Electors of Brighton
Only eighteen months ago you did me the honour of electing me as your State Member.
On that occasion I had nine opponents, namely, six Nationalists, two Liberals, and one Labor opponent.
Since that time I have endeavoured to carry out the work entrusted to me, to the best of my ability, and to represent all sections of my constituents irrespective of class, creed, or any other distinction:
On the coming into power of the McPherson Government six months after I entered Parliament, I was appointed to the high offices of Attorney-General and Solicitor-General of the State with the responsible duty of administering the Crown Law Department. Those offices I still hold.
I am now called upon to defend my Seat against three opponents. All Nationalists, but unendorsed. I am the only endorsed Nationalist Candidate, and there is no Labor Candidate. Your task, therefore, will be to say whether you consider anyone of the three better Qualified than myself to represent Brighton in the coming Parliament.
As a Member of the McPherson Government, I stand, of course, for its programme, which may be stated under the following principal heads:-
Financial Reorganization.
State Rural Bank.
Ministry of Transport.
Workers' Compensation.
Public Service Tribunal.
Money Lenders.
Factories and Shops.
Cancer Research.
Mental Deficiency.
Control of Racing.
Control of the Publication of Indecent Reports of Judicial Proceedings.
I am also in favour of-
| (a) |
Unemployment Insurance, and last session actively supported and voted for the then Measure. I believe that every possible step should be taken to investigate the causes of, and to cure, the vital problem of Unemployment.
|
| (b) |
An equitable Redistribution of Seats. This is the only subject upon which any adverse criticism of my actions in Parliament has been founded. That criticism emanated almost entirely from interested critics.
|
The facts are briefly these, and will be more fully explained on the public platform:-
When eventually the measure providing for Redistribution was introduced, I voted against the majority of my Party both for the motion for the introduction of the Bill and for its first reading, and further was prepared to vote for its second reading. However, before that stage was reached, a motion of want of confidence in the then Government was launched, broadly on the grounds of Mal-administration of the Police Force, connected with the riots at the wharves, and of political interference in the Railways Department. Mr. Dunstan then added, whilst this was being debated, a further ground of want of confidence, viz., the Redistribution Proposal. I had already determined to vote for the motion of want of confidence and could not allow the fact that the question of Redistribution had been dragged in to influence me in that respect. Any other course than the one I pursued would have meant that, although I condemned the Government on the subject matters of the genera! motion, I was prepared to overlook their failings in those respects, because the question of Redistribution had been forced into the discussion by Mr. Dunstan. I am still in favour of Redistribution, and I shall vote for it if and when the question comes before the House in a proper manner.
I feel confident that, when you fairly consider my work on behalf of the state and of Brighton since I entered Parliament, you will have little difficulty in deciding that no one of the other three Candidates is better qualified than I am to represent you in the coming Parliament, and in awarding me your first preference vote.
(Sgd.) IAN MACFARLAN.
Printed by F. J. Child, Bluff Road, Black Rock, for Alpha Ptg. Co.
