VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 90, 7 December 1931, Page 6

VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN

(Press Assn'.—

federal. elections DEFEAT OF MR. J. H. SCULLIN'S LABOUR GOVERNMENT • PREDICTED ,SIX PARTIES IN FIELD

-By Telegraph — iCopyright.)

Rec. Dec. 6, 10 p.m. SYDNEY, Saturday. Nominations closed on Saturday for the 75 seats in the Commonwealth House of Representatives and 12 seats in th'e Senate, of which one third of the members have retired. The nominations total 225 for the House and 54 for the Senate. With polling day only a fortnight ] away, all candidates are engaged m strenuous campaigning. There are six parties in the field — the United Aus- ; tralia, led by Messrs J. A. Lyons and : J G. Latham, the United Country ; Party, under the leadership of Dr. 1 Earle-Page, tbe All for Australia League, of which the leadership is indefinite, the Federal Labour Party, under the banner of Messrs Seullin and Theodore, the Socialist, or Lang-plan Labour Party led by Mr. J. A. Beasley, who brought about the present crisis, and some Independents and a bandful of Communists who go to make up a formidable list of candidates. The nominations are made up as follows: — •

The Northern Territory has only one representative, who is entitled to debate but not to vote. United Australia Party The United Australia Party is composed partly of former Nationalists t ogether with a number of the All-for-Australia League. The Country Party is. determined to preserve its entity and has declined to be absoybed by the United Australia Party, although its leaders state that it is willing to co-operate with and espouse the broad principles of the United Australia policy — safe and _ sane administration, sound finance, and practical rehabilitation along* othodox lines. The only difference in the respective policies of the two parties is their attitude towards tariff walls. While the slogan of the two parties is in tune with Great Britain, here and there detached United Australia candidates and Country Party candidates, are running against their own parties. The present Prime Minister, Mr. J. H. Scullin's main concern is his fate in New South Wales, where his followers are being hotly challenged by Mr. Beasley's Lang-plan supporters. In no other States is the Labour fight being pursued. The popular belief is that the Beasleyites will win two metropolitan seats from the Seullin Party owing to Mr. Lang's dominating influence in the industrial areas, and that the United Australia Party will also regain several seats which it lost at the last election to Labour. iylr E. G. Theodore, the present Federal Treasurer, is having a stormy time in his own electorate of Dally (N.S.W.). According to the critics, his banking policy has become a millstone around his own and his leader's necks. Mr. Theodore, in his turn, apparently thinks less of the Beasley-eum-Lang plan, which he describes as a vacuum surrounded by noise. The "Daily Telegraph" duhs its as a financial nightmare." Anti-Labour Points It is impossible to desc'ribe the campaign in detail throughout- the country, but everywhere campaigning is very vigorous. Anti-Labour forces are making a strong point of dealing with the Communistic menace as well as with the Prime Minister's failure to live up to his lavish promises for the solution of unemployment. Assistance to the primary producer and attacks upon Langism are also points which are being stressed. The Labour campaign in the country will be restricted owing to the shortness of time before the election. Mr. Lyons, wbo is being opposed in his own electorate of Wilmot (Tasmania) by a former Minister ial colleague in the Tasmanian Parliament, Mr. Becker, says that he will not be surprised if 14 seats are lost by the Seullin Government and if the antiLabour forces secure a majority in New South Wales. Mr. Lyons also expects the Senate candidates of the United Australia Party to secure a sweeping victory. Mr. Stanley Bruce, the former Nationalist Prime Minister, will have to fight a Labour candidate in his own constituency. In New South Wales a surprise nomination was that of Mr. Dooley, an ex-Premier, who is standing as an Independent straight Labour candidate.

House Senate New South Wales 96 13 Victoria 60 9 Queensland 21 7 South Australia 22 7 Western Australia 11 6 Tasmania 12 12 Northern Territory 1 0