QUEENSLAND POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1929, Page 2

QUEENSLAND POLITICS

(Otago Daily Times.) The general election in Queensland has resulted in a severe defeat for the Labour Party. In the last Parliament the Labour Government was maintained in office by the support ol 43 members, and 20 members represented the strength of the anti-Labour Opposition. While the result of the contests for a few seats at the election on Saturday is inconclusive, a substantial anti-Labour majority in the new Parliament is clearly established. The Labour Party has definitely secured only 25 seats and it is a significant circumstance that three members of the Alinistry have stillcrcd defeat at the polls. Although there were seven different .party designations for the candidates in the field, no serious splitting of the votes was apprehended. Labour itself, howevei, is divided in Queensland on much the same issue as that which has kept the party in a state of turmoil in NewSouth Wales. The centre of disaffection has been railway unionism, represented in the elections by a Left Wing movement, which presented three candidates, one for Brisbane aigainst the Minister for Works, u second for a country constituency against the Minister of Education, and a third for Townsville, a stronghold of the industrial extremists. It is likely, however, that the intrusion of the Left Wing candidates accounted in only a small degree, if at all, for lack of success of the Labour Party at the polls. The electoral system provides for the “contingent vote.” which, m cases where there are more than two candidates for a seat, gives the elector the right to indicate a second preference. What is perfectly clear is that, after the enjoyment by it of political control for a period that is much longer than the average life of a Government in Australia, the tide has now turned strongly against the Labour Party. The financial situation of tho State is regarded as much strained, despite the fact that tlicic was a small surplus last year, while very heavy burdens have been placed on the taxpayers.

The Premier. Mr Al’Cormack. late,ly appealed for greater efficiency in private industry. “His appeal would have had much greater force,” observes the Sydney Morning Herald, “were it not notorious that for foillteen years the rule of his party over tiie State has been of a character most noxious to public and private initiative, enterprise and economy. In the Railway Department, particularly, ' discipline' of the service has been so undermined by political action that the department accumulated a deficiency of nearly eighteen millions sterling for the period of Labour control. The same thing permeates Government administration generally. Tn Queensland for many years success in productive undertakings has been something for the authorities to punish rather than to recognise favourably.’’ Air AF Cor mack lias not taken his defeat in good part. But in Queensland tho Labour Party, with a. programme essentially the same as that of the Labour Party in other Australian States, and in New Zealand, has had its opportunity, and lias itself demonstrated to the people that such a programme cannot he carried into effect if their host interests are to he considered.