AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22369, 17 September 1934, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

SWEEPING GOVERNMENT VICTORY A TWO TO ONE MAJORITY CONFIDENCE IN PRESENT MINISTERS (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) The general election of members of the House of Representatives in Australia took place on Saturday. STATE OF PARTIES United Australia .. ■■• 36 United Country .. •• 12 _ 48 Federal Labour . . • • 15 State (" Lang ") Labour . . Doubtful 3 • The result of the elections where no definite issue has yet been reached will depend upon the way in which preference votes are distributed.

THE UNITED PARTY MANDATE TO CARRY ON SOUND WORKING MAJORITY ASSURED SYDNEY, September 15. (Received Sept. 16, at 6.30 p.m.) With its former large majority negligibly reduced, the Lyons Government yesterday received an unequivocal mandate to carry on. At the most it may . lose four seats, and the Country Party also four, which will be due entirely to ' the fact that these seats are Labour . strongholds which were won during the 1931 landslide and are now reverting to Labour, as the Prime Minister anticipated. The former House of Representatives comprised:— United Australia Party .. 38 United Country ..'•-..' .. 16 Federal Labour .. .. •• 14 State Labour .. ... . • 5 Independents .. .'. ••. * The Government had an absolute majority in the last. Parliament over all other parties, with the result that it was unnecessary officially to coalesce with the Country Party. Now, however, the latter party holds the balance of power and an interesting political do- ; velopment is regarded ;as Inevitable.; -

It was unofficially stated last night that the Government could count on the support of the Country Party, jwhich, peculiarly, is likely to lose a couple of its seats at the exp.ense of the rival United Australia Party. The feature of the polling in New South Wales, where most changes are occurring, is that the State Labour Party, -led by Mr Beasley, very nearly ousted the Federal Labour candidates, but the Lang-Bcasley influence was not noticeable in any other States. All the Ministers, with the possible exception of Mr J. A. Guy, Assistant Minister pf Customs, will be returned. Mr Guy's position is usually in doubt until the last minute owing to the fact that the preferences invariably have to decide the issue. So far the primary votes alone have been counted in the \arious States and the position of the doubtful seats will not be known in some instances until the end of next week. The Prime Minister is having an easv victory in Wilmot, Tasmania. His fiftyfifth birthday fell yesterday. He said: " I am certainly experiencing many happy returns. My party is still overwhelmingly the largest in the House of Representatives. The" Government has received a magnificent expression of confidence. We shall go forward to the task of placing Australia completely on her feet." It was quite apparent, Mr Lyons added, that the people were not prepared to trust themselves to adventurers in the uncharted and tempestuous seas of financial experiment. The campaign directors of the United Australia Party go the length of prodieting that the Prime Minister will probably have a personal following of 37 losing only one seat when the final returns are- hi hand. Their analysis is as follows:—The United Australia Party has already definitely lost the Lang seat (to Mr Mulcahy) in New South Wales and the Maribyrnong seat (to Mr Drakeford) and the Batman seat (to Mr r.rennan) in Victoria, but will gain Corangamite in Victoria and Wcrriwa (with Mr Mutch) in New South Wales from the Country Party and thus wi.l have 87, or half the total membership of the new House. Although in no instance did Douglas Credit candidates come within striking distance of success they polled surprisingly well in some electorates and their leaders are much encouraged and declare the results will stimulate them to greater action. The distribution of their candidates' preferences will have an important bearing in doubtful contests. The extent to' which the Federal Labour vote slipped in New South Wales is best indicated by the heavy primary votes recorded for Mr -T. S. Garden, secretary of the Sydney. Trades

