Queensland
Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]
Legislative Assembly
TUESDAY, 11 JUNE 1957
Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy
Queensland Parliamentary Debate~.
'llegislative Rssembl\?.
SECOND SESSION OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH PARLIAMENT.
Appointed to m""'t
AT BRISBANE ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF JUNE, IN THE SIXTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH 11., IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1957.
TUESDAY. 11 JUNE. 1957. PANEL OF TEMPORARY CHAIRMEN. Mr. SPEAKER: Pursuant to the require ments of Standing Order No. 13, I nominate OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. the following members to form the panel of temporary Chairmen for the present Pursuant to the proclamation by His Session:- Excellency the Administrator, dated 14 May, Gregory Brian Kehoe, Esquire, member 1957, appointing Parliament to meet this day for the electoral district of Nash; for the dispatch of business, the House met at 12 o'clock noon in the Legislative Thomas Flood Plunkett, Esquire, mem Assembly Chamber. ber for the electoral district of Darlington. The Clerk of the Parliament read the Alfred J ames Smith, Esquire, member proclamation. fQr the electoral district of Carpentaria; Harold Bourne Taylor, Esquire, member COMMISSION TO OPEN PARLIAMENT. for the electoral district of Clayfield; Mr. SPEAKER acquainted the House that John Albert Turner, Esquire, member His Excellency the Administrator, not being for the electoral district of Kelvin Grove. able conveniently to be present in person this day, had been pleased to cause a com MINISTERIAL STATEMENT_ mission to be issued under the public seal of the State, appointing him and the Chairman CHANGES IN MINISTRY. of Committees, or either of them, Commis 'Si.oners in order to the opening and holding Hon. V. C. GAIR (South Brisbane of the present session of Parliament. Premier) (12.6 p.m.): I desire to inform the House that on 7 May, 1957, His The Clerk of the Parliament read the Excellency the Administrator of the Govern commission. ment accepted the resignation of the Hon. Mr. SPEAKER, as the Senior Commis John Edmund Duggan as a member of the sioner, said: Hon. members, we have it in Executive Council of Queensland, and as Command from the Administrator of the Mi!J.ister for Transport, both resignations to Government of Queensland to communicate take effect as from 29 April, 1957. to you that Parliament has been summoned On the same date, His Excellency appoin to meet this day to consider the granting of ted Thomas Moores, Esquire, to be a mem Supply to Her Majesty and such other ber of the Executive Council of Queensland matters as may be brought before you, that and Minister for Transport. the customary Speech will not be delivered
GOVERNMENT PARTY. Some doubt has arisen as to which party in opposition has the greatest numerical WHIP AND SECRETARY. strength in this House. In view of the composition of the three parties, namely, the Hon. V. C. GAIR (South Brisbane Liberal Party with eight members, the Premier) (12.7 p.m.): I desire to inform Country Party with 16 members and the the House that Vivian Joseph Northcote Australian Labour Party with 24 members, Cooper, Esquire, has been appointed Whip I have decided that the Australian Labom of the Government Party and Alexander Party is the party with the greatest numerical James Skinner, Esquire, Secretary of that Party. strength in opposition to Her Majesty's Government.
