VICTORIAN ELECTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21645, 16 May 1932, Page 7

VICTORIAN ELECTIONS

LABOUR PARTY ROUTED UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY’S SUCCESS PREMIERS’ PLAN ENDORSED / (UjiltCjcl Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, May 15. * (Received May 15, at 5.5 p.m.) The Victorian State elections yesterday resulted in the complete rout of the official Labour Party. The voters gave an unqualified expression of their confidence in the Premiers’ Conference plan of rehabilitation and in favour of the United Australia candidates. The composition of the new Legislative Assembly will probably be as follows: — United Australia Party .. 31 United Country Party .. 14 Official Labour .. .. .. 13 Unendorsed Labour .. .. 2 Independents 1 Doubtful . .. .. .. 4 The position of the parties at the dissolution was as follows; United Australia .. .. 17 United Country 14 Labour 30 Independents .. .... 4 Mr J. W. M’Lachlan (Independent) won the Gippsland North seat. Labour early lost Ballarat, Daudenoug, Albert Park and Heidelberg. The Attorney-general (Mr W. Slater) is in grave danger of defeat, and the chances of the re-election of the Assistant Minister of Labour (Mr G. C. Webber) are also negligible. The present indications are that the Labour losses will probably number 15 seats, all of which go to United Australia Party candidates. Only one of the Independents, who wielded an important influence in the last Parliament, is likely to be returned, namely, Mr James Sydney. THREE MINISTERS DEFEATED MELBOURNE, May 15. (Received May 15, at 11.18 p.m. The latest returns of 'the Victorian elections indicate that the state of the parties in the new Parliament will be as follows: United Australia .. .. 32 Country Party 14 Official Labour 16 Unendorsed Labour .. .. 2 Independent 1 The following Ministers were defeated: —The Minister of Lands (Mr H. S. Bailey), the Assistant Minister of Labour (Mr G. C. Webber), the Assistant Minister of Agriculture (Mr R. T. Pollard). The Attorney-general (Mr W. Slater) will also probably be defeated. The Premier (Mr E. J. Hogan) and the Acting Premier (Mr T. Tunnecliffe) and other party leaders were returned unopposed, . The United Australia Party almost doubled its strength. It had 18 seats in the last Parliament and now has 32, gaining 12 from Labour, one from the Country Party, and one from the Independents. The election'has been disastrous in all its aspects for the Labour Party, which split on non-endorsement of the Premiers’ Plan. 1 COMMENT BY THE PREMIER LABOUR LOSSES A FOREGONE . CONCLUSION. LONDON, May 15* (Received May 16, at 0.15 a.m.) The Premier (Mr Hogan), interviewed by the Australian Press Association, said that the immediate .issue at the election was the re-cnactmeht of the Premiers’ Plan. “ During the past two years I have frequently warned Labour members of the Central Executive and the Labour conferences that the electors strongly disapprove of any failure by the Government to effect economies in Government expenditure,” he said. “ During my absence some of the Ministers and members were bluffed by the Central Executive’s threat to expel them if they voted for the re-enactment of the Premiers’ Plan. They ignored my warnings and, by failing in their duty, flouted their constituents, who consequently voted against them yesterday. “ The Central Executive’s threat,” Mr Hogan added, “ intimidated Labour members who believed that the Plan should be re-enacted and also raised the important issue whether members, of Parliament were not to, do anything. She Central Executive ordered them not to do anything, thus shattering the foundation of democracy that members must be free and unfettered, acknowledging responsibility only to their constituents, and also shifted the supreme power of government from' Parliament to an outside body—a star chamber. The electors had to acquiesce or disapprove of the sabotaging of democracy. • It was a foregone conclusion on such issues that the Labour candidates, except in a few strong industrial constituencies, would fare badly at the polls.”