THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS.

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 October 1946, Page 4

THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS.

W/HILE from a parly political standpoint the return of members to Parliament is the paramount interest, from the standpoint of gauging publie opinion the chief interest in an election is the way iu which the votes are east. The Australian General Elections are of interest in the latter sense in that they reveal that 56 per cent, of the initial votes cast—ignoring the preferential voters—were in favour of the Labour candidates while 44 per cent, were in favour of others. Labour can. therefore, justly claim that it lias received a public endorsement of the policies which have been pursued in the past few years. The majority of votes represents a margin of 12 per cent, of the initial votes east and as such must be regarded as decisive. The Prime Minister, Mr. Chifley, is to be congratulated upon this result, it gives him a strong hand to meet the future with all its many problems. On the other hand Mr. R. G. Menzies has stated frankly that, he is disappointed with the result and he is right in so expressing himself. He was entitled to receive more support il public events are anything to go by. The Government had failed to control the situation; the, publie has suffered severe hardships on account of the weak handling of the situation by Mr. Chifley's Ministers, the public was restless and yet it failed to register its resentment at the polls. Mr. Chifley had a right to fear the result of the election; Mr. Menzies could reasonably anticipate that his hand would at least be very materially strengthened. The former gentleman was agreeably surprised; the latter was disagreeably disappointed. It would be interesting to learn by way of a Gallup poll why the public behaved as it did. II would appear that experience does not teach the Australian elector, but would such a conclusion be sound? It would be a dangerous assumption to make at thi: juncture.