AK's Australian Election Series - 1937 (Includes Referendum)
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  AK's Australian Election Series - 1937 (Includes Referendum)
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Poll
Question: Sorry for the delay!
#1
United Australia
 
#2
Country
 
#3
Labor
 
#4
Lang Labor
 
#5
Social Credit
 
#6
Communist
 
#7
Referendum - YES
 
#8
Referendum - NO
 
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Partisan results

Total Voters: 29

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Author Topic: AK's Australian Election Series - 1937 (Includes Referendum)  (Read 753 times)
Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends
Anton Kreitzer
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« on: April 09, 2014, 09:49:19 PM »

Divisions between the left and right of Australian politics became even more stark in 1934 – The right won 43 seats, the left 32. The right was divided between what was becoming a traditional conservative alliance in Australia, between the UAP  (and the Nationalists prior to them) and the Country Party. However, on breaking down the seat numbers, it was clear there was quite a divide on the on the left, with the Lang Labor Party, now running in a large majority of seats nationwide, retaining a higher share of seats than the Australian Labor Party, although gains outside of New South Wales were rather small in number. Lang Labor did pick up four rural seats, three in Queensland and one in Western Australia. Labor remained the dominant left-wing party in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and parts of Queensland and Western Australia, although Lang Labor did come second in a number of seats. The Social Credit and Communist Parties, both new contenders at the 1934 poll, the former entirely new, both polled in single digits, with Social Credit polling best in Queensland, and the Communists polling best in New South Wales.

Summary of 1934 election:
United Australia – 31 (-4)
Country – 12 (+1)
Lang Labor – 19 (+3)
Labor – 13 (-1)

Early in the Lyons Government's second term saw an exercise of the government's immigration laws, when the government attempted to block left-wing writer and activist Egon Erwin Kisch, from Czechoslovakia, from entering Australia. Using the dictations test, in which any European language could be used for testing migrants into Australia, Kisch, a polyglot, was tested in Scottish Gaelic, and subsequently failed. The reason for failure was because the automatic fail rule enforced as a part of the dictation test. A number of MPs, particularly Langites, opposed the attempted blocking of Kisch, although a majority of MPs from the UAP, Country and Labor Parties backed the motion, as per the Immigration Act of 1901. The High Court overturned the decision later in the year, on the basis that Scottish Gaelic was not within the Act's meaning of European languages, and Kisch was allowed to stay in Australia, which he did for a few months in late 1934 and early 1935. During Kisch's time in Australia, he addressed an 18,000 strong crowd in Sydney warning of the Nazi regime, and the atrocities the regime was carrying out.

Continuing along in the era where many Australians looked up to cricketer Don Bradman and racehorse Phar Lap, Australia’s economic recovery continued at a slow rate, although faster than the past couple of years. Unemployment in Australia finally dipped below 20% in 1935, to 18%, 2% better than the comparable US unemployment rate at the time. Many Australians, although either unemployed or working for little money, remained some optimism about the still young nation’s future. While still incredibly high, unemployment was a lot better than its 1932 peak of over 27%.

James Scullin, leader of the Labor Party, was in decline by 1935, and his health continued to deteriorate throughout the year. Early in the year, he called the first of a series of reconciliation talks between the Labor and Lang Labor parties, in an attempt to reunite the left of Australian politics, and thus increase their chance of winning the next election, due in 1937. Unfortunately, the division between Laborites and Langites was so stark by this point in time, that reconciliation talks seemed useless. Scullin soldiered on as leader, although come September of 1935, Scullin, whose health had declined to the point where he was unable to attend Parliament on a number of occasions, resigned the Labor leadership on the 22nd of that month. The subsequent election for the next ALP leader was very much one-sided, John Curtin from Western Australia won unanimously, his main rival, Frank Forde, lost his Queensland seat of Capricornia to a Lang Labor candidate in 1934.

Curtin won the Labor leadership on the back of the left wing factions of the Labor Party, along with a significant portion of the unions. Most of the remaining unions continued to back Lang Labor, especially in New South Wales. Curtin, an alcoholic, won the Labor leadership on the condition he quit drinking, a condition he adhered to. With the new Labor leader, Lang Labor, the more left-wing of the two parties, began to feel somewhat more marginalized, although there were no defections back to the main fold at this point in time. Shifting away from party politics, the end of 1935 saw the import of the cane toad from South America into Queensland, in order to kill bugs that were damaging sugar crops in the north of the state. At the time, the people were very supportive of this action, as sugar crops were, and still are in modern-day Australia, a vital part of the Queensland economy. On a non-political note, Luna Park in Sydney, one of Australia’s most iconic theme parks, opened earlier in 1935, in October.

