LANDSLIDE TO LABOUR

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1929, Page 9

LANDSLIDE TO LABOUR

AUSTRALIAN ELECTION RESULTS DEBACLE OF TWO OTHER PARTIES Jf FOUR MINISTERS MAY LOSE SEATS * By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association. . Received October 13, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, Oct. 13. The House of Representatives election returns to midnight on Saturday reveal a definite landslide to Labour, which is practically certain to have a good working majority, also that Mr. J. H. Scullin will be Australia’s next Prime Minister. The Nationalist and’Country Party Government'has suffered a debacle so great that even Mr. S. M- Bruce himself, who has reigned for nearly seven years as Prime Minister, runs a risk of losing his seat. Four Ministers, Mr. Abbott (Minister of Home Affairs), Mr. Gibson (Postmaster-General), Sir Neville Howse (Minister of Health and Repatriation), and Mr. Marr (Honorary Minister), appear to have been defeated.

In an analysis of parties early this morning Labour had 44 seats within its 3 rasp, while the Bruce-Page party had windled from 42 to 26, the remainder being held by Independent Nationalists. The changes that have taken place in some of the Nationalist strongholds in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, arc almost incredible. Many old ■’ members are disappearing, and are being replaced by Labourites whose chances of victory were never dreamed of. Mr. Marr is on his way back from the League of Nations Conference, but is not reaching Australia until next week. He has been badly beaten by Mr, McTiernan, a former State Attor-ney-General in the Lang Government. There is still slight hope for Sir Neville Howse and Mr. Abbott-. A feature of the checking last night was the battle in Flinders (Victoria) for the Prime Minister’s scat. There Mr. E. J. Holloway, a well-known trade union leader, maintained a lead the whole of the evening, and when the counting ceased for the night Mr. Bruce was still 960 behind with 6060 votes to come. However, Mr. Bruce should just manage to win when the preferences for his opponent are distributed. At the last election Mr. Bruce defeated Mr. Holloway by no fewer than lf,ooo votes. Another noteworthy feature is the triumph of some of the Government breakaways. These members who were Responsible for the Government’s defeat on the arbitration issue which precipitated the election, namely, Messrs W. M. Hughes, Marks, Maxwell and Stewart each has a substantial majority. Espesially is this so in the case of Mr. Hughes, who defeated Dr. Nott by 12,000 votes, and Mr. Marks, who already has a 9000 lead over .his opponent, Mr. Manning. The position in Victoria discloses a definite swing to Labour, and the aggregate votes cast for Labour in that State is far greater than at the previous election. Mr. G. A. Maxwell, one of the recalcitrants, has a firm grip, his lead being 9000 with only a handful of votes to come. The same applies to Mr, Stewart, another recalcitrant. West Australian figures give no indication of the position of parties so far, but it is believed there will be no material alteration. The outlook in Queensland and South Australia is more favourable for the Government, but there is small hope of the Bruce party winning any additional seats. The Government is losing at least two seats in Tasmania to Labour, where Messrs Lyons and Guy, who resigned from the State Parliament to contest the Federal election, are in a winning position. . , Mr. J. H. Scullin, the Federal Labour

leader, commenting on the result, says: “Results to date arc magnificent.” Mr. E. G. Theodore, the deputy-leader/ says: “Oui’ gains are greater than I anticipated. We should have 44 scats in the new Parliament.” Mr. Bruce is deeply disappointed. He admits the noticeable swing of the pendulum in favour of Labour, ana deplores the defeat of at least five of his old colleagues. Mr. W. M. Hughes says the Government’s defeat sounds the death-knell of the party machine, and ho adds: “Arbitration is to remain an integral part of our social life.” Labour’s victory, by reason of its decisive, nature, makes another election in the Federal sphere almost certain within the near future, as the Senate, which is overwhelmingly anti-Labour, is able to obstruct the Labour programme. Moreover it is believed the Independent Nationalist breakaways who received Labour support yesterday, are bound to ally themselves with Mr. Scullin in the major portion of his programme. Sydney headquarters of the National Association expresses the opinion that the primary reason for the Government’s defeat was the fear 1 ’ that with the abolition of the Federal Arbitration Court an organised attempt by the anti-Labour forces would be instituted for an allround reduction of wages, while the entertainment tax also helped to cloud the real issue before the people. The latest message says additional election figures to-night do. not improve the Government’s position. Labour is already assured of a substantial majority without the aid of the Independents, and without considering the fate of the doubtful scats. The Prime Minister, Mr. Bruce, is 500 behind in Flinders, but with the distribution of the Liberal candidate’s preferences his return is confidently expected. The state of the parties late to-night was:—• > Labour 38 Nationalist 10 ' Independent-Nationalist ... 3 Country Party 9 Country Progressives 1 Independent 1 Doubtful 13 The state of parties in the last Federal House of Representatives after the general election of November, 1028” (75 seats), was as follows:—

New South Wales Nat. .. 10 C’ntry Lab. 4 14 Victoria 8 • 4 8 Queensland .. 6 2 2 iic South Australia . .. 2 0 5 Tasmania 3 1 1 Western Australia .. 1 2 2 ■ Totals .. 30 13 32