AUSTRALIAN SENATE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 256, 28 October 1937, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN SENATE

If Labour Gains Majority DOUBLE DISSOLUTION Another Election Next Year CONFUSING BALLOT PAPERS (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright). Received Oct. 27. 11.30 p.m. SYDNEY, Oct. 27. It is reliably reported that the Government will seek a double dissolution and another election next year if Labour achieves a majority in the Senate, which comprises 36 seats. Party reports to the Prime Minister indicate that thousands of electors were confused by the grouping system on the Senate ballot papers, on which the Labour group was on top except in Queensland, resulting in electors simply numbering from top to bottom in mechanical fashion without regard to the true order of preference. The Government is determined to amend the system so that alphabetical nominations will conlei no advantage on Senate candidates ir future. DOUBTFUL SENATE SEATS GOVERNMENT MORE HOPEFUL POSITION STILL UNCERTAIN SYDNEY. Oct. 27. The Government are nopeful of winning both the Adelaide and Ballarat seats. The latest figures lor Ballarat show that lhe lead of the Labour candidate, Mr. Pollard, over Mr. Walker, has been reduced to 17J. As 4100 votes remain to be counted, Mr. Walker may snatch a last-minute victory. In Adelaide, Mr. Stacey is still about five thousand behind the combined votes of his three Labour opponents, but the United Australia Party headquarters in Adelaide stated that he might hold the seat. Information received by officials of the United Australia Party in Sydney has increased their hopes that the Government will win the Senate seats in Queensland and South Australia. The Government Senate group gained heavily in Queensland as a result of last night’s counting and reduced its deficiency to only 45 compared with 10.403 on Monday. In South Australia the Goverament team has a lead of 125, whereas on Monday it was 873 votes in arrears. The Minister of External Affairs, Senator Pearce, seems certain to be defeated in Western Australia, where the lead of Labour has further increased. Counting the first preference voles for the Senate will not be completed for about a fortnight, and until then it will not be definitely known whether the Government has lost its majority in that Chamber. MR. SCULLLTS RETURN SIR A. PARKHILL S POSITION SYDNEY, Oct. 26. Mr. Scullin, former Prime Minister recaptured the Yarra seat in Victoria, with a majority of 20,000. In South Australia the only douotful seat is Adelaide, where the Labourite, Mi. Bardolph, looks like ousting the retiring Government candidate Mr. F. Stacey. Tno Labour Leader, Mr. Curtin, in Fremantle. West Australia, has defeated the strong Government opponent, Mr. E Isaachessen, by 10,000. The latest figures from the Minister of Defence’s electorate, Warringah, disclose that Sir A. Parkhill has slightly improved his position, but there are at least 5000 primary votes to come. His chief opponent, Mr. Spender, requires to obtain about CO per cent, of the preferences to win. The degree of personal feeling displayed against Sir A. Parkhill is the subject of wide comment. His Ministerial colleagues feel that it is quite undeserved. FIGURES FOR STATES POSITION OF PARTIES SYDNEY, Oct. 27. The approximate state of parties in the different States in the Federal elections is as under: — New South Wales.

United Australia Party 11 United Country Party 5 Labour _ 12 Victoria. United Australia Party 9 United Country Party 4 Labour 5 Doubtful 1 Queensland. United Australia Party 3 United Country Party 3 Labour 5 South Australia. United Australia Party 2 United Country Party 2 Labour „. 1 Doubtful 1 Western Australia. United Australia Party 1 United Country Party 2 Labour _ „ 2 Tasmania. United Australia Party 2 United Country Party 0 Labour 3 Totals. United Australia Party 28 United Country Party 16 Labour 28 Doubtful 2 i There are still a considerable num- ’ ber of primary votes yet to be counted.