SHORT CAMPAIGN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22976, 2 March 1938, Page 10

SHORT CAMPAIGN

PENDING ELECTION || NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS TESTING TIME FOR MR. LANG §' [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPOND] US*T] SYDNEY, Feb. 28 J[ The New South Wales Government |1 has chosen an opportune timfe to seek 111 another three year? of office. The election date has been fixed for March :>6, ' ,1 ' and the campaign will be one of the shortest in the StateV(history. The four weeks between now and then is j|i too short for the Labour Party to weld ite riven ranks, and the HtevensBruxner coalition seems certain to be returned, no matter what issues are introduced into the election campaign. ■ It was clear, from the demeanour of Labour members in the Parliamentary lobbies when news filtered through that an early election would be held, that they did not relish, the prospect. The j| confident air of mosit of the Ministerial supporters was in striking contrast. How can the Labour Party possibly succeed? The quarrels which have been in progress for seven or eight years have reached their bitterest depths, The fight to depose Mr. John Lang from his dictatorial leadership is at its climax; he is to be opposed in his own electorate, Auburn, by Mr. R; J. Heffron, M.L.A., who has taken the most prominent part in the struggle to free the party from Mr. Lang's domination.

Mr. Lang's Present Status It seems now that only Mr. Lang's disappearance from Parliament can, firstly, unite the Labour Party, and, secondly, elevate the working of Parliament to its old standard. An analysis of the Federal voting in October indicates that Labour may expect to regain s;ix seats, but this would still leave the Government with a majority off 16, not counting two Independents. Factors to help thtv Government to improve on the Federal figures will be dissension in the Labour Party and the difference between State and Federal issues. The position in the Labour Party is that Mr. Lang will still be its official leader during the campaign. The party has endorsed all sitting members except Messrs. Heffron and Lazzarini, leaders of the rebel faction. In addition to these two, there will be other Industrial Labour candidates 1;o oppose the Lang candidates in safe Labour seats. The Party Programmes Mr. Lang has already outlined his programme in the forefront of which is the breaking-up of all combines, which, he asserts, have been protected by the Government and helped bv Government instrfimentalities. Labour will also legislate to break up the big estates to liberate the . land-locked country towns; aboilish the wages tax after improving conditions of employment; legislate for a higher basic wage and introduce a 40-hour week; enforce observance of industrial awards; and make reforms in housing, transport and social service legislation. ' Mr. Stevens has not yet gone into particulars of his policy, but has indicated the broad outlines. "We are in the position of having carried into effect mast of the main measures envisaged in my policy speech of April, 1935," he said, "and consider it will be entirely appropriate to seek an extension of that mandate now. In the last three years the State has been restored in many directions to the prosperous conditions which existed before the depression. Our next task is to build on that solid foundation."