AUSTRALIAN STATE POLLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22985, 12 March 1938, Page 12

AUSTRALIAN STATE POLLS

Three Australian States are about to hold general elections, one on each of the next three Saturdays. In South Australia, where a Liberal Government will have to meet a stronger bid from Labour next Saturday, the issues are not very clearly defined. Ghief interest attaches to the struggle in New South Wales, the most populous State, where polling takes place a fortnight from to-day. The return of the sound but progressive Government of Mr. Stevens is confidently predicted and public attention has turned to the internecine strife in the Labour Party. An offshoot from it, called the Industrial Party, is seeking to remove the incubus on Labour politics of Mr. Lang by working for the defeat of him personally and of his. supporters. Queensland's allegiance to Mr. Forgan Smith's Labour Government is not expected to be changed, but may be shaken at the elections on April 2. A queer tangle of issues, represented by seven parties, has to be unravelled. In both Queensland and New South Wales it is significant that Premiers and Opposition leaders alike are placing taxation relief on the forefront of their platforms. Even Mr. Lang promises tax reductions. Surely this is an indication of the growing public resentment at the weight of taxation. The Premiers of both States pledge themselves to scale down unemployment and income taxes, Mr. Stevens undertaking to lighten the burden of the family man in addition. New Zealand politicians might well take note of this Australian trend. They do not seem to realise sufficiently the active public revulsion against the continual demands of the tax gatherers, which now absorb on the average os 6d in the pound of wages or income. As the Government is not impressed, and Mr. Savage declines to redeem his pledges to abolish sales tax and reduce other indirect taxes, a fair field is left open for 'Opposition campaigners.