ELECTIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23974, 15 June 1943, Page 5

ELECTIONS IN AUSTRALIA

“SOME TIME BEFORE NOVEMBER” (Rec. B p.m.) SYDNEY, June 14. The next session of the Australian Federal Parliament, opening to-day week, is likely to be marked by sparring for election advantage. Political correspondents believe that this will be the last session before the elections. These are due “some time before November,” but may be held within two or three months. “With the passing of the period of direct danger to the Australian mainland has come a dimming in the spirit of Parliamentary collaboration,” says the “Sydney Morning Herald” commentator. He adds that Opposition leaders are angry at suggestions that they were responsible for the “Brisbane line” defence strategy of 15 months ago. By this plan, rejected by the Curtin Government, the northern part of Australia was to be evacuated in the event of a Japanese invasion. Mr Curtin, on the other hand, is said to be resentful at the half-sceptical reception by members of the War Council of his statement last week in which he indicated the passing of the war in the south-west Pacific from the stage of possible invasion of Australia to the stage of a limited offensive against Japanese bases. “No graver charge could lie against a war-time Prime Minister than that of distorting his country's war emergencies for his party’s political purposes,” says the “Sydney Morning Herald” correspondent. • . In these circumstances a difficult Parliamentary session is in prospect. The Opposition is expected to pursue its criticism of the Government’s handling of industrial disputes. Several bills to come before Parliament will cause bitter controversy. The chief of these will be the Government’s unemployment and sickness ’benefit scheme. Opposition to this is based on two grounds—that it is noncontributory and unwarranted in war time. The Government may not prove so conciliatory as during the JanuaryMarch session. Victorian Elections Many political commentators see in Saturday’s Victorian state elections a significant pointer to the Federal elections. Here Labour gained 43,000 votes, against the Country Party’s 9000,and the United Australia Party lost 67,000 votes. The United Country and United Australia Parties form the joint Federal Opposition. In the* Victorian elections Labour, including unofficial and independent candidates, polled a total of 306.948 votes. The United Australia Party polled 204,568 votes, the Country Party only 114,494 votes. Independents 129,821, Communists 36.593. and Socialists 9655. The small number of voters in the electorates won by it explains the low polling for the Country Party’s state majority of two seats, but it will need the support of either the United Australia Party or Labour to continue in office. The size of the Victorian electorates varies between 9000 and 42.000 electors. . , With its evident gam in popularity in Victoria, the Federal Labour Party is quickening preparations for the Commonwealth elections. Four important Labour conferences will be held in Melbourne this week. Mr Curtin will address the delegates about “the state of the war, the state of Australia. and problems of national survival." After his personal triumph at the New South Wales state Labour Party conference, the Prime Minister is considered to be assured of the whole-hearted co-operation of the Labour movement, both industrial and political.-LONG-RANGE RAIDS ON JAPAN VIEW OF AMERICAN AUTHORITY (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK. June 13. “For some time the aviation industry and science have been ready (o supply aircraft that will strike direct ! y from America over the heads of the Japanese Army and Navy and deliver a knock-out blow at the heart of Japan,” declared Major Alexander dc Seversky, the aviation authority. He added; “If long-range air power is not yet available, backward .timed military thinking is to blame. It is not a question of whether we can and don’t, but of making up our minds to do it. Time is on Japan’s side while the United Nations continue a surface strategy. We will reverse that when we adopt a strategy based on air power.”