Into 1936, and the year began with a four-month long strike from Torres Strait Islanders in an attempt to get more rights. Ultimately, this strike failed, with neither the government nor either Labor party supporting it. The first of February saw the deployment of patrol officers to the Northern Territory, which had been reunited with Central Australia in the early 1930s, to safeguard the welfare of the Aboriginal population there. The following month saw Tasmania connected to the mainland, namely Victoria, by means of an undersea cable. The most significant political move of 1936 though, was the announcement of an increase in military training, as a response in the rise of fascist movements in Germany, Italy and Japan. 1936 also saw Jack Lang become leader of the federal Lang Labor Party, Lang would run the party from outside Parliament, and run in the Division of Reid in the next election. Lang chose to run for federal Parliament, seeing if he could exert federal influence.

As 1936 turned into 1937, it was apparent that fascism was becoming more of a threat, although things would get worse over the next few years. On a more positive note, the 20th of April, 1937 saw the commencement of regular airmail services between Australia and the US. On the topic of aircraft, proposed legislation that would give the Commonwealth Government legislative powers over aviation was set aside, to be put to the people at the next election, due later that year.
   
An election and a referendum have been called for the 9th of October, 1937.

Party platforms at this election:

United Australia Party – Prime Minister Joseph Lyons and the UAP are running on their success in slashing Australia’s unemployment rate,  their advancements to the nation, such as connecting Tasmania to the mainland, upping the ante against fascism, and making the decisions that has led to Australia’s increasing prosperity.

Country Party – Deputy Prime Minister Earle Page’s Country Party’s platform is largely unchanged from 1934, and are also backing the continuation of the Lyons Government’s direction.

Labor Party – Under the new leadership of John Curtin, from Western Australia, the Labor Party, while applauding the fall in unemployment, believes there is still much more to be done, and believes Australia needs to be steered onto a different track. Labor under Curtin has denounced the Premiers’ Plan of the Scullin Government, favouring a more left-wing approach to dealing with the Australian economy. Regarding fascism, Curtin is somewhat supportive of the increase in military conscription, although has ruled out any attempt of introducing conscription.

Lang Labor Party – With their leftist platform largely unchanged, the Lang Labor Party are now led by Jack Lang himself, who is running in the New South Wales Division of Reid as the Lang Labor candidate. As in the 1934 election, Lang Labor is running on a nationwide campaign, now centred on Lang himself in addition to their policies. Lang Labor are anti-fascist as well as anti-communist, particularly Lang himself.

Social Credit Party – Still led by Geoffrey Nichols, the Social Credit Party are running once again on their social credit platform, particularly their idea of a National Dividend.

Communist Party of Australia – Still led by J.B. Miles, the Communist Party are continuing to run on their hard-left, Soviet-inspired platform. Miles has stated that “Lang and Curtin do not truly represent workers, the Communist Party is the only 100% worker-friendly party in Australia”.

A referendum has also been put to the people at this election. The referendum question is on the topic of aviation:

“Do you support the Commonwealth Government having legislative power with respect to air navigation and aircraft?”

Voting is open for 72 hours.

Me: United Australia and NO.
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RogueBeaver
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« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2014, 10:02:19 PM »

UAP/Yes.
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TNF
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« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2014, 10:17:57 PM »

Communist/Yes
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Goldwater
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« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2014, 11:41:14 PM »

UAP/No.
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H. Ross Peron
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« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2014, 01:18:36 AM »

Labour and Yes
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ElectionsGuy
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« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2014, 06:32:14 AM »

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Supersonic
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« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2014, 10:41:26 AM »

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Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends
Anton Kreitzer
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« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2014, 11:15:30 PM »

Just a reminder voting will close midday tomorrow.
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Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends
Anton Kreitzer
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« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2014, 11:07:13 PM »

Voting has ended, thank you all for your participation. The next election will be up within 24 hours.
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