Evening star., 1949-11-17
Labor Parties Facing
Vote Test in Australia
And New Zealand
By the Associated Press

49,
SYDNEY, Australia, Nov. IT,
Two big general elections will be
held in these parts in the next
few weeks.
They may climax the political
battle in Australia and New Zea-
land between Labor and the rest
of the opposition parties.
Labor wants to push ahead with
socialism. Opponents of Labor
point to Britain as a horrible ex-
ample of rushed socialism. They
seek to check the flood of free
social benefits and the trend to-
ward more naturalization and
controls.
New Zealand will vote in a new
Parliament November 80. Ten
days later, on December 10. 5.000,-
900 Australians will pick their
next Parliament.
A general election is held once
every three years in both these
British dominions.
Labor in Control.
In both countries the outgoing
Parliaments have been controlled
by the Labor Party. Both Labor
governments have pushed social
welfare benefits and nationaliza-
ton.
Electors of both countries now
are asking themselves:
Do we want more government
handouts, with high taxes to pay
for them?
Will the opposition give us the
same high standard OF living we
have had under Labor?
Do we want the government to
run more industries instead OF
private enterprise?
Will the opposition be able to
keep up the present full employ
ment? Or will there be fewer
jobs with longer working hours
and maybe less pay?
Which party will be able to cut
living costs and not cut wages?
Which will build the most houses
and apartments?
There a few side issues: but
1t is what the candidates say
about socialism and living costs
that will win votes.
Aim at "Swing" Voters
Candidates are directing their
campaign at the middle class
Swing" voters. These are the
people who vote either way. and
really decide who will govern.
These groups in Australia and
New Zealand are not large. They
comprise mainly small farmers and
tradesmen, clerks and some other
white collar workers.
All signs indicate that the elec-
tions are going to be close in both
countries.
Labor perhaps is a little more
likely to lose in New Zealand
than in Australia. Here in Aus
tralia they are saying the result
is an even money bet either way.
There are 80 seats in the New
Zealand parliament. Four of these
are for Maoris. the original New
Zealanders. Labor supporting Ma
oris usually are returned.
There are four labor Maoris in
the retiring parliament. Their
support has kept Prime Minister
Peter Fraser in power. -. 80
The Labor and NatippaiEt
parties each have 38 seats.
Bigger Edge in Australia
Labor Maoris likely will win
four seats again this election.
That means the Nationalists have
to win three of the European"
Labor seats to gain power.
Labor has bigger margin in
Australia. Official Labor had 43
of the "a seats in the last parlia-
ment. The Liberals had II seats,
the Country Party IL, and Inde-
pendent Labor 2.
The Liberal and Country par
ties work as a united opposition
to Labor in the federal parlia-
ment.
For this election the number
Of seats in the Australian House
of Representatives has been in
creased to 121. Each member in
the new house will represent
about $4,000 electors.
Voting is compulsory in Aus
tralia. Perhaps that helps Labor
because otherwise many men and
women who give their votes to
Labor would not bother to vote.