Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

TUESDAY, 4 AUGUST 1953

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

Queensland Parliamentary Debates.

FIRST SESSION 01' THE THiRTY-THIRD PARLIAMENT.

Appointed to meet AT BRISBANE ON THE FOURTH DAY OF AUGUST, IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH 11., IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1953.

any members or member of the House the TUESDAY, 4 AUGUST, 1953. oath or affirmation of allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen, which commi~sion was OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. then road to the House by the Clerk.

Pursuant to the proclamation by His RETURN OF \VR.ITS. Excellency the Governor, dated 2 July, 1953, appointing Parliament to meet this The Clerk informed the. House that the day for the dispatch of business, the House writs for the various electoral districts had met at 12 o'clock noon in the Legislative been returned to him severally endorsed as Assembly Chamber. follows:- The Clerk of the Parliament read the Aubigny-\Valter Beresforcl James proclamation. Gordon Sparkes. Balonne-J ohn Hussell Taylor. CO::VIMISSION TO OPEN PARLIAME:t\T. Bammbah-J ohannes B jelke-Pctersen. Barcoo-Edwarrl William Davis. The Clerk acquainted the House that His Excellency the Governor, not being able con­ Baroona-\Villiam Power. ,·eniently to be present in person this day, Belyando-Thomas Anclrew Foley. had been pleased to cause a commission to Bremer-Jamcs Donald. '1e issued unde.r the public seal of the State, Bris!Jane-J ohn Henry Mann. appointing the Hon. J olm Edmund Duggan, Bulimba-Robert James Gardner. the Hon. Thomas Anrlrew Foley, and the Hon. Edward Joseph Walsh, Commissioners Bundaberg-Edward Joseph Walsh. in order to the opening and holding of the Buranc1a-Richard Kidston Brown. present session of Parliament. Bmdekin-Arthur Coburn. The Commissioners so nppointe,d being Cairns-Thomas Martin Crowley. seated on the dais, and the Clerk having Calli de-Vincent Ellward J ones. read the commission, Carnarvon-Panl J erome Remigius Hilton. The SENIOR COJilUISSIONER (Hon. J. E. Dnggan, Toowoomba) said: Hon. Carpentaria-Alfred J ames Smith. members, we have it in command from His Charters Towers-Arthur Jones. Excellency the Governor to let you know­ Chermside-Alcxander Tattenha1l Dewar. That as soon as the members of 'the Legisla­ Clnyficld-Harold Bourne 'l'aylor. tive Assembly have been sworn, the causes Com1amine-Leslie Frank Diplock. of this Parliament being called toge.ther will Cook-Herbert Arthur Adair. be declared to you: And, it being necessary that a Speaker be first chosen, it is His Cooroora-Davic1 Alan Low. Excellency's pleasure that you proceed to the Coorparoo-Thomas Alfred Hilcy. election of one of your number to be your Cunningham-Alan Ray Fletcher. Speaker, and that you present such person Darlington-Thomas Flood Plunkctt. so chosen to His Excellency the Governor at Fassifern-Adolf Gustav Miiller. such time nnrl place as His Excellency shall appoint. Fitzroy-James Clark. Flinders-Em est J oseph Riordan. The Acting Premier thereupon produced a commission under the public seal of the State Fortitude Valley-:Michael Timothy empowering him, the Hon. Th

Hinchinbrook-Cecil George J esson. then administered the oath or affirmation of Ipswich-Ivor Marsden. allegiance to the following other members, Isis-J ack Charles Allan Pizzey. who thereupon also subscribed the roll:- Ithaca-Leonard Eastment. Aclair, HerlJert Artlmr, Esquire. Kcdron-Eric Gayford Lloyd. Aikcns, Thomas, Esquire. Kelvin Grove-Joh11 Albert 'l'urncr. Baxter, vVilliam Edward, Esquire. Keppel-Vivian J oseph N orthcote Brosnan, Michael Timothy, Esquire. Cooper. Brown, Richard Kidston, Esquire. Kurilpa-Thomas Moores. Burrows, J ames, Esquire. Landsborough-George Francis Reuben Byrnc, Peter, }<;squire. Nicklin. Chalk, Gon1on William Wesley, Esquire. Lockyer-Gordon William Wesley Chalk. Clark, J ames, Esquire. Mackay-Frederick Dickson Graham. Coburn, Arthur, Esquire. Mackenzie-Patrick James Whyte. Collins, The Honourable Haro1d Henry Maroclian-J ames Alfred Heading. Cooper, Vivian Joseph Northcote, Maryborough-David Farrell. Esquire. Merthyr-William Matthew Moore. Davis Edward William, Esquire. Mirani-Ernest Evans. Dcwa;·, Alexander 'l'attenhall, Esquire. Mount Coot-tha-Kcnneth James Morris. Diplock, Leslie Frank, Esquire. Mount Gravatt-Felix Cyril Sigismund Dittmer, Felix Cyril Sigismund, Esqni1·e Dittmer. Dohring, Alfred, Esquire. Mourilyan-Peter Byrne. Donald, .Tames, Esquire. Mulgrave-Charles