Labor and Government in New Zealand

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In November, 1949, the Labor Government in New Zealand was ousted at the polls by the National Party. In December, 1949, the Labor Party in Australia lost control of the government to the Liberal-Country Party. And in October, 1951, the Labor Party in England turned over the government to the Conservatives. The three Labor Parties had something more in common than the proximity in time of their election misfortunes. To a greater or less degree, each was a product of the recognition by wage-earners of common needs and problems resulting from changes in the organization of industry which accompanied industrialization. Each operated in the environment of English traditions, law, and government. They espoused similar ideals and programs. They faced like problems and opportunities during their tenure in office, and, to some extent, they attempted to resolve the challenges which confronted them in analogous ways. Though they possessed common features, the character of each was conditioned by circumstances of geography, location, population, nature of production, and cultural climate. Study of the points of similarity and dissimilarity should reveal some provocative suggestions concerning the implications of political action by vested interest groups in a democratic society. While the English experiment has received extensive attention outside the British Commonwealth, the study of recent Australasian economics and politics has been more or less neglected by American students.