QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 May 1929, Page 3

QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS

SENSATIONAL HAPPEN!NG

AIR PAT HANNA’S VIEW

(“Lyttelton Times.”)

.Much of the credit for the defeat of the Labour Government in Queensland is due to Mr M. L. Reading, former editor of the “Lyttelton Times” and now editor of the Brisbane “Daily Telegraph,” according to Mr Put Hanna, who was recently in Brisbane for a season of eighteen months.

Mr Hanna said yesterday morning that even prominent members of the Opposition had believed that it would be impossible to dislodge Labour from power. The reason for this was to be found in the circumstances which followed the referendum that was taken to decide whether or not the Upper House should be abolished. The vote was emphatically against abolition, but Mr Theodore’s Labour Government then altered the electorates until i! was impossible for an anti-Labour candidate to get elected in most of them. As .'i result, the Upper House voted it self out.

The defeat of Labour in Queensland is the most sensational happening in Australian politics for years, according to Air Haiina’s views. Mount Morgan, where the Home Secrotnr* is likely to lo«o bis seat, is a “Bnlslii'* centre,” and the state of the poll then' makes the situation very interesting. Speaking of the activities of Air Reading in Queensland politics, Mr Hanna said that Air Reading took over tlie editorial chair of the “Telegraph” when polities were at a hopeless stage. Air Reading brought with him good, sound criticism of the Ne\v Zealand type, and soon ’the unusual occurrence of the Premier making personal attacks on Mr Reading from the public platform took place. Air Reading’s solid and constructive criticisms had much to do with the present position.

Mr Hanna pointed out that Air A. E. Moore, the new Premier, is a New Zealander, being a native of Napier. This makes two New'Zealand-horn Premiers in Australia at present, the other being the Hon. T. H. Bavin, Premier of New South Wales. Speaking of New Zealanders in, Queensland, Air Hanna, said that during his company’s record season there, a New Zealand dinner was held, after which the guests attended his show, having supper at the theatre. The New Zea-land-horn guests, including tho Mayor of Brisbane, the leader of the Opposition, Air Moore, who- is now Premier, the editors of the two principal papers, Air Reading, and Air Sligo, the Registrar of the University, one of the Labour Cabinet Ministers, the presidents of the two leading cubs, and the managers of the three leading theatres.

Reverting to the elections, Mr Hanna said that it was rather hard tin'! it should have been Mr Al’Cormnck who had to meet defeat. Air Al’Cormaok was a personal friend of the speaker’s, and he had made an honest effort to straighten .out the affairs of the State. Atr Al’Cormack had tried to get rid of many of the teyrible State enterprises and' had refused t,o have anything to do with the extremist element.

“The results will he an astounding revelation to all Australia, and w'll he quite ns great a surprise as w:i l ' the defeat of the Reform Government in New Zealand,” said Air Hanna.