Bernard English. Duflicy, John Joseph, Esquire. Mundingburra-Thomas Aikens. Eastme:rit, Leonard, Esquire. Murrumba-David Eric Nicholson. English, Charles Bernard, Esquire. Nash-Gregory Brian Kehoe. Evans, Ernest, Esquire. Norman-William Edward Baxter. Farrell, David, Esquire. North Toowoomba-Leslie Arnold Wood. Fletcher, Alan Roy, Esquire. Nundah-Frank Edward Roberts. Gardner, Robert James, Esquire. Port Curtis-James Burrows. Gaven. Eric .T ohn, Esquire. Rockhampton-.James Larcombe. Graham Frederick Dickson, Esquire. Roma-Alfred Dohring. Gunn William Morrison, Esquire. Sandgate-Herbert Freemo:rit Robinson. Heading, .Tames Alfred, EsquiTe. Sherwood-Thomas Caldwell Kerr. Hiley, Thomas Alfred, Esquire. Somerset-Alexander James Skinner. J esson Cecil George, Esquire. South Brisbane-Vincent Clair Gair. Jones 'Vincent Edward, Esquire. Southport-Eric John Gaven. Kehoe,' Gregory Brian, Esqm_re.. Tablelands-Harold Hemy Collins. Kerr, Thomas Caldwell, Esqmre. Toowong-Alan Whiteside Munro. Larcombe, James, Esquire. Toowoomba-.Tohn Edmund Duggan. Lloyd, Eric Gayford, Esquire. Townsville-George Keyatta. Low, David Alan, Esquire. W arrego-J ohn J oseph Durticy. Madsen, Otto Ottosen, Esquire. W arwick-Otto Ottosen Madsen. Mann, The Honourable John Henry Whitsunday-Lloyd Henry Sciirfie!a Marsden, Ivor, Esquire. Roberts. McCathie, Colin George, Esquire, B.A. Windsor-Thomas William Rasey. Moores, Thomas, Esquire. . Wynnum-vVilliam Morrison Gunn. Morris, KP1meth James, Esqmre. Yeronga-Henry Winston Noble. Muller, Adolf Gustav, Esquire. The Clerk: I also inform the House that Munro, Alan Whiteside, Esquire. on the 16th day of July, 1953, an order in Nicholson, David Eric, Esquire. council was issued validating the election of Noble, Henry Winston, Esquire. . John Russell Taylor, and Alfred James Smith Pizzey, Jack Charles Allan, E~qmre. as members to serve in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the electoral Plunkett, Thomas Flood, Esqmre. districts of Bal on ne and Carpentaria respec­ Rasey, Thomas William, Esqu~re. tively, notwithstanding that the poll was Roberts, Frank Edward, Esqmre. not taken at certain polling places in those Roberts, Lloyd Henry Scurfield, Esquire. electoral districts until 21 March, 1953, and Robinson, Herbert Freemont, Esquire. 14 March, 1953, respectively. Skinner, Alexander J ames, Esquire. MEMBERS SWORN. Taylor, Harold Bourne, EsquiTe. Taylor, .T ohn Russell, Esquire. The Commissioners, who, with other mem­ Turner, John Albert, Esquire. bers of the Ministry had been sworn in before His Excellency the Governor on Whyte, Patrick James, Esquire. 30 and 31 July, 1953, and subscribed the roll, Wood, Leslie Arnold, Esquire. Election of Speaker. [4 AUGUST.) Election of Speaker. 3

ELECTION OF SPEAKER. quote from the record of Parliament recording one of these incidents, the record being made lUr. LARCOMBE (Rockhampton) (12.23 at the direction of the Speaker himself- f.m.): Mr. Dickson, I move- " 16 .July, 1610-Affirmed by Mr. " That Mr. John Henry Mann do take Speaker, that Sir E. Herbert put not off the Chair of the House as Speaker.'' his hat to him, but put out his tongue, I believe he is the man for the office. I and popped his mouth with his finger, in am sure, Mr. Dickson, that hon. members scorn"; "that Mr. T. T., in a loud and 'Yill agree that Mr. Manu has filled the office violent manner, and, contrary to the usage of :Mr. Speaker with outstanding success since of Parliament, standing near the Speaker's the time he succeeded our late lamented Chair, cried 'Baw' in the Speaker's ear, to eolll'ague, Samuel John Brassington. He has the great terror and affrightment of the shown a pleasing aptitude for the oilice of Speaker and of the members of the House.'' :\fr. Speaker, his rulings and decisions and It would take a lot of '' Ba,Ys'' and tongue­ :,rucral attitmle in the chair have been marked poking and mouth-popping to fTighten the by comm~nsense, courtesy, tact, quick thought, hon. member for Brisbane, and I advise the sound Judgment, and impartiality. In new members not to attempt anything of that adclit~on, he has now had soi1l8 years of kind in the Queensland Parliament. cxpenence as Speaker, and prior to his nppointment as Speaker, he had six years' For the reasons I have given, I am sure that hon. members will support my motion. ;:xperience as Ch~ir.man of Committees, which 1s very good trmnmg. I do not wish to appear parochial, but I recollect with pride that our Premier, Mr. Obviously, the position of Speaker is not Gair, is a Hockhampton