LABOUR RETURNED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 126, 29 May 1944, Page 4

LABOUR RETURNED

N.S.W. GOVERNMENT LANG GAINS A SEAT Telrifraph— Pres* Association—Copyright) Recd. 7.30 p.m. Sydney, .May 27 The McK n ll Labour Government was returned to office at the New South Wales State elections yesterday While th? counting votes has not yet. been completed, the indications a.e there will be few changes in the new State Legislative Assembly. The Government will probably hold 56 seats, giving it a majority of 22, the same as in Hip last Parliament. In many seats Labour members who won by narrow margins in J 941, have increased their majorities. The most significant development was the strengthening of the Lang Labour group by the addition of ?. new woman member, Mrs. Lilian Fowler. Mrs. Fowler defeated the former Labour speaker, Mr. F. Durke, in the Sydney electorate of Newtown. She was once Mr. Durke’s secretary. Mr. Lang was the only membei of’ his party in the hast State Parliament. An* official Labour attempt Io defeat Mr. Lang in Auburn electorate, Sydney, was doomed to failure. Official Labour, however, is certain to win at least one seat From the Democratic Party. The United Australia Party and Democrats were lhe official opposition in the last State Parliament. With the assistance ot the Independents they may now be replaced in that role by the Country Party. The New Liberal Democratic party, a breakaway group of the Demoratic Party, polled badly, end failed to win a single seat. Many of lhe party's candidates will lose their deposits. The probable state of the parties in the new Parliament (with representations in the last Parliament in parentheses) is: Official Labour 56 ( 56) Lang Labour 2 ( b Democratic 12 < 14» Liberal Democratic nil (nil) Country Party 11 (10) Independents 9 (9) Communists nil (nil) Total seals 90 The election results exceeded Labour’s most, optimistic forecast, and are described by the Premier, Mr. McKell, as “eminently satisfactory.” Howver, the Sunday Telegraph, editorially, points out that Official Labour cannot take full credit lor the victory. Disputes between the leaders of the non-Labour parties considerably strengthened Labour’s position. “Yesterday’s State vote—like the Federal vote last August—shows that the United Australia Party, under whatever name it affects, is politically dead,” declares the Telegraph. “This is bad for the State. Any Government must suffer without th* corrective of a progressive and virile opposition. We nave not got one in New South Wales.”