Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends
Anton Kreitzer
YaBB God
Posts: 4,167
Political Matrix
E: 8.00, S: 3.11
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« on: April 13, 2014, 07:49:29 PM » |
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Jack Lang may have won the Division of Reid quite handsomely, but Lang Labor went backwards at the 1937 election, losing 6% of the vote. This vote went back home to Labor, under their new leader of John Curtin. Lang Labor were largely favoured in seats where they had sitting members, seats with retiring Lang Labor members, or those held by Coalition candidates, tended to have the left-wing vote return home to Labor. Even more notable was the narrow election of a Social Credit MP in the Queensland division of Wide Bay, dislodging prominent Country MP Bernard Corser. The United Australia Party went backwards again in 1937, although the Country Party went slightly forwards in both vote and seats. The election, which took over 2 weeks to fully verify the final seat numbers, resulted in a tediously narrow majority for the incumbent UAP/Country coalition, winning 38 seats to both Labor parties' 36, although as the Member for the Northern Territory had no voting rights at this time, Labor and Lang Labor effectively only had 35 members between them on the floor of Parliament. Conversely, the aviation referendum was much more decisive, with over two-thirds of Australians voting to give the Commonwealth powers over aviation and air traffic control.
Summary of 1937 election:
United Australia – 24 (-7)
Labor – 21 (+8)
Lang Labor – 15 (-4)
Country – 14 (+2)
Social Credit – 1 (+1)
After accounting for a Speaker, the government was technically in a minority, 37 seats against 37 for the Labor parties and the lone Social Credit MP, which meant a by-election loss could put the government in jeopardy. As a result, talks began to be held between the newly elected Social Credit MP, Geoffrey Nichols, PM Joseph Lyons, and Deputy PM Earle Page, over the topic of negotiations for legislation. Nichols, who didn't want to compromise his principles too much, said he would only support government legislation if he agreed to it, and the government could never automatically rely on his support. Nichols did mention that he was open to negotiation on legislation, and that he would not back a socialist government.
Events in Europe and Asia alike were turning very much for the worse, with the Second Sino-Japanese War well underway as the Lyons Government was returned for a third term. The Australian Council of Trade Unions called on the Government to boycott trade with Japan, over their invasion of China, Labor and Lang Labor backed this motion. Eventually, trade with Japan was more or less cut off, with a ban on exporting Australian iron ore to Japan coming into place in 1938.
Domestically, 1938 saw the Knighting of Earle Page on New Year's Day by King George VI, and the 150th anniversary of European settlement in Australia, with the 1938 Empire Games being held shortly afterwards in February. Sydney was the host city of the Games, and Australia took home no fewer than 25 gold medals at the games. Unemployment also continued to fall, having fallen below 14% as the new year came in. 1938 also saw a direct radio-telephone link opened between Canberra and Washington D.C., enabling more communication between Australia and the United States. Despite the continuing improvement in Australian economic conditions, and lowering income taxes, the top rate now only a mere 25%, all was not rosy in the Government's garden. A scheme of national unemployment insurance was proposed in 1938, and passed through Parliament relatively easily, but the Country Party was very critical, claiming the scheme would assist urban Australians at a disadvantage to rural Australians, and an unwise move in a time of increased defense spending. This caused a lot of tension between Sir Earle Page and deputy UAP leader, Robert Menzies, the latter of whom resigned his deputy leadership post over the government's amendments to the scheme, which were aimed at pleasing the Country Party, and Page in particular.
The preceding few years, which saw the rise and/or continuing development of fascism in Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Japan, were bad enough for Australia and the remainder of the free world. Things were about to get severely worse in 1939, and not just on the international stage either. As the storm that would later be known as World War II continued to brew, Joseph Lyons suffered a heart attack. Sadly, he didn't make it, and Lyons passed away on the 7th of April, 1939, becoming the second Australian Prime Minister to die in office. Sir Earle Page became caretaker Prime Minister whilst two things were sorted out - the next leader of the UAP, and the status of the Government after Lyons' passing.
