Australia Turns Down Control Of Prices And Rents

Chronicle (Levin), 31 May 1948, Page 7

Australia Turns Down Control Of Prices And Rents

(N.Z.P.A,

.—Reuter,

^ 1 Copyright)

Received Sunday,. 7 p.ni. SYDNEY, May 30. With threequarter-s of the votes couiited, it is apparent that the Commonwealth Government 's bid for permanent control of rents, prices and charges, has been defea.ted by an overwhelming majority. Sw.eeping victories for the negative were recorded in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania and the " np " voters had a big early lead in West Australia. ' Figures up to the "lose of the vveekend counting, are as follow : — Australia: Yes, 1,41 J, 200. No, 1,888,492. Majority for the negative 469,292. Liberal Party leaders regard the result as a revolt against bureaucracy rather than as a direct vote against the Governinent. The heavy det'eat in New South Wales was a severe blow to the Federal Government which had been confident of a deeisive victory in tliis State. I11 New South Wales only the die hard Labour seats of Dalley, Cook, Darling, East Sydney, West Sydney, Hunter and Newcastle returned affirmative votes and even these majorities were slender.

In Labour governed Queensland the negative vote was unexpectedly strong. In South Australia all but oue Labour held seat showed negative oiajorities. • In Victoria, ^ve electorates alone held out in favour Of the Government. A striking feature of the voting was that the elec-tora-tes of both the Prime Minister and Depnty Prime Minister turned the Government request down. The only Minister's electorate to return an affirmative vote was East Sydney held by the Minister of External Territories, Mr. Ward.. To win the referendum, the Government needed a majority oi' voters throughout Australia and an affirmative vote in four out of six States. A vital issue was contained in a warning by Mr. Chifley tliat a negative vote would mean the end to subsidies and' an increase in prices. Liberal Party speakers elaimed that the Prime Minister would not remove subsidies as to do so on such a pretext would be political suicide. So far Mr. Chifley has declined to comment on the result. "It is the most uncompromising defeat the Government has had in any referendum in our time," said Mr. Menzies.