DEFEAT OF N.S.W. GOVERNMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 March 1922, Page 4

DEFEAT OF N.S.W. GOVERNMENT.

The defeat of the Labor Government in N.S.W. seems fairly assured, and the news will be received with the utmost satisfaction by those who believe in sound and well ordered Government. The Labor Government; or Governments, for there were two, came into office as the result of political jerrimandering. The previous elections took place in 1920, and proportional representation was used for the first time, the result being, as in the case of other countries, quite indecisive. In a House of 90 members, 45 seats were secured by Labor and 45 by anti-Labor candidates. Neither Mr. Holman nor Sir George Fuller could carry on and the late Mr. Storey, the Labor leader, was called upon to form a Ministry, which he did, offering the speakership to Mr. Levy, of the other side, thus giving Labor a majority of one. Then the Labor Government offered judgeships to two other opponents, Messrs. Beeby and James, whose seats became vacant, whereupon it was discovered that no machinery existed for filling the vacancies, and. it was seven months before the Government made the necessary provision by legislation, which has been described as a “burlesque upon democratic government,” When Mr. Levy resigned the Speakership, as a protest against the Dooley Government’s legislation, the Government were defeated, and an appeal to the country became inevitable. The country had but a short period of the Labor Government, but it was sufficient to involve it in additional taxation amounting to millions. It took up nationalisation scheme after nationalisation scheme. Cabinet called the schemes “development works,” the amount spent last year being no less than £10,000,000. None of them, however, has, or is ever likely to pay its way. It is little wonder, therefore, that the electors have revolted against such an extravagant and inefficient Government, and put it where it will do little harm for the next three years. The regime of the Labor Governments in both N.S.W. and Queensland provides a striking object lesson to the rest of the Dominions, on which the effect should not be lost.