UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY TRIUMPHS IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 102, 21 December 1931, Page 5

UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY TRIUMPHS IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS

!ss Assn.-

"VICTORY FOR SOUND FINANCE" 5 1 * scullin government loses five ministers and many seats The Australian Federal General Election, held on Saturday, resulted in the overwhelming defeat of Mr. J. H. Seullin's Labour Government by the United Australia Party and Dr. Earl Page's [• Country Party. Five of ' Mr. Seullin's Ministers are definitely known to have lost their Seats, including Mr. E. G. Theodore, Treasurer, who is widely regarded as the brains of the Seullin Ministry. JDespite the fact that preferential voting is in operation, it appears already to be clear that Federal Labour, which held 35 seats in the last Parliament, will return only 14 strong, while United Australia Party has increqsed its strength from 23 to 31, possibly 34. The Country Party also will go back to the House stronger than it was in the last Parliament, and it is believed that the United anti-Labour forces will have an absolute majority of nearly 30 seats. The Ministers defeated, in addition to Mr. Theodore, include Mr. Parker Maloney, Minister of Markets, Mr. J. McNeill, Minister of Health, Mr. F. Brennan, Attorney General, and Mr J. B. Chifley, Minister of Defence. The Lang-plan Group, led by Mr. J. A. Beasley, which in the last Parliament numbered five, appears to have secured ten seats, all of which are in New South Wales. Mr. Theodore sustained his " defeat at the hands of a Langplanner, who secured over 10,000 votes rnore than he did. The leaders of the successful parties, commenting on the results, describe them as a triumph for sound finance and a repudiation of fantastic schemes and extremist doctrines. The defeated Prime Minister, Mr. Seullin, acknowledges that Labour has sustained a shattering "blow. He claims the result is the penalty inflicted on a Government which has had to govern during a severe financial crisis, and that Labour will arise again with the next few months.

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

!Rec. Dec. 20, 5.5 p.m. SYDNEY, Saturday. Seullin Government has been strength of the Parties in the ouse is: Official Labour (Scul- [; Langite Labour (all of New Wales) 10; United Australia 31; Country Party 14; doubtful the party leaders were re-elect-d Mr. W. M. Hughes retained Sydney. Ministers, Messrs E. G. Theomd Parker Moloney were deThe seat of the Attorneyil, Mr. Brennan, is precarious. Itates, the results, it would apSouth Wales: Federal Labour j lgites 10, United Australia 8, ' y Party 7, doubtful 0. aria: Federal Labour 0, LangUnited Australia 11, Country 4, doubtful 1. ;h Australia: Federal Labour igites 0, United Australia 4, •y Party 0, doubtful 1. nania: Federal Labour 0, LangUnited Australia 5, Country j 0, doubtful 0. v msland: Federal Labour 5, j es 0, United Australia 3, Coun- : irty 1, doubtful 1. tern Australia: Federal Labour igites 0, United Australia 0, y Party 2, doubtful 3. Mr. Bruce's Big Majority Bruce scored 36,700 in Flinders , Haywood's (Federal Labour) Wentworth, Mr. Walter Marks, igured in the revolt with Mr. m Hughes which wrecked the ■Page Government, was beaten '0 to one by a political new- ; i Mr. Harrison, under the same ormer New South Wales State er, Mr. W. A. Holman handf recaptured Martin for the 1 Australia Party, polling to the Lang-planner's 11,233. Yarrah, Mr. J. H. Seullin poll-

