SWIFT CAMPAIGN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 6, 30 September 1937, Page 5

SWIFT CAMPAIGN

Out Own Corrtspdndent.)

Australian # Federal Election n.s.w. the key state

(From

- SYDNEY, Sept. 17. Australia will soon be in the throes of a short, sharp election campaign, for the Federal election will he held Ofi October 23. Writs will not be iBSued until September 24. The P'rime Ministfer, Mr Lyons, will deliver his policy speech at Deloraine, Tasmania, in his own electorate (Wilmot), on September 28. He will prob' abiy fly- to Sydney to begin a tour of New South Wales. Then he will fly to Queensland and back to Sydney. He will then travel by train through Victoria and South Australia. He will spend the last week of the campaign in Tasmania. Mr Lyons will not he the only campaigner to use aeroplanea. Many aeroplane bookings have been made, net only On the regular service routes, but also private charters. Other niod* ern electioneering devices are being used. The leader of each party will broadcast over the radio. Motor vans equipped with loud-speakers will tour i far and wide. There will alse be the usual rallies and small strOet eorner meetings. Plans for this campaign had been made for many months on the assUmption that NeW South Wales would be the "key" State in the Federal election, But the unexpected dissolution of the Victorian Parliament and tho holding of a general election in that State on October 2 have made Victoria Js political trend the nlost inflUential factor in the Federal political Sphere. Federal Ministers are cOncerned at the likely effect the Victorian election will have on United Australia Party prestige. In Federal politics the "common enomy" is Lahourj in Victoria, it is the U.A.P. A coaiitiott of the U.A.P. and the United Country Party rules in Federal politics; a coalition of the United Country Party and _ Labour rules in Victoria. If, as is widely expected, Labour gains in the Victorian campaign at the expense of the U.A.P., keen political obserVers believO that the effect on the Federal Coalition may be disastfOus to the combination's progpects three weeks later. Nevertheless, New South Wales may decide the Federal issue. There, Labour has concentrated all its organising strength, The nominal reunion of thc party 's Federal eiecutive and Mr. Lang's State party Will eliminat© its worst enemy- — party friction — even. if the "united front" is merely lath-and-plaster. Labour will have material to build on, for, in spite of the Lyons-Pago Government 's six years record of generally good work, it is not popular, mainly because of the Country Party domination. Its refusal to bid for electoral favour by means of tax roductions in the recent Btidget will have an important infiuenc® on votars' thoughts. .