Suchergebnisse

AUSTRALIA WENT TO THE POLLS ON 5 MARCH 1983 FOR THE SIXTH TIME IN JUST OVER 10 YEARS. AND IN AN ORDERLY, UNEXCITING ELECTION THEY THREW OUT MALCOLM FRASER'S SEVEN-YEAR-OLD LIBERAL COALITION GOVERNMENT AND GAVE THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY ITS BEST CHANCE SINCE THE 1940S TO ESTABLISH ITSELF AS THE PARTY OF GOVERNMENT. THE BASIC EXPLANATION FOR THE CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT, WITH A 4 PER CENT SWING FROM 1980, PROBABLY LIES IN THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY. AUSTRALIA IS A DEEPLY GROWTH-ORIENTED COUNTRY AND THE SURGING ADVANCES OF THE 1950S AND 1960S CAME TO A HALT WITH THE WORLD DEPRESSION AT THE END OF THE 1970S. BY 1982 THE OECD PUT AUSTRALIA AT THE BOTTOM OF ITS LEAGUE TABLE FOR INFLATION AND FOR STAGNATION AND IT LOOKED AS IF IT WOULD SOON BE AT THE BOTTOM FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. 'IN BAD TIMES, THROW THE RASCALS OUT' IS A FAMILIAR ADAGE. IN SOME COUNTRIES, NOTABLY BRITAIN, OBSERVERS CLAIM THAT THERE IS A NEW AWARENESS OF HOW MUCH BAD TIMES ARE DUE TO EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND OF HOW LITTLE POLITICIANS CAN DO; THIS COULD TURN THE ADAGE UPSIDE DOWN. MR FRASER'S ADVISERS HOPED THAT HE WOULD BE SAVED BY POPULAR SCEPTICISM ABOUT THE LABOR PARTY AND ITS LEADER. BUT HIS RUBBISHING OF HIS OPPONENTS MAY HAVE PROVED COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE: AFTER ALL, THE LABOR TEAM, FAR MORE THAN WHEN GOUGH WHITLAM WON IN 1972, WAS MADE UP OF PRUDENT, MODERATE MEN WHO WERE NOT GOING TO FRIGHTEN EVEN THE CAUTIOUS CONSERVATIVE VOTERS OF AUSTRALIA.