AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1918, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

QUlilimAXD ELECTION RESULTS.

Australian-XX. Cable Association. Brisbane, March 17.

In no case are the election returns complete, but progress lighters clearly ind.cate that the Ryan Government ,i<u been returned with an increased majority. In several instances seats have changed hands. In the last Parliament the Government strength was 45, the Opposition 27, and the present figures the Government .'Mrs to have won "t 1 ! -eat? and the Opposition 24. All the Ministers are, apparently, safe. Mr. Tol'nic, the leader.of the Opposition, who was too ill to participate in the i campaign, was defeated at Toowoomba.

•A later message states that a feature of the election was the soldier candidate?, all on the Nationalist or Opposition side, being almost everywhere turned down.

The Premier and leader of the Opposition were busy all day. They were exercising the franchise on behalf of overseas soldiers, though a soldier had the right to nominate any elector to act as his proxy. It is understood that comparatively few outside the party leaders were so nominated.

It will be some days before the returns are complete, there being many absentee votes to count, and the floods in some districts are also causing delay.

ELECTION FIGURES, Brisbane, March 18. The latest figures indicate that tho probable state of parties will be: Government. o, Opposition 21. In several cases the counts are close, anil absent >'otes may result in changes. The seat of Mr. Lindon, Minister of Agriculture, .s doubtful, as his opponent is leading. twenty solder 'candidates only two stand a chance of heing returned.