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Otago Daily Times, Issue 24411, 24 September 1940, Page 8

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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THE LATEST FIGURES MR CURTIN LOSING GROUND (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SYDNEY, Sept. 23. On the latest returns the Herald expects the Menzies Government to be returned with its majority reduced from ten to eight. The Telegraph says the latest count indicates that the Government is likely to retain office with a majority of at least three seats, The Herald gives the state of parties as:—

United Australia Party 23 Country Party .. .. 14 Labour .. .. i • • • 30 Doubtful .... • • 7

The latest count increases the probability of the defeat of the Labour leader, Mr J. Curtin, in Fremantle. Mr Lee is now only 34 votes behind. Blame for the reversal is attributed partly to over-confi-dence by Mr Curtin's immediate supporters, and partly to Labour's refusal to join the War Cabinet. The Government has regained the Wilmot seat in Tasmania, which was last to Labour when the former Prime Minister (Mr J. A. Lyons) died.

Mr Menzies said the election must be regarded as a clear mandate to prosecute the war with the utmost vigour. Mr Curtin said the results suggested that the Government had not had conclusive testimony of public opinion. In view of his likely defeat, he deputed Mr Forde, deputv leader, to speak on behalf of the Labour Party. The Telegraph's Melbourne corre-: spondent says that fresh overtures to the Labour Party to form a National Government will be made by Mr Menzies as the result of the elections.

The Senate count is still too limited to make any accurate forecast. The Government may return its Senate candidates in every State but New South Wales, which is the only State in which Labour has a lead in the votes counted so far. It appears likely that three Labour Senators will be returned. It is likely that Government candidates will be returned for all seats in the other States. This would return 10 Senators supporting the Government and three supporting Labour. The Senators who did not retire were fourteen Labour and three Government. The new Senate, therefore, is likely to be:—Government 19, Labour i 7.

If, however, the Government loses its majority in the Senate, the possibility of a double dissolution later arises. This problem would not have to be faced immediately, because the retiring Senators will not complete their term until June 30 next. Political circles in Perth report that should Mr Curtin be defeated in Fremantle, which is declared inevitable, Mr A. E. Green, who is in ill-health, is prepared to resign the Kalgoorlie seat in .Mr Curtin's favour. Mr Green is the only member of the last Parliament who was not opposed in Saturday's election. THE PRIME MINISTER AN ENCOURAGING VOTE MELBOURNE,. Sept. 23, - (Received Sept. 24, .; a.m.) ". The Prime Minister (Mr R, G. Menzies), commenting on the election, said that had New Scuth Wales, been in line with the other. States there would have been a landslide in favour of the Government. v " X expect the position vin both Houses to be the same as before," he said. "We had been told it was impossible to win the Senate in five States, but it looks as though w- have. I am not surprised at the New South Wales vote, where local issues and influences swing against' s. My vote in my own electorate, Kooyong, is the greatest encouragement I have ever had in politics." Mr Menzies declined to comment on the prospects of forming a National Government or reconstruction of the Ministry.