MAJORITY WILL BE SMALL

Southland Times, Issue 24239, 24 September 1940, Page 6

MAJORITY WILL BE SMALL

Successful Party In

Australia

MR CURTIN LIKELY TO LOSE SEAT

SWING TO LABOUR IN NEW SOUTH WALES

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright)

(Received September 23, 6.30 p.m.)

SYDNEY, September 23.

When counting ceased last night for the Federal elections the position of the parties was not materially altered. All the primary votes are not yet counted. Whichever party wins, its majority will be very small. The Government has regained the Wilmot seat in Tasmania, which it lost to Labour when the former Prime Minister, Mr J. A. Lyons, died. There is a definite prospect, on last night’s count, that the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr John Curtin, will lose the Fremantle seat to the United Australia Party candidate, Mr F. R. Lee. It is generally believed in the electorate that the preferences of the independent candidate will go to Mr Lee.

While there is a heavy swing to Labour in New South Wales, this is offset by a mild swing to the Government in other states. At the present stage in the aggregate, official Labour has secured a majority of the votes cast. The total of informal votes will be high. The position of the Senate election is still too confused to gain any impression about how the voting will end. 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-healtn, is prepared to resign the Kalgoorhe seat in Mr Curtin’s favour. Mr Green is the only member of the last Parliament who was not opposed in Saturday’s election. MR MENZIES PLEASED The Prime Minister, Mr R. G. Menzies, commenting on the election, said that had Nevr South Wales been in line with the other states there would have been a landslide in favour of the Government. “I expect the position in both Houses to be the same as before, he said. “We had been told that it was impossible to win the Senate in five states, but it looks as though we have. I was not surprised at the New South Wales vote, where local issues influenced the swing against us. 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 the reconstruction of the Ministry. , 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 the conclusive testimony of public opinion. In view of his likely defeat he deputed Mr F. M. Forde, Deputy-Leader of the Opposition, to speak on behalf of the Labour Party. The Melbourne correspondent of The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, says that fresh overtures to the Labour Party to join a national government will be made by Mr Menzies as a result of the elections. REDUCED MAJORITY On the latest returns The Sydney Morning Herald expects the Menzies Government to be returned with its majority reduced from 10 to eight. The Daily Telegraph says the latest count indicates that the Government is likely to retain office with a majority of at least three seats.

The Sydney Morning Herald gives the present state of the parties as: United Australia Party 23 Country Party 14 Labour Party 30 Doubtful 7

The latest count increases the probability of the defeat of Mr Curtin in Fremantle as Mr Lee is now only 34 votes behind him. The blame for this reversal is attributed partly to overconfidence by Mr Curtin’s immediate supporters and partly to Labour’s refusal to join the War Cabinet.