native. Mr. Mann an easy one; in fact, at times it is verv is also a native of Rockhampton and I look difficult. In addition to the other attribute"s forward with proud expectation to his that I have mentioned, a Speaker requires re-election as the Speaker of the Queensland to be very firm. Mr. Manu has been very Parliament. firm, but at the same time he has tempered In conclusion, I am sure that, like myself, firmness with mercy. At times of course other hon. members on such an occasion as debates become very tense and ~erv excited: this think of the historical background of tile and on such occasions the Speaker "must act. position of Speaker. It is one that is very Sometimes the position reminds one of these illustrious but at times it has been very lines from the German poet, Go,ethe- ignoble. In the early history of Parliament the Speaker was the King's Man. Subse­ '' Cursed devils how they murder quently, he became the mouthpiece nf All attempts at keeping order.'' Parliament and the guardian of the House. Those lines were not written about the con­ vVe had the great Speakers who in the olden duct of parl~amentarians, but I think they days faced insult, imprisonment, humiliation are appropnate to the occasion because and even death itself in the defence of the members do at times murder all attempts at principles of democracy, freedom and fair­ keeping order. ness. I recall reading of one instance in the reign of Charles I. when he burst into Par­ . Mr.. Manu has shown that he can meet any liament with an armed guard and searched SituatiOn of emergency with confidence and for five men whom he wished to arrest. The that he poss~sses the other necessary qualities. King demanded certain things from the To the cred1t of members of this House I Speaker. At that time Mr. Speaker Lenthall should like to say that they have alw~ys made this famous, historic and courageous readily recognised, even in the middle of an reply- excited discussion, the need for assisting the " May it please your Majesty, I have Speaker. They realise that the Speaker neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak cannot by himself preserve order and decorum, in this place, but as the House is pleased that he must have the whole co-operation of to direct me, whose servant I am here ... '' members ?f the Chamber. In passing, I say that I believe that the decorum of the (~ueens­ That was a Yery fine attitude, a very fine land Legislative Assembly is at least equal spirit, a vvonde1:ful defence of respect for to the best in any Parliament in Australia. the Chair and its sacred associations. There­ fore, today, when selecting a Speaker, we Honourable Members: Hear, hear! are honouring the office as well as the man. llir. LARCOlliBE: The occasional resur­ Mr. Dickson, it is with confidence that I gence and recrudescence of conflict with the ask the hon. members to support my Speaker is not a modern weakness or motion that Mr. John Henry Mann ci:u> failing; it has characterised parliamentary take the chair as Speaker of the House. scenes in centuries gone. On one occasion, Mr. Dickson, you lent me a book entitled llir. CLARK (Fitzroy) (12.31 p.m.) : I ''Our Parliament,'' written by Strathearn have much pleasuTe in seconding the nomina­ Gordon. It deals with the history of tion of Mr . .John Henry Mann as Speaker Parliament, particularly the House of "Lords of the House. For some years he served as and the House of Commons, and it confirms the Chairman of Committees and both in my view of the long-standing nature of these that position and as Mr. Speaker he has occasional feufls. I wish to quote from this always given prompt decisions marked by hook as to the relationship between the impartiality and fairness. He has always Speaker and members of the Assembly. I carried out his duties very efficiently, always 4 Election of Speaker. [ASSE:MBL Y.] Election of Speaker. extending sincere and fair treatment to hon. accommodation at the Parliamentary Lodge members generally in making the call. I and in this House. I have an example of make this special note too, that his decisions this impartiality of a Labour Speaker. When hlve been prompt and fair. I have much I first enterecl Parliament nine years ago I pleasure in seconding the nomination made asked for accommodation at the Parliamentary by the hon. member for Rockhampton. Lodge and was told by the Labour Speaker that there was accommodation for everyone lUr. AIKENS (Mundingburra) (12.33 else who asked for it-Labour, Liberal or p.m.) : I haYe a few