QUEENSLAND ELECTORS GO TO POLIS TODAY

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 April 1950, Page 5

QUEENSLAND ELECTORS GO TO POLIS TODAY

(By C. R. Menliplay, N.Z.P.A. Correspondent). SYDNEY, April 28 (Recd. 6 p.m.) Tomorrow Queensland electors will exercise their privilege of voting for or against the Labour Administration, which with the exception of a period from 19'29 to 1932, has been in office since 1915. General opinion is that Labour will be there after the election, as the distribution of seats in the Queensland Legislative Assembly is greatly advantageous to Labour. During the currency of Parliament now dissolved

a redistribution of seats strengthened Labour’s position. The Government, under the Premier (Mr. E. M. Hanlon) created 23 seats to serve 160,000 voters in Labour strongholds, and 40 to serve 529,000 elsewhere.

Opposition members predict that the dice are loaded and that the result is a foregone conclusion. In Queensland there is only one legislative body. Labour holds 35 seats, the Country Party 14, the People’s Party (Liberals) nine, Independents three, and Communists one. The Communist legislator is the only one of hU; kind in Australia. Political observers predict that Labour will be returned with a reduced majority. There is some belief that a swing in the Western electorates will unseat the Government or reduce it to impotence. Others suggest that Queensland, which produced violent anti-Labour reaction in the Federal elections last December, is quite capable of another surprise.

The impact of Mr. Menzies’ speech on the Bill outlawing the Communist Party is also capable of affecting the situation. This is a year without precedent in the political history of Australia, as within six months the Commonwealth and all six States have submitted themselves to the electors. The Liberal-Country Party coalition overthrew the Chiefly Labour Government in Canberra on December 10. Less than three months later Premier Thomas Playford, of South Australia, obtained a renewal of his mandate. He emerged as the premier with the greatest span in office in Australian history and his Liberal-Country Party administration was unchanged. Three weeks later Premier Ross McLarty preserved his advantage over Labour in West Australia. He continues to govern largely by the grace of two Independents, but Labour is ..believed to be In a weak position for attack. Next week Tasmania will offer itself to the electors with the probability of victory ffir the Liberals. This election will be followed on May 13 by that of Victoria, where there is a likelihood of a Liberal victory for the Premier, Mr. T. Hollway. Informed sources expect another stalemate, principally due to warfare between the Liberals and the embittered Coun try Farty, with a possible advantage to Labour.

Last of the seven elections is that of New South Wales, where Labour is expected to have a close call.