FEDERAL ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23334, 28 October 1937, Page 11

FEDERAL ELECTION

—» CLOSE CONTEST AT BALLARAT LABOUR CANDIDATE LEADING COUNTRY NOT YET FINISHED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SYDNEY, Oct. 27. The Government is hopeful of winning both the Adelaide and Ballarat seats. The latest figures for Ballarat show that the lead of the Labour candidate, Mr Pollard, over Mr Walker has been reduced to 179. As 4100 votes remain to be'counted, Mr Walker may snatch a last-minute victory. In Adelaide Mr Stacey is still about 5000 behind the combined votes of the three Labour opponents, but the United Australia Party headquarters, at Adelaide stated that he might hold the seat. Information received by the officials of the United Australia Party in Sydney increased their hopes that the Government will win Senate seats in Queensland and South Australia. The Government Senate group gained heavily in Queensland as the result of last night's counting and reduced its deficiency to only 45. compared with 10,403 on Monday. In South Australia the Government team has a lead of 125, whereas on Monday it was 878 votes in arrears. The Minister of External Affairs, Sir George Pearce, seems certain to be defeated in Western Australia, where the lead of Labour was further increased. The counting- of the first preference votes for the Senate will not be completed for about a fortnight, and until then it will not be definitely known whether the Government has lost its majority in that Chamber.

STATE OF THE PARTIES SYDNEY, Oct. 27. The approximate state of the parties in the different States at the Federal elections is:— New South Wales United Australia Party 11 United Country Party 5 Labour 5 Victoria United Australia Party 9 United Country Party 4 Labour 5 Doubtful 1 Queensland United Australia Party 3 United Country Party 3 Labour 5 South Australia United Australia Party 2 United Country Party 2 Labour' .'. 1 Doubtful 1 Western Australia United Australia Party 1 United Country Party 2 Labour 2 Tasmania United Australia Party 2 United Country Party Labour 3 Totals United Australia Party 28 United Country Party 16 Labour 28 Doubtful * There is still a considerable number of primary votes yet to be counted. GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION MAY SEEK DISSOLUTION SYDNEY, Sept. 27. (Received Oct. 28, at 0.45 a.m.) It is reliably reported that, the Government will seek a double dissolution and another election _ next year if Labour achieves a majority in the Senate, which comprises 36 seats. Party reports to the Prime Minister indicate that thousands of electors were confused by the grouping system on the Senate ballot papers, on which the Labour group was on top, except in Queensland, resulting in electors simply numbering from top to bottom in mechanical fashion without regard to the true order of preference. The Government is determined to amend the system, so that alphabetical nominations will confer no advantage on Senate candidates in the future.