observations that I Country Party, it did not matter-but no desire to make on this formal farce. As accommodation for me. Later, to do hi.rrn full parliamentarians and members of this justice, the then Premier, the late F. ~· Assembly we ar0 being asked to elect a Cooper, lward of it and came to me and smd, Speaker but the fact is that he has already ''Look, }.fr. Aikcns, while you are a member been elected. The members of the House, of this Parliament you will have every con­ who are not members of the Labour Party cession and privilege that is extended to have no say in the election of the Speaker; other members extended to you withomt fear he is elected by the Labour Party C:wcus. or favour, and if you want a room at the In the past we were always led to believe Lodge I will see that you get one.'' I thanked that the decision of the Labour Party Caucus him for his interest and for his gesture of was final and irrevocable and co,uld only be justice. I told him I did not then want a upset by Caucus itself, but in recent weeks room and, as far as I was concerned, what a new development has arisen. \V e find there the Labour Party could do with the room. is a body outside Parliament that has arrogated to itself the power and function That persecution of me has gone on and to order Caucus to reconsider its decision on reached its zenith only yesterday. I was told a very vital matter. And how do, we know, nine years ago that there would be no office as members of this august Assembly, that space in this House for me. I threatened next week or the week after the Q.C.E. will then to see the Premier and I wish I had not order the Labour Partv Caucus to recon­ seen the Premier of the day. Finally I was sider its decision with regard to the nomina­ allowed, as a gracious gesture of the then tion of John M ann as Speaker of this Speaker, to occupy a room downstairs in the Assembly, and that what is now a common corner of this building with George Marriott, farce will become, shall I say, a ludicrous the independent member for Bulimba. I farce. occupied that room for nine years but when I came down yesterday I found that all my But let that go by the way, let the Labour belongings, all my papers, and ~ven the huge Party, if I may pay it the compliment of cupboard that was i.n n corner of that room ---11!~-~ !.t.. - T -.L-., •. T'o_._..!~- _, ·-·~- ! .. !J_ ----·- Vd.LlJ.Ht; .lU cL _LjctfJVU.l _L ct.l U}' ~lV\\1 .ll! J.L/:1 UV\'.11 lJad been ~kulUraggeU a ft:w l1uuUn~tl .raiUts juice; there is something that I have to say away down the corrit1or and put in a converted about the position of Mr. Speaker and his broom cupboard. I was tolcl that Mr. Cobum impartiality, as mentioned by the hon. mem­ and I were to occupy this converted broom ber for Rockhampton when he nominated :Mr. cupboard (Laughter). I was told also that Mann for the position. \Ve know just how it had been occupied in the past by the late mmh impartiality there is in this Chamber. Captain \Vienholt, an independent member, We have seen it in the past. We have seen also by Senator Maher when he was a the bias, the prejudice and the partisansh1p member of this Assembly, and in the last that have been exhibited during debates when Parliament it had been used by Messrs. members of the Labour Party can interject All pass and Ewan. My reply to that is this: and interrupt and get away with it. Now if Country Party members are satisfied with and again members of the Opposition can such accommodation, it is not good enouglt interject anr1 interrupt and get away with it, for me. Even though Captain Wienholt, hut not to the same extent as members of the Senator Maher, and Messrs. Ewan and Labour Party. And in this connection l Allpass, \Yho an; almost millionaires the same should say that two members on the minis­ as he. it is not good enough for the repre­ terial bench are the worst and most persistent scntative of the premier electorate in this mterrupters in the Chamber. Has anyone State. ever hcan1 them being called to order by Mr. Speaker or by the Chairman of C'om· Let us sec how impartial Mr. Speaker is mittees ~ Has anyone ever heard them being in the allocation of accommodation in this threatpned with naming~ Yet here in my House. There are, by the grace of God but eyrie I have only to sneeze or to cough or very little on their own endeavours, 50 even cross my legs and you will hear the members of the Labour Partv in this Parlia­ Chairman of Committees or the Speaker, in a ment. Eleven of these memb~rs are Ministers bovine roar, say, ''If