Progress Report of Federal Elections in Australia

Chronicle (Levin), 30 September 1946, Page 7

Progress Report of Federal Elections in Australia

Press Assn.

By Telegraph

- Copyriqht

Received Sunday, 7.0 p.m. SYDNEY, Sept. 29. AVith over half of the votes counted in the Australian Federal election, it appears certain that Labour will be returned with few losses. "Wlien tlie first day's count ended early tliis morning, Labour was seeure in 42 seats, the Liberal Party in 15 and the Country Party in 9, with lndependent Labour in the persons of Mr. J. T. Lang and Mrs. Doris Blackburn threatening to unseat the official Labour candidatcs in two seats. The only seats Labour appeared certain to lose after the counting ended, were Reid (New youth Wales), Lilley (Queensland), and Bourke (Victoria). The counting of tlie sccond and third preferences ean yet shake certain candidatcs whose position now appears secure. The really doubtful seats are givcn by various authorities as between 6 and 16 but in most cases sitting members are expected to liold these electorates. The swing against Labour did not develop to anything like the extent expected by the Liberals. What swing there was merely added to niajorities and did little to win extra seats for the Opposition. Certain key seats whicli were watched with great interest all evening as being the first to show any swing against Labour, rau obstinately true to fonn and Liberal and Country Party supporters early began to resign theniseiyes to defeat.

"It is iio use prelemling about tliese tliings," Kaiti Mr. Menzies in Mel-j bourue after smvcying tlie board.j "You must renlise it whcu yuu have; got it in the noek. The result is most i disuppointing and verv (lisltirbing. " j Of 2,519,548 votes alreadv counted i 1,292,020 were cust for Labour, 852,519 j for Liberal, 193,49.") for t'oiuitry Party, j 30,583 for Communists, and 143,931 for: Independents. j The election was almost devoid of in-l cidents though a reconl number ofj votes was east. Passengers who arrived! frojn Melbourne recorded votes with' only two mimites to spare. The only person arrested in Hydney was a wonian taken in charge at a Darlingliurst booth for drunkenness. Diiiieulties wero mot by transients who failed to reeord votes in time and hundreds of ex-servicemen Who, 011 arriving at booths, diseovered tliey liad negleeted to eomplete i'ormalities. In Australia all who do not reeord a vote are liable to eoiivictiou and liue. In their eleetorates -Mr. Chifley and Dr. Evatt liad persoual triumphs but

souie IMinisters *were not so fortuuate. The Arinv Minister, Mr. Forde, and Repatriatiou Minister, Mr. Frost, are having hani iights. Mr. Forde has recorded 15,639 against the opposition caudidate, -Mr. Davidson's 14,894 with half Ihe votes yet to be counted. Mr. Frost has a lead of 400 votes on the Liberal, Mr. Falkinder, with over 1600 votes to eonie. . In many otlier -electorates candidatcs are separated by fewer than 1000 votes but Ihe resultS are regarded as certain because they have repl'esented a steady gain since the counts began. Mrs. Doris Blackburn is puttiug up a spectacular light for the Bourke seat fonnorly liekl by her husbaud who diet last year. Standing for lndependent Labour she has the support of Liberal preferences. Mrs. Jessie Street, Labour, proved an early threat to the deputy Liberal leader, Mr. Harrison, in the exclusive Wentworth eleetorate but later lie went ahcad to a comfortable lead. Tlie most interesting New South Wales struggle was that for Parkes

\vhero the lead continually changed hands. Now, witli less than 10,000 votes left to count, tlie Labour mau is 850 ahead. ±n a ding dong battle for Reid, Mr. Morgan, Labour, is aliead of Mr, Lang, lndependent Labour, on the iigures but Mr. Lang ean count on the great niajority of preference votes cast for the Liberal and Wervice Party candidates. His election is considered certain. The Benate voting, in whicli the eount is not far advauced, iudicates that Labour is well ahead in all States except Queensland in wliich State the Opposition appears to have gained in strength. As all 17 non-retiring iSena tors are Labour men, Labour is assured of au overwheliuing majority in the Upper House. The referendum position is very cloudy. On the question whether the Federal Governnient sliould have legislative power on social servioes, the Iigures favour tlie aflirniative but ouly Victoria and Tasuiauia are in favour. Two otlier questious on organised marketing and iiulustrial legisiation resI pectively, found even less favour. It will be several days before all votes are I counted and the linal preferences al j lotted.