LABOUR CHALLENGE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1940, Page 8

LABOUR CHALLENGE

australian election Rec. 6.30 p.m. Sydney, Sept. 22. The loss of four Government seats to Labour, with good prospects of Labour winning six other Government seats, and the loss of three Labour seats to the Government was the conclusion reached when the counting of votes in the Federal election ceased early this morning. There is a possibility that two other Labour seats may also go to the Goverajpent. If Labour were to win all the in which there is doubt it would have a majority in the House of Representatives. . . . .. A sfai-n oi' seven seats would place tne pa^tiS as fo&ws: Labour 39, United Australia Party- and United pn'ffitry Party 35. " ^ i However, the positiofi lS so doubtful that the present Government may be _retumed with a small majority. There is a definite swing to Labour in New South Wales, but this is not apparent in other States. "New Blood" Not Wanted. The outstanding feature of the polling was the reverse suffered by the "new blood" candidates, who stood under the United Australia Party banner. It appears that the Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, will secure an absolute majority in his electorate of Kooyong, but the Postmaster-General, Mr. H. V. Thorby, will probably lose his seat at Calare. The seats of all other Ministers seem safe, even Sir Frederick Stewart at Parramatta, hotly opposed because of his administration of the Department of Supply, has a good majority. The former Premier of New South

Wales, Mr. B. S. B. Stevens, who was hailed by the United Australia Party as the coming Federal Treasurer, failed badly against the sitting Labour member for the Lang electorate. Dr. Evatt, who resigned from the High Court bench, defeated the United Australia candidate in the Barton electorate by a comfortable figure. The seat of Mr. J. Curtin, Labour Party leader, is doubtful, although he at present has a lead of 800. The Government lost the Henty seat in Victoria to an Independent, Mr. E. Coles, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, but he is expected to support the Government. The seat was previously held by Sir Henry Gullett, who was killed in the Canberra air crash. Labour Reverses. Apparently Labour has retained only two of the four seats it held in Tasmania. Darwin is likely to be retained by Colonel Bell, Speaker of the House. The leader of the Country Party, Mr. A. Cameron, has a substantial lead over two other candidates in his electorate of Barker, in South Australia, where Labour lost one seat to the Country Party. Sitting members are likely to retain other South Australian seats. The newly-formed New South Wales Labour Party made a poor showing. The leader, Mr. J. R. Hughes, came a bad last of three Labour candidates in the Reid electorate. The seat will probably be won by the sitting non-Communist Labour member, Mr. Gander. The former Minister of Customs. Mr. R. H. Lawson, will probably be defeated in Macquarrie by the official Labour candidate, Mr. J. B. Chiffley. The Government's desperate bid to regain Corio, which was won by Labour when Mr. R. G. Casey went to America, failed. The Davis Cup tennis player, Mr. Gerald Patterson, carried the Government 's banner, but his polling was not heavy. Labour expects to gain considerably from soldier votes. Mr. A. Beasley, leader of the Non-Communist Labour Party, has won West Sydney. Mr. E. S. Spooner, who likeMr. Stevens, resigned from the New South Wales as-

sembly to contest the Robertson electorate has a good chance of displacing the sitting member, Mr. Gardner. Both stood in the United Australia Party interests. The Federal Treasurer, Mr. P. C. Spender, had a clear cut win at Warringah. The Senate results are not likely to be known for a fortnight, possibly more.