The World - News from March 20, 1988

Australia’s ruling Labor Party suffered an election setback, losing control of its New South Wales power base after 12 years. The election was the first since Prime Minister Bob Hawke won an unprecedented third term last year, and it was seen as a major test for the Labor Party. With most of the votes counted for the 109-member state parliament, officials said the Liberal Party had won 55 seats, Hawke’s Labor Party 30 seats and the National Party five seats. Nineteen seats remained undecided. New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, has been a Hawke stronghold.