Evening star., 1941-10-06
Australia Changes Parties

tiCn cabinet in Australia on a techni-
cal vote of censure and its replace
ment by a labor government is an
event of more than local Importance.
The commonwealth is a major factor
in the Pacific and the Far East. In
these critical days, anything which
perturbs Australian political life
must react to some extent on Pacific
affairs. Unfortunately, this change
of administration would seem to
portend more rather than less of the
instability which has characterized
Australian parliamentary govern
ment for some time
The parliamentary situation has
been precariouS ever since the gen.
eral elections of September, 1910,
which returned three parties, none
of which had majority. In Aus
tralia, parties follow closely sectional
and class lines. There is United
Australia party, representing the
conservative elements in the cities;
also a Country party, representing
the farmers and stockmen; and the
Labor party, standing for the highly
organized workers. In the last elec-
ton, the returns for the House Of
Representatives gave United Aus
tralia tWenty-three seats, Country
party fourteen and Labor thirty-six.
But Labor was also split into regu-
lar majority and an ultra-radical
wing with CommuniStic leanings,
known as the Lang Group, with four
members in the House. Naturally,
the United Australia and Country
parties had much in common, so they
formed a conservative coalition gov
ernment. However, this coalition
had majority of only one vote over
the United Labor opposition, and to
add to the uncertainty, there was one
independent member of Parliament,
whose vote, if thrown to Labor could
deadlock the situation at any time.
During the summer a controversy
arose inside the coalition, involving
the then Premier Menzies, a United
Australian. The trouble seemingly
was settled by his resignation in
favor of Mr.. Fadden, member Of
the Country party, This, however,
caused one United Australian men,
Der named Coles to leave his party
and declare himself an independent.
Both these independent members,
who now hold the political balance
of power in Parliament, disapproved
of the Fadden governments budget
proposal and joined Labor in the
adverse vote which upset the Fadden
cabinet and brought Labor cabinet
into office
Yet, in some respects, the new
Labor government will stand on even
shaker ground than its conservative
predecessor. Neither the original in
dependent, large wheat grower, nor
the new independent, Mr. Coles, a
wealthy chain store owner, is likely
to support radical taxation and social
benefit proposals which Labor ira
ditionally favors. Incidentally, Mr..
Curtain, the new Labor Premier, is
having trouble with his ultra-radi-
Gals. One Labor member has been
recommended for expulsion from the
party for refusal to disassociate him
self from an avowedly Communistic
organization known as the Australian
Soviet Fellowship League. Thus rad
ical measures favored by large sec
ton of organized labor stand a slim
chance of passing the House, and an
even simmer one of passing the Sem
ate, where the conservative coalition
continues to have working ma
jority
What will happen If the independ-
ents in the House throw out the new
Labor cabinet, as they have just
thrown out the coalition cabinet, re-
mains to be seen. Perhaps general
elections will be the best way of
trying to remedy a chronically un-
stable situation.