STATE ELECTIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 March 1941, Page 8

STATE ELECTIONS

QUEENSLAND AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA. LITTLE CHANGE IN STATE OF PARTIES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) BRISBANE', March 30. The surprise of the Queensland State elections, held on Saturday, was the defeat of the United Australia Party leader, Mr. H. M. Russell, by a political new comer, Mr. Bruce Pie, a local business man, who stood as an Independent. Otherwise there was little change in party representation. A Labour Government, led by Mr. Forgan Smith, has been returned with nearly the same majority as in the last Parliament.

Labour appears to have won 40 seats and the Opposition 19, leaving three still doubtful. These are all held by Labour, thus the state of the parties in the new Parliament is likely to be: Labour, 41; Opposition, 21. The Opposition parties have hitherto comprised: Country Party, 13; United Australia, 4; Protestant Labour, 1; Independent, 1. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. E. M. Maher, had a decisive victory over his Labour opponent, Mr. F. Howman, in West Moreton. Independents seem certain again .to hold the balance of power in the new South Australian Parliament, the election for which took place on Saturday, but Independents, who held 13 seats in the last Parliament, have lost som<j ground to both Labour and the Liberal Country Party. The latter is led by the Premier, Mr. T. Playford. Labour is expected to increase its strength from nine in the last Parliament to 12. However, there is little doubt that the Liberal Country Party will continue to rule, with probably two fewer seats than in the last Parliament, when the composition of the parties was: Liberals, 16; Independents. 13; Labour, nine, with one vacant.