the hon. member for and as such of course, while the House is in Mundingburra does not cease interrupting session for 10 hours of the week, these Mini­ the proceedings of this Chamber I shall have sters occupy the ministerial room just off no alternative but to name him.'' One of the Chamber. The Premier has a special these days I might say, ''Name me and be room at the end of the ministerial room. They damned,'' and we would see what happened. haYe palatial suites of offices at their depart­ mental headquarters up the street where they Apart from the partisanship and bias that spend most of their time. The Speaker has are shown in this Chamber during the debates, a sumptuous suite of offices and a bedroom let me deal with this impartiality of the in the House. So also has the Chairman of Speaker in another function he exercises by Committees. Then the Whip of the Parlia­ virtue of his office, that is, the allocation of mentary Labour Party has an office adjacent Election of Speaker. [4 AUGUST.] Election of Speake-r. 5 to the Assembly. That makes 14 members of It was my intention today, if I may use the Labour Party all well equipped with the vernacular, to tip the tin on the SpeakeT. palatial offices, leaving 36 rank-and-file mem­ and you know me when I am going-I am not bers; and believe it or not-and I took a satisfied with tipping the tin; I tip the horse, ''Courier-Mail'' reporter round with me this harness, cart and all. Ortly one thing pre­ morning-these 36 rank-and-file members of vented me from doing that. That was the the Labour Party in this House have been belief that in doing so I might be playing allotted no less than 12 big rooms, all sump­ right into the hands of another enemy of tuously appointed. longer standing, and I should not like to do that. That being so, I take the advice The Leader of the Country Party has an that the hon. member for FDTtitude Valley office on the second floor of this building but and I were discussing n minute ago, the 14 other members of that party are crowded advice Napnleon gave to his marshals when into one room on the grouml floor; and eight he said, ''Fight your battles on ground of members of the Liberal Partv are rrowclecl your own choosing and in your own time.'' into a still smaller room on tl;e ground floor. By all the gods that made little apples, l Mr. Coburn and I, I suppose, should feel 1vill win this battle. as I have won many under an obligation to the Speaker for being others. The harder the fight, the better I lik.e relegated to a converted broom cupboard, it. whereas clown on the ground floor of this I know that in accordance with tradition building, opposite to where my room usPd to and custom, handed down fTom the House of be, is a room so large that the Labour Party Commons, when I finish speaking-and I has held its caucus meetings in it. It is will not keep hon. members veTy long-the the room in which the famous raid by the mover and seconder of Mr. Mann for tlte Douglas Creditors was staged. That huge position of Speaker will seize him by an arm room, which is larger in area than the rooms each and drag him unwillingly forward to the Speaker's Chair. According to tradition occupied by the Country Party and Liberal and custDm, that signifies tba t the Speaker Party combined, is occupied by se;-en members fully realises his own umvorthiness. We of the alleged Labour Party, four of whom know now the unworthiness of this man, who are metropolitan members who 1Yould not get up till three years ago when hP became one letter a week. Speaker a pp cared to be not a bad sort of fellow and a representative o-f the working I know that the Country Party is going to classes and if I had to tip the tin, I should ''cop'' it and that the Liberal Party is tal'e a~ my text that wise old westem saying going to ''cop'' it so far as accommodtttion that ' 'Y on cannot feed corn to a brumby.'' is concerned. When all is saicl and doi1e, 36 members of the Labour Party have bem1 In conclusion, once again I throw down the given 12 big rooms in this Hotbe for oll1cc gage of battle. I say to the mover and space, aml 24 rank-and-file members of the seconder of Mr. J'viann for the pu~;Euu of non-Labour parties bave been crowcled into Speakership, ''Get him by the arm and thTee Tooms-one fair-sized Toom, one small seullarag him along to the Chair and flop room, and one bToom cupboanl. Yet the him in the ChaiT as unceremoniously as you hon. member foT Rockhampton has the super­ c~m,'' but when he gets there I want him to lative nerve to talk