and Labour Council, over Mr E. C. Riley, the former at present having a more than two to one majority. Mr Garden has made previous unsuccessful attempts to obtain a> scat in Parliament, but on this occasion has vanquished a difficult opponent, as Mr Riley's father had previously held the Cook seat for many years and had a strong personal following. . , A notable victory for the United Australia Party in New South Wales relates to Mr'T. D. Mutch, a former State Minister for Education in the Lang regime. He defeated a strong opponent, Mr H. P. Lazzarini, who was a Lang supporter or State Labour nominee, for Werriwa, which at the last election was won by the Country Party. The position in Victoria is not less interesting, though there are no surprises. Mr R. G.' Menzies, who will probably succeed Mr Latham as Federal Attorney-general, obtained a heavy majority at'Kooyong,'while Mr Maurice Blackburn and Mr Frank Brennan have respectively retrieved the Bourke and Batman seats for the Federal Labour Party. Mr Blackburn retired from the Speakership of the Victorian Assembly to contest Bourke. Maribyrnong has rejected Mr J. E. Fenton, the veteran ex-Labour member, who, with Mr Lyons, broke away from the Scullin Administration and led to its downfall. Mr Fenton allied himself with the United Australia Party at last election, and just managed to win, but on this occasion he will be narrowly beaten by Mr A. S. Drakeford, Federal Labour. SYDNEY, September 15. (Received Sept. 16, at 8 p.m.) The.' Postmaster-general, Mr R. A. Parkhill, lias the huge majority Sof 18,000 for Warringah. The Minister of Commerce, Mr. F. H. Stewart, has an absolute majority of 12,000 for Parramatta, and Mr W. M. Hughes an absolute majority of 4000 for North Sydney. These figures are typical of the strength of the United Australia Party polling in many electorates. The Country Party, however, has not done quite so well. Reports from the smaller States indicate that there will be only trifling changes in the party representation, probably not exceeding the introduction of three new faces. Owing to the smallness of the returns and the large number of candidates in the field for the Senate, it will not be possible to indicate the outcome for several days, although here again the Government forces are making a strong showing.

NEW MEMBERS

SYDNEY, September 15. (Received Sept. 16, at 8 p.m.) The new members so far include the following:— Victoria: M. Blackburn, F. Brennan, A. Drakeford (Federal Labour members), R. G. Menzies (United Australia). New South Wales: T. Mutch, W. M'Call (United Australia), J. Garden, D. Mulcahy (State Labour). Queensland: D. Watson (Federal .Labour). West Australia: J. Curtain (Federal Labour). Doubtful seats are Calare and Darling in New South Wales, the Adelaide seat in South Australia, and the Franklin and Bass seats in Tasmania. COMMENT BY LONDON NEWSPAPERS LONDON, September 15. (Received Sept. 10, at 8 p.m.) The Observer says that the swing of the pendulum has not gone far in the Australian polling, and that the reduction of Mr Lyons's strength is less than seemed natural to expect at the elections. The main significance is that the Commonwealth has vetoed the ambition of both the Labour factions—Federal and State—to relieve bankers of their responsibilities. The Sunday Times expresses the opinion that the results of the elections are satisfactory on the whole. A revival of interest in' Australian stocks is assured. ADDITIONAL RESULTS AUSTRALIA PARTY STRENGTHENED "A POLITICAL MIRACLE." SYDNEY, September 15. (Received Sept. 17, at 0.5 a.m.) Additional results from all States appear to strengthen the position of the United Australia Party, and when counting ceased to-night the approximate state of the parties was:— United Australia Tarty 36 United Country Party J 2 Federal Labour 15 State Labour ... •• 8 Doubtful .. .. .... .-...v .3 Mr H. Horsefield, secretary of the United Australia Party, Sydney, describes the outcome as a political miracle. He said he would not be the least surprised if the party won 37 seats. Whatever ground had been lost in this State was due solely to the redistribution of boundaries. The Premier, Mr B. S. Stevens, regards the poll as the best test possible of the real political conscience of the Australian electors at the present moment. The result was most gratifying.

MR LANG EXTREMELY PLEASED SYDNEY, September li». (Kecived Sept. 17, at 0.5 a.m.) Mr J. T. Lang, leader of the State Opposition, is extremely pleased that the State Labour candidates have done so well in New South Wales. It convinces him that his party should triumph at the forthcoming State elections.