CANADIAN ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1935, Page 4

CANADIAN ELECTION.

The. Canadian, election has resulted in a sweeping victory for ' the Liberals under the leadership of Mr. Mackenzie King. Contrary to forecasts on the eve of the polls, which anticipated that no party might have a majority, the Liberals have won at least 165 seats out of 245 available, and may win more of the 16 from which final returns have yet to come. A feature of the election is the small number of successes achieved by the Reconstruction Party, which was presumed to have attracted the more progressive Conservatives under the leadership of Mr. H. H. Stevens, the colleague the Prime Minister, Mr. R. B. Bennett, was considered to have sacrificed at the request of “big business.” Mr. Bennett and Mr. Stevens have both been re-elected, and the Conservative Party will be much the largest of the Opposition parties,' although it appears likely to hold less than 50 seats. The Co-operative Social Credit and United Farmers’ parties, which are the advocates of monetary reform, have won between them 20 seats, but as their reform programmes differ considerably it remains to be seen whether their representations will have any effect upon Canadian policy. Mr. King, who has also been re-elected, relied during the election campaign more upon criticism of the Government than upon a policy of his own, although his party platform included lower tariffs, increased British preference, and a fairly bold public works policy. The tariff policy of the new Canadian Government is likely to be of much interest to New Zealand. It may not only enable a trade treaty less in Canada’s favour than the present, but may lead to a renewal of trade with the United States in dairy produce that would lessen the competition of Canada with New Zealand for a share of the markets of Britain. The Liberal leader has always advocated closest association with Great Britain. A speech made by Mr. Bennett a few weeks ago seemed to raisp the question whether Canada stood four-square with the Homeland over the question of applying sanctions to Italy by the League of Nations. If any such doubt existed, the verdict of the electorate would seem to place beyond question the fact that Canada desires to associate herself entirely with the policy of Great .Britain. It is an Empire gesture which will doubtless be noted at Rome as well as at London and Geneva.