about the impartiality realise that whatever rules are laid down by of the SpeakeT! the Speaker or by the Go;-ernment, whether I know the Liberal-CountTv PaTtv will not they lw Marquis of Qucensberry, Rafferty, or do anything a bout this one-eyecl vicious par­ Dog and Gamma rules, they will all suit me. tisanship on the part of the Speaker in Tcgarrl I will ask for no quarter and I will give to accommodation-you cannot stop me from none. That has been mv attitmlc, and now talking, Duggan; I know the Standing Orders that I ha;-e been subjected to this dirty little as well as you do-because, with the excep­ bit of personal persecution, God help the man tion of one or t'> o membcTs of the r'ountrv who visited it on me. Party, they haYe not got the guts. \Vhat i·s more, they hope that some day they may lUr. 3IANN (Brisbane) (12.47 p.m.): I become the Go;-crnment and su be able to find it impossible to express adequately to put back on the Labour Party what the this House my appreciation of the hon?ur Labour Party is putting on them. I add, in that has been conferred upon me by bem_g all fairness, that during the three years of nominated again to ocnupy tl;e Chair of th1s the J:\foore Government the partiality in this House. I thank :Mr. Larcombe for the veTy Chamber was almost on a par with the par­ kind things he has said about my occupa1~cy tiality that exists today. of the Chair, and I also thank m:Y seconder, Mr. ClaTk, for his killd remarks about my I do not intend to ''cop'' it. I do not occupancy of that office. I assm·e all hon. care what the Liberal-Countrv J>artv does. L membeTs, including the hon. member for ~un­ know that my amiable friend Arthur Coburn dingbuna., that I \Vill contmue to perform is not much conccrnerl about it, but I do not that office in the same manner as I have done intend to ''cop'' it-do not make anv mistake previously. 2.bout that. There is my old family motto, ''Nemo me impune lacessit.'' meaning that Honourable }!embers: Hear, hear! no man attacks me with impunity. When I came into this Chamber I let the Government There being no other nomination, Mr. MaJln know where I stood. was called to the Chair by the Clerk, and 6 Election of Speaker. [ASSE:i.VIBLY.] Election of Speaker. conducted there by the mover and seconder Parliament, despite the fact that we have a of the motion. Speaking from the dais, he unicameral system of government in this said:- State, is inferior to any other Parliament I express my appreciation and thanks to in the way it deals with its business, and in the dignity and de.corum with which it th~ House that hon. members have elected me as Mr. Speaker. I can assure all hon. transacts it, ancl the opportunities afforded members, despite the ravings of the hon. to members of the House ancl the general member for Mundingburra, that I will public to discuss these matters either in the endeavour to uphold dignity and decorum Assembly or \Yith their elected representatives and endeavour to maintain the prestige. of in the Assembly or by approaches to Parliament. Ministers of the Crown and by representa­ tions to responsible departmental officers. Honourable ~Iembers: Hear hear! Indeed, in the life of the last Parliament, extending over some three years, the gag Hon. J. E. DUGGAN (Toowoomba­ was appliell on only three occasions. I do Acting Premier) (12.49 p.m.) Mr. Speaker, not make this comparison for party purposes, I should like as Acting Leader of the House but I want to sav that in the Fede.ral House to tender my congratulations to you on vour where there is a ·bicameral system of govern­ re-election to the, high and important office ment and \Yhm·e there is more opportunity to of Speaker. I am sure that the experience have legislation carefully revie.wed, in the you have gained will be of Yery great help last 18 months in \\"hiclr the Commonwealth to you in the discharge of your one.rous Parliament met the gag \vas applied on no d~ties and will enable you to more effectively fewer than 133 occasions. So I do not think discharge your responsibilities to the House we have cause to be ashamed of the way as a whole. You have had quite a long we have conducted our business in this House. experience as a parliamentarian ancl you have been well trained in this AsSembly in I want to say that the complexities of the duties of Chairman of Committees and modern life and the times in which we live in more recent times in the duties of throw increasing responsibilities upon parlia­ Mr. Speaker. I think that occasionally we mentarians anll upon