CRITICAL ELECTION

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 5

CRITICAL ELECTION

FOR NEW SOUTH WALES MR. BAVIN’S FEARS “The forthcoming election will undoubtedly be the most critical in the history of New South Wales,’’ said Mr. Bavin (leader of the Opposition) recently. “At most general elections the choice that has to be made is between two legislative policies and two sets of administrators. “On this occasion the Labour Party has announced definitely that it proposes to make a fundamental change in the Constitution. The Upper House is to be abolished, and every check on the actions of the majority, however small, in the Assembly, is to be removed. This policy is, in my opinion, a disastrous one in many ways. But the aspect with which I am most concerned just now is this, that it will give the majority in the Assembly complete and unchecked control of the electoral system “The experience of last Parliament shows quite clearly that the present Government is quite prepared to twist the electoral machinery to suit its own party interests. We had conclusive proof of that in its action with regard to the last Electoral Act. It was only the action of the Upper House that prevented the introduction of a system which would have enabled the Government so to arrange the electorates as to make it possible for a minority of Labour electors to secure a majority of representatives in Parliament. If the control of the Upper House is removed and Mr. Lang should secure a majority in the Assembly, no one who has watched the course of events in New South Wales can have any doubt that one of the results of a Labour victory would be the manipulation of the electoral machinery.

“This could be so carried out as to make it impossible for the opponents of the Labour Party to regain power, even though they might have behind them a majority of the electors. For this reason, the probability is that a Labour victory on this occasion would mean the exclusion of the Nationalists from power, not only in this Parliament, but for an indefinite period in the future. LABOUR DISUNITY “There is a considerable danger of Nationalist supporters being misled by the present disunion in the ranks of the Labour Party. They may easily be lulled into a sense of false security. This disunion is very real and very bitter. It arises not out of any difference of principle, but merely out of a scramble for the material advantages which belong to the control of the movement. It is a fight more between the industrial and political leaders of the party than between the members of the rank and file. Our supporters will be foolish in the extreme if they approach the forthcommg election with the idea that the fight in the Labour ranks makes our victory certain. It is true that the sordid and petty squabbles between the Labour leaders have disgusted all decent people, whatever party they may belong to, but we must not assume that these squabbles in any way justify relaxation on our part. The appointment of Mr. Kay was, in the most literal sense, an act of corruption. *lt was a bribe given to a member of Parliament to resign his seat and to betray his constituents, for the sole purpose of replacing him by a pledged and servile supporter of the Labour Party. In this ease the bribe took the form of an appointment to a high public office. There cannot be a single honest man or woman in New South Wales, whatever party he or she may belong to. who could possibly justify such degrading traffic in public offices. Mr. Treble’s appointment, though not equally corrupt, was a

breach of every tradition of public ser vice administration.”