LABOUR PARTY BEATEN

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1931, Page 5

LABOUR PARTY BEATEN

AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL ELECTION REVERSAL OF PARTY STRENGTHS MR. E. G. THEODORE LOSES HIS SEAT MR. S. M. BRUCE HAS WIDE MAJORITY ■•■ t — ... - to ScuUin. Government was heavily defeated in Saturday s Australian Federal elections, and in the new House there will be a substantial anti-Labour majority. With six seats still in doubt the position of the'parties, with the numerical strengths at the previous poll fdr comparison, is:—

Outstanding features of the elections are the defeat of Mr. E. G Theodore (Federal Treasurer) and Mr. Parker Moloney (Minister of Commerce), and the return of Mr. S. M. Bruce, former Prime Minister of Australia, who was in England during the campaign, and Mr; W; M. Hughes. The majorities of the chief parties are al- • most precisely reversed. , s ■

FEATURES OF THE POLLS

MR, BRUCE’S BIG MAJORITY

‘HEAVY BLOW TO.LABOUR”

LEADERS GIVE OPINIONS

By Telegraph—Preus Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 5.5 p.m. > Sydney, Dec. 20.

In New South Wales the Government

retained Darling (unless the second preferences depart from the plan). The Newcastle Langites won Barton, where Mr. Eldridge, who had deserted .the Martin seat, defeated the sitting candidate, Mr. Tully. Dailey was taken by Mr. Rosevear from Mr. E. G. Theodore, Federal Treasurer. Cook was taken by Mr. J. S. Garden from the Ministerialist Mr. E. C. Riley, though the preferences may possibly upset the ' position. The Dang seat was won by Mr. Muicahey from the Sculhn supporter, Mr. Long. ' Reid was won by Mr. Gander from the Ministerialist Mr. Coleman. In South Sydney Mr. J. Stewart seems -to have the Government supporter, Mr. E. Riley, beaten. East Sydney is held by Mr. Ward, Hunter by Mr. James and Werriwa by Mr. Lazxarini, though he is hard pressed, and West Sydney by Mr. Beasley, leade/ of the Federal Lang Planners. The United Australia Party won Eden, Monaro and Parramatta from Labour and retained North Sydney (Mr. W. M. Hughes), Parkes, Robertson, Warringah and Wentworth. In the last-named the sitting member, Mr. Marks, who figured in the revolt 4 with Mr. ' Hughes which wrecked the Bruce Government, was beaten by two to one by a political newcomer, Mr. Harrison, under the tame banner. COUNTRY PARTY GAINS. The Country Party captured Calare, where Mr. Thorby, former State Minister of Agriculture, ousted Mr. Gibbons, the framer of a financial "plan” last year, Gwyder from Federal Labour, though the preferences must decide who is to be the incumbent, and Hume from the Minister, Mr. Moloney, and retain Cowper, Dr. Earle Page’s seat, Richmond and Riverina. Mr. S. M. Bruce, former Prime Minister, scored 36,700 in Flinders to the Federal Labour candidate’s 11,900. The Senate returns in New South Wales and in other States are very backward.

The Sun newspaper credits the combined opposition -with 48 seats, combined Labour 19, Independent one, and doubtful seven. The paper considers Mr. Chiefley (Minister of Defence), Mr. McNeil (Minister of Health) and Mr. Cunningham (Assistant* Minister) are also doomed, as a largo amount of counting is yet to be done. They are close contests and not easy to forecast. Cabinet-makers are already busy. One suggested team to be led by Mr. Lyons is Mr. Lyons (Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs), Mr. Bruce (Treasurer), Mr. Latham (Attorney-General), Dr. Earle Page (Health), Mr. Glasgow (Defence), Mr. Gullett (Trade and Mr. Prowse (Works and Railways), Mr. W. M. Hughes (Postmaster-General), Mr. Parkhill (Home and Territories), Mr. Patterson (Markets and Migration), Sir George Pearce (Leader of the Senate).

An early re-shuffle anticipates the giving of. the leadership to Mr. Bruce, the High Court seat to Mr. Latham and a port folio to Mr. Holman.