against the United Party IWe's 10,000. United Party appears to have ^Batman from the Attorney GenF. Brennan. G. Latham, deputy-leader of ^Knited Australia Party, polled H to the Seullin candidate's V E. Fenton (United) is hard in Maribunong with 25,017 to fi^Hckett's (Federal Labour) 25,025 Scott (Independent) 996. The J^Bnce votes will decide the issue. f^Kasrnania, the United Australia j^Hcarried all five seats, two Min.{■lsts being ousted. I^Boinmunists Not Supported J^Mpydney the Independents and $^®nists were very poorly support|^Bxteen candidates lost their de°f _ whom seven were Com;|B§S' six Independents and three on the election include l^B Mr. Seullin, who says. "The the fate of a Government, ]^K;re cnlled upon to govern dur|^^Blnancial crises. It is a staggerto the Labour Party, but Ij^Rtedly there will be a strong reH^Rbefore niany months." llBr";r "^yons' Lader of the Unit|W|!;:!;a Party, views the result of ■^■ption as an expression of • the l^^KCommonsense, an(l of th.e patKfH . the people, who have taken "Our credit in the eyes l^Mworld has been re-established," Pnge, leader o*f the CounfjH deputy leader of the I9B lonahst Government, says that

inflation and repudiation have received their final quietus. Banking Policy Repudiated Mr. Latham regards the result as an intimation to the world that Australia is determined to repudiate plans for the political control of the banking system and the adoption of a depreciated currency. Mr. T. R. Bavin, leader of the New South Wales Nationalist Opposition, says that the United Australia Party 's majority has made it clear that the public will not tolerate political control of banking. ! Mr. W. M. Hughes declares that the McDonald-Baldwin victory has been repeated and that this shows definitely that the people of Australia prefer a Government based on sound finance, rather than on fantastic schemes and extremist doctrins. Mr. McPherson, Secretary of the Federal Labour Party, places the responsibility for the result on Garden and Langism, and says that the ultimate effect will be the~ rStsing of a Fascist dictatorship in Australia. Cabinet-Makers Busy ' The "Sun" newspaper credits the combined Opposition with 48 seats, combined Labour with 19, and the Independents with one, seven being doubtful. The newspaper considers that Mr. J. B. Chifley, Minister of Defence, Mr. J. McNeil, Minister of Health, and Mr. Cunningham, Assist-ant-Minister, are also doomed. The Cabinet makers are already busy.' One suggested team, to be led by Mr. Lyons, is: Mr. Lyons, Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs; Mr. S. M. Bruce, Treasurer; Mr. Latham Attorney-General; Dr. Earl Page, Minister of Health; Sir T. W. Glasgow, Minister of Defence; Mr. Gullett, Minister of Trade and Customs; Mr. Prowse, Minister of Works and Railways; Mr. Hughes, Postmaster-General; Mr. Parkhill, Minister of Home and Territories; Mr Paterson, Minister of Markets and Migration; Senator Sir George Pearce, Leader of the Senate. An early re-shuffle is anticipated, giving the leadership to Mr. Bruce, a

High Court Seat to Mr. Latham and a portfolio to Mr. Holman. Theodore's Defeat Among the most interesting features of the election, is the defeat of five Ministers, including Mr. Theodore, who is more than 10,000 behind the Lang-plan candidate and 3,000 behind his anti-Labour opponent. What Mr. Theodore will do in the future is the subject of much speculation. He is regarded as the brains of the Seullin Ministry. No other electorate has shown the slightest anxiety to provide him with a safe seat, which would enable him to re-organise the Official Labour forces. The defeat of Mr. Parker Maloney, Minister of Markets, was not unexpected. He played a prominent part in arranging the Canada-Australia Trade-Treaty, but always had a hard fight in Hume. On this occasion he was faced with unusually heavy odds from the Country Party, which in recent months had conducted an intensive campaign in New South Wales in favour of new States against Langism and Mr. Seullin's high tariff. Mr. J, McNeill, Minister of Health and Mr. F. Brennan, Attorney-Gen-eral, are both definitely defeated. The concensits of opinion this evening, is that the anti-Labour Parties will have an absolute majority in the , House of Representatives of from 28 to 30. There is even hope of a great- , er majority. , . •' The state of the Parties m the last j Parliament was: Federal Labour 35, . t Beasle^ Socialist- — Labour (Lang Plan) 5, United Australia Party 23, • Country Party 11, Independent L