the parliamentary should pause for a while and acknowledge institution. The tremendous improvement in the value of the very high office of communications makes the impact of ~r. Speaker i~ this Assembly ancl the important decisions felt in remote conrers Important part 1t pla;·s and the fact that it of the world soon after they occur. There is symbolical of the fight for freedom. arc many national and international prob­ Whilst we are able to install people like lems wrapped up in mocle.rn government; yourself as Mr. Speaker in this Assembly there is an increasing intervention by Govern­ we know that the people have a free choice ments in the social life and habits of the to elect their reprc.sentativcs to Parliament people and it is this inexorable development and we know that the Parliament itself will of mode.rn civilisation that obliges Govern­ conform to the rules and regulations laid ments to intervene in economic affairs, down for Parliament. I congratulate you lJecause for example we might need to stock­ on your re-election and I wish" you a hai1py pile strategic materials and enter into ancl successful tenn of office. responsible arrangements with other Govern­ ment>. 8o governmental decisions are Honourable Ill embers: Hear hear! necessary to an increasing extent. Therefore, Parliament has a great responsibility to lUr. DUGGAN: I know, Mr. Speaker, discluugo an cl I fe.el sure that the typica1 that you are a big man physically member of Parliament is conscious of his and you have both the attributes of tem­ responsibilities to his constituents. perament and qualification to enable you to de~l with any_ eventuality that may ari~e ancl, The attack that wc have heard on you whilst the_re rs ~n obligation on you to dis­ this morning is an indication of what I charge wrth fauness and imnartialitv the have said. ·what more freedom could be dignity, dec?rum ancl repsonsibility o{ your given than was given this morning in the office there IS also an obligation on each of case of vour own election to the high office us to help you in yom difficult task. We of Spcak'cr ~ It \Vas not a question of liberty, have often read and heard of comments but of a licence to attack. Whatever feelings decrying parliamentary institutions and in the hon. member for Mundingburra may have particular the conduct of a partieular Session abont the allo·cation of accommodation here, o! Parliament or the composition of par­ he is of course at liberty to make known tiCulnr Governments and whether they carry his demands to you. · out the mandates they receive from the people. But I remember an occasion when the I do not ;vish to lay myself. open to a charge Leader of the Opposition saicl that you were of engagmg on an occasion such as this a vei'Y fine physical specimen and that some wh~c~r is really a congratulatory one, in party of the raiment that is sometimes worn by political controversial matters but even in Speakers in some other Parliaments would this morning's paper we read of an attack fit you excellently. Whether that is so or upon the system of govemment in this State not, you have a sense of humour ancl you dealing with the consideration of Parliamen­ have not been unmindful of the crusading tary Bills and the conduct of the House. campaign of. the hon. member for Munding­ I want to say as one who has spent some burra, who was going to cleanse the country little time in an examination of the conduct of all this filth, all this unfairness, and aTl of Houses of Parliament in Australia and this discrimination, and perhaps in doing what overseas, that I do not think the Queensland you did there may have been in the back of Election of Speaker. [4 AUGUST.) Special Ad}ournment. 7 your mind a feeling that it would not be out JUr. Aikens: They are going to knight of atmosphere that a member who wanted to him for that; Sir J ohnno Manu, K.C.M.G.! participate in this cleansing campaign should be allotted a place where brooms at one time l\Ir. IULEY: All I can say to that inter­ were kept. (Laughter.) jection is that if such an o-ffer was made I have very much pleasure in offering you it would be an acknowledgment of the office my nwn felicitations and those of all mem­ first and the man second. In my view, the bers on this side of the House, for I know making of. such an offer would be an honour that the hon. member for Coorparoo will wish to this institution of Parliament, and what to join me in congratulating you. Indeed, you did in response to it would be a matter on behalf of all members of this