The Wanganui Chronicle. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1949 THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, 13 December 1949, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1949 THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

QX present showing it would appear that the luck of the elections has been the deciding factor in putting Mr. Cliifley out of the Prime Ministership of Australia and putting Mr. Menzies in.

Mi. Menzies, the Liberal Leader, with his associate, Mr. Fadden, Leader of the Country Party, has evidently secured a very strong majority over the Labour Party in the new Federal Parliament. He will probably have a majority of twenty members in the Lower Chamber, which will give to him ample opportunity for promoting legislation needed to meet Australia’s particular needs today.

When the votes cast for the various parties are considered, however, there does not appear to be any justification for the large majority which Mr. Menzies will enjoy in the House of Representatives. On a basis of proportional representation, Mr. Chifiey might conceivably still be the Prime Minister. Such a fact should not be ignored. Public opinion as a whole has not been registered very strongly in any one direction, but an evenness of balance is in evidence.

The high percentage of invalid votes does hot register an all round high intelligence oh the part of the electors. Why, then, compel them all to vote, The man or the woman who is incapable of making up his or her mind on political issues may be expected to refrain from voting and for very good reason. Why compel him to fill in a form, the significance of which he does not apprehend? What does his vote mean when it is validly cast? It cannot be said to register his opinion, for he does not possess one. In the equipoised state of public opinion in Australia today as registered by the total votes cast for the respective parties, it may be that the Government of Australia is decided by the least intelligent elements. It may be that the unintelligent have been the arbiters. It may be doubted whether a community so governed is likely to'suceed for Jong in maintaining free government. It is to be observed, too, that as in New Zealand, certain areas of the country are of one persuasion and provide large majorities for one side, whereas other areas of the country are of another persuasion and provide large majorities for the opposite side in politics. It may be doubted whether this is fundamentally a satisfactory state of affairs. Does this phenomenon register - a sectional war? Does it mean that in one area economic advantage is to be gained by one side being in power and that the people in other areas are dominantly to be advantaged by the other side being in power? This seems to be the,answer and there seems to be no way of the one section convincing the other section. It may be that politics have ever been a scramble for office and the plums that office can bestow? But in a world that is becoming divided on political doctrine can this go on? The recent Government in New Zealand did not want to nationalise the Bank of New Zealand. Mr. Nash, the most informed man of the party, strove against it, but had to succumb through political expediency. It is possible that Mr. Chifley was not in favour of nationalising the banks in Australia, but succumbing to political necessity, brought forward the measure which was proved to be an unconstitutional step and led in considerable measure to his downfall. It is very dangerous indeed when a majority of a majority, which internal majority is a very real minority, can attack the roots of society as at present constituted. But there is a question to be asked: to what extent will Mr. Menzies’ Government be justified in putting Mr. Chifley’s policy into reverse? The same question may legitimately be asked of Mr. Holland’s administrative activity in New Zealand. It is to be hoped that the political domination of the Reserve Bank and the compulsory purchase at inadequate prices of the shares privately held in the Bank of New Zealand will be liquidated at the earliest opportunity because neither step ever had a majority backing. The practical polities of today may treat the foregoing questions as academic, but that may be more expedient than wise. It must be remembered that the political atmosphere of today determines the material heritage of tomorrow. If the Socialists are to be encouraged to believe that anything that, they may do will remain undisturbed by subsequent Governments because the country will have gone too far down the Socialist road to permit of turning back then obviously the Socialists will attain their aim. If, on the other hand, it is demonstrated both here, in, Australia and, it is to be hoped, in Britain, that a Socialist Government may, with a small margin of votes over its opponents, implement their policy but with the inevitable undoing of that policy immediately they lose the reins of office that should go some way to restraining them in their more exuberant moments.

While the election results in Australia are not yet complete, a complete analysis of the situation there cannot be made. The results in Australia and. New Zealand, however, indicate that a policy of expanding the money supply while reducing the possibilities of production is not acceptable to a large number of people.