THREE STATE ELECTIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 75

THREE STATE ELECTIONS.

WITHIN NEXT FEW MONTHS

LABOUR PARTY’S CHANCES.

(Froa Oub Own Correspondent-) SYDNEY, January .7.

In three Australian States during the next few months elections will occur, and special interest attaches to them in view of Labour victories in New South Wales and Queensland within the last 18 months. The three States are Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. In Victoria a Nationalist-Country Party fusion is in power. In the other two, Labour holds sway. Chief interest centres on the ability of Labour to retain its majorities in these two States, and there is a prospect of its doing so. In Victoria, the Labour Party is characterised by an inertia absent from the party in all other States. It is actually the largest party in the Legislative ' Assembly. It held office for seven mouths owing to‘disunity in the opposing ranks, but when these breaches were healed it merely became a querulous Opposition. Its most vigorous dissent was raised by a Redistribution of Seats Bill that the Allen-Peacock Government managed to squeeze through, after many rejections. By this Bill the electoral boundaries were rearranged to wipe out “rotten boroughs,” but at the same time it made Victoria safe for the Nationalist-Country Party forces, for nine of the twenty-eight seats held by Labour were wiped opt. The visit of the Duke and Duchess of York will probably' delay the holding of the election until May 7, when it is expected that the electorate will return the present Government, inept and unbusinesslike authough its administration has been, Mr- Lang’s extreme legislation in this State will probably be Labour’s greatest handicap in the Southern State. In Western Australia the election will probably be held early in April. The prospects are that it will be a very even struggle. The present Government, 'ed by Mr Philip Collier, will go to the country with a good legislative record, unmarked by any extreme act. There will be few side issues and fewer outstanding public questions to be decided. Reform of the Upper House, inspired by the lat- ! tor’s rejection, of the Government’s State j Insurance Bill, will be made a leading issue by the Government. The Government will probably benefit by a measure it passed last session by which nomadic voters can cast their vot' • another electorate. The anti-Socialists’ chief hope lies in a better understanding that has been reached between the Nationalists and Country Party, and in the spread of the agricultural industry. A lack of strong leadership will be their greatest handicap. In South Australia, the elections will probably also be held early in April. When the Labour Party was returned to ofik by a fairly substantial majority three years ago it was led by Mr John Gunn, but his appointment to the Development and Migration Commission a few months ago allowed his mantle to fall on Mr L. V. Hill, a vigorous young politician under whose guidance Labour's prospects are considered to have been enhanced. Already the parties are busily preparing for the campaign. Here, as in Western Australia, the struggle promises to be even. Labour's greatest handicap is considered to be the industrial wing's dissatisfaction with the party’s programme. As in the western State, antiSocialism’s greatest stand-by will be a stronger working agreement between the Liberals and the Country Party. In all three elcctioris local observers believe that Mr Lang’s extreme legislation in New South Wales will play an important part in the campaigns. It was in view of these forthcoming elections that the Federal executive intervened in the revolt in the ranks of this State’s party a few weeks ago, the executive holding that a rent party here would adversely affect Labour’s prospects in the other States. The Lang Government's act were held to have had a bad effect on the Federal Labour Party’s chances at the poll in November, 3925, and its record has not been such as would sway a hesitant elector to the side of Labour.