Big Swing From Labour In By-elections

Chronicle (Levin), 20 July 1948, Page 6

Big Swing From Labour In By-elections

(n:z:p.a,

—Reutei

r, Covyright)

Received Monday, 7.30 p.m. , 1 SYDNEY, July i9. The authority and standing of the Federal ahd State .Labour Governments of Australia are being undermined to a point of extreme danger by industriai excesses among their supporters and by their own often demonstrated failnre to stand ,'up for -: the rights of the community; v«,; !•* Unmistakable evid&nce of this is present iii the resuits . o£ the Kogarah by-election. , Kogarah is the. seeond State seat in two months to be claimed by. the Liberals from Labour. Neither Coogee uor Kogarah;. "eould ever 'be termed stauiich fLiBeral- supporters. aud in both cases, having regard to salarv groups w'ithin the electofates, it might be expedteiT th,at the sympathies of the 'electors wotald ' be predominately Labour.' Yet within 14 months the Labour majority of 3732 in Kogarah has given place to a niinority of S3G and Coogee has also passed into Liberal keeping. The general situation in Australia must cause considerable heart searching among Labour supporters. Two' years ago the Federal Government was staunchly backed up by Labour Governments in all the States except South Australia whos,e confidence in the Playford Liberals was understood to stem ! chiefly from local issues. Now South Australia has been joined in opposition by Victoria and West Australia and the Labour Government of Tasmania is tottering to its; fall. As the more important of the two j States still owniug Labour allegiance, I New South Wales watched last Sat- j urday's Kogarah poll with bated J breath. The anti-Labour swing noted j in the Coogee by-election and in the j prices referendum, proved to be i greater than even the Liberals expected. It is now plain that all but the blue ribbon Labour seats are in danger and that though Labour holds a majority of 52 to 38 in the Legislative Assembly, it is facing a genuine threat in the next elections. Mr. J. L. Carrick, general secretarv of j the Li-beraJ l'arty in New South Wales, j claims • that 1(5 pcr cent. of tlie people in Ivogarah who voted Babour Jast vear, voted Liberal on Saturday aud that 9 per cent. of all Kogarah voters "changed their minds. ' ' He adds that \ if this swing is duplicated in other elec- | torates, the Lil)eral and Country Parties ; can take 20 seats from State Labour j at the next elections and seven Fede- j ral seats in New South Wales aione in the general elections in 14 'mdnths ' i time. The Prcss is unaninvons in taking the Kogarah rCftult as a criticism of tlie failurc of the Labour ■Governtnents to figlit illegal stoppages in jndustry, to bring industriai peace, to raise production and to cut taxation. The only consolatiou Labour supporters have is that much can happen iu 14 months.