POLITICAL PARTIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 January 1943, Page 2

POLITICAL PARTIES

AT ODDS IN AUSTRALIA PREPARATIONS FOR EARLY ELECTION. DENOUNCED BY FEDERAL PREMIER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, January 15. Election preparations which it is alleged are being made by the anti-La-bour forces have been denounced by the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Curtin. Denying that the Labour Party desired an election before the normal expiry of the Federal Government’s term next September, Mr Curtin declared that money spent in political propaganda could have been better invested in war loans. While a film campaign together with the distribution of dodgers, is being run in one State, Opposition quarters deny the expenditure of any large sums. Meantime, it is re ported that all parties are forming campaign committees in many electorates.-

The Leader of the United Australia Party. Mr Hughes, urging the need for a National Government, has suggested that “intrigues within the ranks of his own party” are the main reason for Mr Curtin’s refusal to pay a widely-advocated visit to Washington to press for increased war supplies for the South-West Pacific. Mr Hughes declared that so far as he was concerned nothing would be done by the Opposition to disturb the Government during the absence of Mr Curtin on a mission which he strongly recommended.