House, I entirely fo·r your own free choice and hope that your term will be very fruitful decision. and that during the next three years we shall sec peace established in the democracies of The paranoic display M purely personal the world, an improvement in the standard exhibitionism that came from the lips of the of living, and an increase in primary and hon. member for Mundingburra is not a secondary production, so that we shall be correct interpretation of the proceedings in able to say that we have bem participants this House. We should jealously guard the in the fruits of a very prolific period. I institution of Parliament, recognising that offer you, Mr. Speaker, my sincere felicita­ it should be our constant concern to see that tions on your election tn your high office. everything is clone on a high plane, whether iUr. HILEY (Coorparoo) (12.58 p.m.): On it relates to fairness in the allocation of behalf of members on this side of the House, rooms in this building-which in due course I should like to extend to you, Mr. Speaker, will be dealt with by the appropriate com­ my congratulations on your appointment mittee of this House-or to anything else. without contest and by the will of the entire The vilifying tongue of the hon. member House. 'l'hat is how the office of Speaker for Mundingbnrra, which he used not without should always be filled, and it is a happy considerable ability in order to engage in thing that it has been so filled on this occasion. purely personal exhibitionism, is one of the things that should command the attention of When you took over the duties of Speaker hon. members who have a great respect for some 2! years ago, you quickly showed this the institution of Parliament. House that you possessed many of the quali­ ties necessary to make you a good occupant I repeat, Mr. Speaker, that hon. members of that office. Since then, the experience on this side of the House pledge their sup­ you have gained and the close study you h~ve port to you in carrying out your parlia­ made of the position make us feel that you mentary duties, realising that it is only by will be a very good Speaker indeed and we maintaining order and dignity in such an look forward to sitting under your presi­ h1stitution that Parliament can survive. dency. You have sho>Yn that you have the bearing and the voice for the position, and I repeat my own congratulations and those above all, you have the quality o·f decision. of hon. members on this side. I should say that the very first quality in a Speaker is the ability to make speedy decisions. I should infinitely prefer to sit PRESENTATION OF MR. SPEAKER. under a Speaker who made an occasional error quickly than to have to endure the Hon. J. E. DUGGAN (Toowoomba­ vacillation of a Speaker who took a long Acting Premier) : I have to inform hon. time tn make up his mind, even if he was members that His Excellency the Governor never wrong. In order to have strict control, will receive the House for the purpose of speedy decision from the Chair is a prime presenting Mr. Speaker to His Excellency at necessity, and you have shown repeatedly that Government House this afternoon at 2.30 you possess that quality. I trust that we o'clock. shall have the benefit of similar speedy decisions in the future iUr. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that at 2.15 p.m. today I shall leave It is noteworthy that, as the retiring Speaker, you did not have to face an election. for Government House, there to present It is alw not cwm thy that looking back over myself to His Excellency the Governor as the the period since you have been Speaker, your member chosen to fill the high and honour­ participation in the de bates in this House able office of Speaker, and I invite such hon. has been signally rare. Those two things members as care to do so to accompany me. have helped in the acceptance of the person for this high office, ancl have added to the SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT. probability that he >Yill be able to lift him­ self free of the turmoil of party influence Hon. J. E. DUGGAN (Toowoomba­ and party interest and bring to bear on the Acting Premier) : l move- discharge of his duties the impartiality that is the prerequisite of the Speaker. '' That the House, at its rising, do adjourn until 11.57 a.m. tomorrow.'' On this occasion it is probable that your duties will be added to by those to which Motion agreed to. you will have to attend in playing the part of host during the Royal visit. The House adjourned at, 1.3 p.m.