The Wilmot by-election was not held until late in May, although the UAP had elected a new leader by the end of April, in the form of ex-deputy UAP leader Robert Menzies. Menzies beat Billy Hughes in the leadership ballot. Sir Earle would remain Prime Minister, however, until the outcome of the Wilmot by-election was known. Sir Earle did not like Menzies, following the national unemployment insurance debacle, refused to serve in a government led by Menzies, and resigned as Country Party leader, to be replaced by Archie Cameron from South Australia. Lyons' successor as MP for Wilmot would be Labor's Lancelot Spurr, putting the Labor Party's seat tally up to 22, 37 when combined with Lang Labor. As a result, the now Menzies Government needed the support of Social Credit MP Geoffrey Nichols in order to survive. A no-confidence motion was held on the 5th of June, 1939, the government survived with 38 votes against the motion, and 36 in favour.
Nichols re-stated his position he made to Lyons and Sir Earle at the commencement of the Parliament, that he would not blindly endorse legislation from the government. A confidence and supply agreement was made with Nichols though, Nichols would agree to back the government, provided that any surplus money from a budget be returned directly to the Australian taxpayers, that he have a free vote on all non-confidence and supply matters, and the eventual introduction of a price adjustment mechanism. After a few days of making compromises, such as the looming war's effect on revenue, Nichols agreed to back the government, on the same day the no-confidence motion was held, but would he not enter into any coalition, or be given a Cabinet/governmental post.
On the 1st of September, 1939, the German Reich invaded Poland. Two days later, Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, Australia and fellow Empire members quickly following suit. All parties with representation in the House of Representatives agreed to enter war. Jack Lang renamed his party to the Non-Communist Labor Party, signifying his hard line against communism. Menzies addressed the nation via radio with this message: " My fellow Australians. It is my melancholy duty to inform you, officially, that, in consequence of the persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her, and that, as a result, Australia is also at war. " To quickly strengthen the military, a National Security Act was passed, recruitment for the armed forces was encouraged, with the formation of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force. September the 15th saw the formation of the War Cabinet, which notably included former Prime Minister Billy Hughes. The 1st of December saw Australia taking in 15,000 Jewish refugees from Europe, giving them a safe haven from the horrors of the fascists.
Into the forties, and the Volunteer Defence Corps was formed in June of 1940, and was modeled on the UK's Home Guard, formed by the Returned and Services League (RSL). It was largely comprised of World War I veterans. One month prior to the formation of the Volunteer Defence Corps, in May of 1940, after the commencement of the invasion of France by the Nazis, saw the Communist Party banned by the Menzies Government, with a majority of Labor and N-C Labor MPs voting with the government on this motion. The reason for the banning of the party was that the Communist Party was deemed too large a threat to the Australian way of life, especially considering the Soviet assistance to Nazi Germany.
1940 also saw a large upswing in military volunteers to serve not only along the Western Front, but in the Mediterranean Theatre as well, in the mission to grind the Axis powers to a halt. The primary reason for enlisting was to defend not only Australia, but the Empire as well. The impeding election, due by the end of 1940, will be very much a second fiddle to the battles halfway across the world.
An election has been called for the 5th of October, 1940.
Party platforms at this election:
United Australia Party – New Prime Minister Robert Menzies is campaigning heavily on Australia's involvement in World War II, with the campaign slogans of "Back the Government that's Backing Churchill" and "Cast Your Vote for Unity and an All-in War Effort". The former is accompanied by a large picture of Churchill himself.
Country Party – Archie Cameron and the Country Party are also campaigning heavily around World War II, although Cameron is expressing the need for a strong agricultural sector during the war, to ensure soldiers and civilians are well fed and clothed.
Labor Party – Opposition Leader John Curtin and Labor are also backing Australia's contribution to World War II, and are campaigning around it, but with a different angle to Menzies and the UAP. Labor's campaign slogans, centreing around the phrase A New Deal, include "A New Deal for the Soldier and his Wife", "A New Deal for the Aged and Infirm", and "A New Deal for the Working Man".
Non-Communist Labor Party – With a new image, the old Lang Labor Party became the non-communist Labor Party, although by this stage, the difference has been perceived as more style over substance, with voters being attracted or turned off by their perception of Lang himself. Lang's radical ideas have largely been pushed to the back burner, considering the current circumstances Australia is facing.
Social Credit Party – Now led by their sole MP, Geoffrey Nichols from Queensland, Nichols is still calling for an eventual National Dividend and price adjustment mechanism, although like the other parties, barring State Labor, is backing the World War II efforts.
State Labor Party – Led by Jack Hughes from New South Wales, the State Labor Party is effectively filling the Communist Party's vacuum in the political spectrum, and support neutrality in World War II.
Voting is open for 72 hours.
Me: UAP
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