The Sun suggests that on the present figures Federal Labour will gain two seats in the Senate, both in Queensland. The ex-Premier, Mr. Holman, handsomely recaptured Martin for the Uniteds, polling 20,847 to Lang Planner Hankin’s 11,233. Another United, Mr. Abbot, polled 12,351 and Mr. Catta (Scullinite) 5813.

In Victoria the Government retains Bourke, Melbourne, Melbourne Ports, Whither Mr. Holloway, Mr. Bruce’s vanquisher in 1929, went for a safer scat, and Yarra, where Mr. Scullin polled 18,000 against the United candidate’s .10,000. The United Party won Batman from the At-torney-General, Bendigo, Corio, Flinders, Indi and Wannon, all from the Government, and retained Balaklava, Ballarat, Fawkner, Henty and Kooyong. In the last-named seat Mr. Latham polled 46,000 to Mr. Loughnan’s (Scullinite) 14,000. Mr. E. J. Fenton is hard pressed in Maribyrnong with 25,017 to Mr. Beckett’s (Federal Labour) 25,025 and 1 Mr. Scott’s (Independent) 996. The preference will decide. The Country Party took Corangamite and Wannon from the Government and retained Echuca and Gippsland. In South Australia the Government held Grey and Hindmarsh. The position in Adelaide is very uncertain, while the Uniteds again represent Angas, Barker, Boothby and Wakefield. In Queensland the Government appears to have won Brisbane, Herbert, Kennedy and Oxley, all from the Uniteds, and retained the Minister of Customs, Mr. Forde, in Capricornia. The Uniteds hold Lilley and Moreton. The- Country Party keeps Wide Bay, and the ex-Speaker, Sir Littleton Groom, as an Independent-United ?e--captured Darling Downs from the Uniteds. Maranoa is uncertain as several thousand votes are outstanding. Tn Tasmania the Uniteds carried all five seats, two Ministerialists, Messrs. Culley and Frost, being, ousted. ’ , In West Australia ’the Country Party retains Forrest and Swan, but the position in the other three seats, Fremantle, Kalgoorlie and Perth, is obscure. f . COMMUNISTS’ POOR SUPPORT. Independents and, Communists were very poorly supported. Sixteen candidates lost their deposit, of whom seven were Communists, six Independents and three Labour. “Defeat is the fate of the Government which was called upon to govern . during the financial crisis,” said Mr. Scullin. “It is a staggering blow to the Labour Party, but undoubtedly there will be a strong reaction before many months.” Mr. Lyons reads the result of the election as an expression of the sound commonsense and patriotism of the people, who have taken the long view. “Out credit in the eyes of the world has been re-established,” Dr. Earle Page declares. “Inflation and repudiation have received their quietus.” Mr. J. G. Latham regards the result as an indication to the world that Australia is determined to resist the plans for politically controlling the banking system and depreciated currency. Mr. T. R. Bavin, '■ Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales, says the overwhelming majority has made it dear that the public will hot tolerate political control of banking. Mr. W. M. -Hughes declares that the Mac-Dona'ld-Baldwin victory has been repeated, showing definitely that the people of Australia prefer a Government based on sound finance rather than on fantastic schemes and extremist doctrines. Mr. MacPhereon, Federal Party secretary, places the responability for the result on Garden-Langism and says the ultimate effect will be the raising of a Fascist dictatorship in Australia..

1931 1929 United Australia ... .. 32 (Nationalist) 14 Federal Labour a . 12 46 Country Party 14 10 Lang-Beasley Labour • • 5 Independents • 2 4 10 (Country Prog.) 1 Total 75 75 By States the results appear to be: - 1 Si Lab. Lang . U.-Aus. Country. Dbtful. New South Wales .... 3 5 8 7 5 Victoria 4 0 11 f 4 1 South Australia ..... 2 0 4 0 1 Queensland • 5 0 3 1 1 Western Australia «■ 0 0 0 2 . 3 Tasmania 0 p. 5 0 0