FEDERAL EJECTIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 254, 26 October 1937, Page 7

FEDERAL EJECTIONS

POSSIBILITY IN SENATE A LABOUR INCREASE EQUAL REPRESENTATION • By Telegraph—Press Association— Copy right) SYDNEY, Oct. 25. The state of parties, on present figures, appears to be:— United Australia Party . ?6 United Country Party 15 Labour 28 Doubtful 5 Of the live doubtful seats the Sydney Morning Herald expects Labour will win two, and thus the Government will have a majority of 14 instead of 18 as in the last House. The Daily Telegraph expects that the Government will lose only one seat to Labour, but the Labour Daily says the Labour Party is likely to annex five seats from the Government. The Senate position is still obscure, but the indications are that in Victoria and Tasmania at least the Labour teams will be successful. In Western Australia the vote appears to be favouring Labour, while in Queensland the retiring Labour Senators have a slight advantage over their opponents. Labour also has a slight lead in New South Wales, but the United parties are at present ahead in South Australia. The prospect appears to be that Labour's representation in the Sen* ate will be increased from three t< twelve. There is a possibility that Labour may have even greater representation, and in that event there will be important political repercussions, as both parties would have almost equal representation. The seventeen Senators who did not retire are all Government supporters. Broadcasting from his home at Devonport, Mr. Lyons said: “I take the vote as an endorsement of the Government’s policy of co-operation with Britain in the interests of world peace.” THE LAST PARLIAMENT STATE OF PARTIES There are 75 seats in the Australian House of Representatives, and all but four of them were contested. Four Labour members holding seats—two in New South Wales and two in Victoria—have been returned unopposed. The total numinav ions were 194. The Ministry, led by Mr. J. A. Lyons, is formed of United Australia Party and Country Party representatives. Its total strength in the previous Parliament was 46. The Labour Party numbered 28. There is one Independent, Mr. A. M. Blain, Northern Territory, who is entitled to vote only on matters affecting his own sparselypojulated electorate. Thus for policy issues, the membership of the House is 74, and the Lyons Government commanded a clear majority of 18 votes. The previous strengths of the three main parties in the various States was:—

In view of the pact between the two Ministerial parties, their candidates came into conflict in very few electorates. The party representation of the candidates is: labour 76, U.A.P. 49, Country 25, Douglas Credit 15 (including 10 in Queensland), Independent 23, Independent U.A.P. 2, Independent Labour 2, Communist 2. Simultaneously with the election for the House of Representatives, an election was conducted for 18 seats in the Senate—three for each State. Senators hold office for six years, and, although the retiring members will continue in office until next June, they were obliged to seek re-election now. The Senate is not constructed on a population basis, but each State has six representatives. Labour forces in the previous Senate were weak, and were recruited mainly from Queensland. In that Seate the three retiring Senators were Labour nominees. Elsewhere, the retiring Senators belong to the non-Labour parties. Whatever the results in the Senate elections, the Government is assured of majority support. Three Ministerial Senators who are seeking re-election are the Minister of External Affairs, Sir George Pearce, the Postmaster-General, Mr. A. J. McLachlan, and the AssistantMinister of Commerce and Industry. Mr. T. C. Brennan. INVESTMENT PROSPECTS BRITISH FINANCIAL COMMENT. Received Oct. 25, 10.20 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 25. The Financial Times says that with a reasonable guarantee of sane, moderate Government in the next three years, the prospects for Australian investments are encouraging and will undoubtedly attract the attention British investors.

Cntry. Inb. Tl. N.S.W. . IL 6 1 1 28 Victoria 11 3 6 20 Queensland .. 3 10 Sth. Australia ... 3 2 1 6 West Australia 1 Tasmania 1 0 3 —— —.. - ■ ~. Totals 30 16 28 74