THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1760, 27 May 1913, Page 4

THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

The most significant feature of the Commonwealth election and Federal referendum campaigns is the desire ■of the Labour party to impress upon the electors tnat they should not vote against Labour candidates merely because they (the electors) are opposed to the proposed changes in the Constitution which form the issues to be decided by referendum. This seems to indicate that the Labour party, as a result of its campaigning, has found that its attempt to amend the Constitution and extend its own powers to nationalise and •persecute, does not find favour. The opponents of the Fisher Government are confident that tho referendum will go against the Government, as it did on the previous occasion, but the results of the elections cannot be looked forward to in tho same sanguine spirit. Still, it may bo that the Labour caucus has been guilty of a tactical blunder in bringing forward the referendum _ issues in conjunction with the Parliamentary elections, and that this blunder will be turned to good account by tho Liberal party. Borao facts which cannot be lightly passed over by Mr: Fisher are set out in the Melbourne Argus of May 17, under the heading, "Revolt Against Labour." According to the Argus, the history of the politics of Australia between the last Federal elections and to-day is filled with Labour reverses. In Victoria, in particular, it states, the Liberals have advanced marvellously in strength. One year after the Federal elections Victoria rejected by a majority of 100,000 votes the Labour Government's referendum proposals. Six months later the Labour party was decisively defeated at the State elections, the Liberals gaining two seats. By-elections for both Houses of Parliament brought ovidence of the increasing popularity of the Liberal party. So also in New South Wales. The referendum proposals were then rejected by 100,000 votes, and Labour lost tho Blayney seat in January, 1913, and had its majorities materially reduced at other by-elections, notably Werriwa, from 1840 to 338, and Yass 408 to 41. In Queensland Labour was defeated on the referendum by 19,000 votes; and the State elections in 1912 gave the Liberals a majority of 24 seats. In Tasmania the referendum vote against the Labour proposals showed a majority of 9000 in opposition, while at the State elections in 1912 the Liberals secured a victory over Labour. Western Australia, however, does not afford any very encouraging si<*ns. The referendum proposals there were carried, and the Stato elections resulted in a Liberal defeat. Tho only cheerful thing about Western Australia from the Liberal point of view is that their organisation there has been improved since the defeats mentioned. The happenings recorded above, which have all occurred since the last Federal elections, are of interest as affording some evidence of changes in public opinion, and are not favourable to the Labour party. Too much importance, however, must not be attached to them. The Federal Labour party is a very solid organisation— the Liberal party is less united and less well organised, and this may tell its tale at the end of the present month, when the voting takes place.