Vote for Labour anjl the Government.' 1 There is. then, 110 secret about the unofficial alliance between the Country and Labour Parties. Parties and Council Electors are puzzled, by this strange association, particularly as the Federal Government, a coalition between the "United Australia and Country Parties, is about to appeal for re-election in a series, of contests in which the issue is between the Coalition and Labour. Unless the State U.A.P., led by Sir 'Stanley Argyle, can gain at least nine seats, "the Premiership will depend on the party strengths of Sir. Dunstan and the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Thomas Tunnecliffe. If Labour is the Inrger, party, then Mr. Dunstan seems be'in duty bound to support Labour ill office in return for the similar support his own party has enjoyed. The Labour Party is pledged to the abolition of the Legislative Council—the ostensible cause of the dissolution — while the Country Party declares that it wants reform only. The United Australia Party also supports reform within limits, but it wants questions in dispute between the two Houses to be referred direct to the electors bv a referendum and not by the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly. It argues that the latter course would riot provide an accurate test, a view supported by the large number of electors who will have no vote on October 2 because of the unopposed returns of 20 members.