WIN FOR LABOUR

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21418, 12 May 1941, Page 8

WIN FOR LABOUR

SAFE MAJORITY GOVERNMENT DEFEATED NEW SOUTH WALES POLL vunited Press Assn.—fciec. Tel. Copyright) SYDNEY, May 11 A landslide against the Government at the State elections yesterday ensures the formation of a Labour Ministry in New South Wales, jnder the leadership of Mr W. J. McKell. It was the greatest election swing since the Lang forces lost 29 seats in the 1932 elections. The position when the counting closed last night was as follows : Seats Official Labour 47 United Australia-United Country Parties ... 30 Independents 2 Doubtful 11 Total 90 The U.A.P.-U.C.P. total includes three Independent U.A.P. candidates. Not a Seat Lost Official Labour so far has not lost a seat, and has good chances in nine of the doubtful seats, so that the party might have 56 members in Parliament compared with 34 in the old House. This would give it a majority of. 22 seats over the other parties combined. The state of the parties in the old House was:— Seats United Australia Party 34 United Country Party .. 21 Labour 34 Independent 1 Total 90 The former Government (U.A.P.U.C.P.) thus had 55 members in a House of 90. The State Labour Party, led by Mr J. R. Hughes, yesterday failed to win a seat, although it had 28 candidates. Mr Mair’s Position

A noteworthy feature is that in some electorates an independent U.A.P. candidate defeated the endorsed U.A.P. candidate, notably in Mosman. where the Rev. D. P. Macdonald had an overwhelming win against Maior-General H. W. Lloyd, Director-General of Recruiting. The former Premier. Mr A. Mair, will have a hard fight to maintain his seat—Albury. At present he has a a small majority, but there are 7115 j votes outstanding. The Minister of National Emer- i gency Service, Mr H. L. Primrose, in ! North Sydney, and the Minister of j Works and Local Government, Mr L. O. Martin, in Oxley, apparently face certain defeat. Cabinet by Caucus Other Ministers fighting hard are the Chief Secretary, Mr A. U. Tonking, in Orange, and the Minister of Agriculture, Mr A. D. Reid, in Young, and the Minister of Lands, Mr Yeo, in Liverpool. The Minister cf Health, Mr H. P. FitzSimons. is in danger of defeat in Lane Cove, considered a U.A.P. stronghold for many years. The selection of members of the | Labour Cabinet will be decided by j caucus. The leader of the party, Mr j McKell, who will automatically be i Premier, will then allot the portfolios. I A new portfolio. Minister of Housing, j will be created. The ex-Premier, Mr ! Lang, is not expected to have a strong i enough following in caucus to be 1 chosen as a Minister. New Premier’s Career The new Premier of New South ! Wales, Mr William John McKell, said j last night: “ I have promised nothing 1 which I feel cannot be done. All the pledges made by my party will be fulfilled. We shall work, not only to win this war, but also to prepare the way for a better world for those who are fighting this war for us.” Mr McKell, who is 49 years of age, has been a member of Parliament for Redfern since 1917. He was the “ baby of the House ” when elected at the age of 26, and two years later became the youngest Minister of Justice. Formerly a boilermaker’s apprentice, to become a barrister he overcame his inadequate early education by midnight studies of Latin and philosophy. He was admitted to the Bar in 1925. Visits Overseas Three times he was Minister of Justice between 1920 and 1932. He was also Assistant-Treasurer from 1925 to 1927 and Minister for Local Government, 1930-31. As AssistantTreasurer he visited New York and London in 1927 to raise loans of £5,000,000 and £11,000,000 for the State Government. He was elected | in September, 1939, as Leader of the j Opposition, succeeding Mr Lang. , Mr McKell is a pleasant speaker, although he employs few gestures and none of the recognised tricks of oratory. He has lived in the same house in Redfern since he was a boy. He spends his spare week-ends on his property near Goulbum, where he breeds Corriedale sheep.