LEADER OF AUSTRALIAN LABOUR Mr. NICKLIN (Landsborough-Leader PARTY. of the Opposition) (12.11 a.m.) : I am of the opinion that your ruling is a wrong one .Mr. DUGGAN (Toowoomba) (12.8 p.m.): and cannot be substantiated. I ask the leave I desire to inform the House that at a meet of the House to move a motion without notice. ing of the Queensland Branch of the Aus tralian Labour Party held on Tuesday, Mr. SPEAKER: Before I deal with the 30 April, 1957, I was elected Leader of that request of the Leader of the Opposition, Party, the hon. member for Mt. Gravatt, let me state for the benefit of hon. members Dr. Dittmer, was appointed Deputy Leader, a Standing Order of this House. the hon. member for Bremer, Mr. Donald, JU:r. Aikens: One you made up yourself. was appointed secretary of the Party, and the hon. member for Hinchinbrook, Mr. Mr. SPEAKER: Order! This is not a Jesson, was appointed Whip. time to be facetious. We are dealing with serious busi,ness and I suggest that the LEADERSHIP OF OPPOSITION. hon. member might take a serious view of the matter and not engage in levity. Mr. NIOKLIN (Landsborough-Leader Mr. Aikens: You listen to me later on of the Opposition) (12.9 p.m.): I rise to a and see whether I am serious or not. point of order. The hon. member for Toowoomba has made a statement in regard Mr. SPEAKER: Order! Under Standing to the Party that he represents. I think the Order No. 333 the Chair is empo" ered to House is entitled to know whether that state apply the rules of the House of Commons in ment means exactly what he said, or whether such cases where our Standing Orders are there is some implication claiming the leader silent. I have not given a ruling. I have ship of the Opposition. I should also like applied Standing Order No. 333. That to know, do you, as Speaker, intend to take Standing Order says, and I quote it for the any action that may involve the office of benefit of all members- Leadership of the Opposition in this House~ '' In all cases not specially provided for by these Standing Rules and Orders or by .Mr. SPEAKER: Hon. members, in reply Sessional or other Orders, resort shall be to the questions asked by the Leader of the had to the Rules, Forms, and Usages of Opposition, I should like to say to the hon. the Commons House of the Imperial gentleman that as our Constitution Acts and Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland the Standing Orders do not set out which for the time being, which shall be followed member shall be recognised as the Leader of and observed so far as the same can apply the Opposition we have to resort to the pro to the proceedings of the House.'' cedure of the House of Commons. I :find that section 10 of the Ministers of the I have taken the opportunity to provide· Crown Act, 1937 provides:- myself with a copy of the Public General Acts and Measures in regard to this matter. '' 10. Leader of the Opposition means I shall read again for the benefit of all that member of the House of Commons members what those Acts say- who is for the time being the Leader in '' The Leader of the Opposition means that House of the party in opposition to that member of the House of Commons whO> His Majesty's Government having the is for the time being the leader in that greatest numerical strength in that House; House of the party in opposition to His "If any doubt arises as to which is or Majesty's Government having the greatest was at any material time the party in numerical strength in that House.'' opposition to His Majesty's Government This House has no Standing Order to rely having the greatest numerical strength in on in connection with the matter and where the House of Commons, or as to who is or our Standing Orders are silent we resort to was at any material time the leader in the rules, forms and usages of the House that House of such a party, the question of Commons. That is what I am doing. I shall be decided for the purposes of this have resorted to usages of the House of· Act by the Speaker of the House of Com Commons in conformity with our Standing mons, and his decision, certified in writing Order No. 333. If this position had arisen under his hand, shall be ffnal and con in the House of Commons the decision cf· clusive.'' Mr. Speaker wo1.tld have been binding and Leadership of Opposition. [11 JuNE.] Leadership of Opposition. 3
:final. If the hon. gentleman wishes to go Mr. NICKLIN: It is your opinion? outside the rules, forms and usages of the House of Commons and the Standing Orders :il'Ir. SPEAKER: Yes. of this House, it is for this House to decide. Mr. NICKLIN: Then I disagree with If the hon. gentleman wishes to move his your opinion. You are taking away from motion I will receive a copy of it from him. the House a right that is ours. Mr. WALSH: I rise to a point of order. Mr. SPEAKER: Order! The hon. mem Did I understand you, Mr. Speaker, to say ber will not charge the Chair with anything that you quoted from an Act of the House such as that. The House has given him the {)f Commons passed in 1937 ~ right to move a motion without notice. I have Mr. SPEAKER: I quoted from the Public stated the case as it appears to me. I have General Acts and Measures, 1936-37. said that if this position arose in the House of Commons the decision of the Speaker Mr. Walsh: I wanted to be sure that would be binding and :final, but in this you quoted from an Act. House it is not. I have given my opinion M:r. SPEAKER: From an Act. and it is for the hon. member to move to the contrary. I cannot tell the House Mr. AIKENS: I riiSe to a point of order. what it should do. I do not question the correctness of anything you have read or anything you have said, Mr. NICKLIN: I do not intend to enter but according to your interpretation of the into an argument with you on this matter, situation as it presents itself to Parliament, Mr. Speaker. I shall move my motion and it would appear that if we were to allow develop my arguments later. it you would be placing yourself above I move- Parliament. ''That this House resolves that the Mr. SPEAKER: Order! Country Party and the Liberal Party shall be recognised by this House as being, and Mr. AIKENS: Which would be a negation as having been since the commencement of ·Of democracy. Parliament is always superior this Thirty-fourth Parliament, one united to the Speaker or any other officer of party for all Parliamentary purposes, and Parliament and, consequently, as a true that the officers notified to this House on democrat, I think this question should be 1 August, 1956, as being the Leader of resolved by Parliament and not by you the Opposition, the Deputy Leader of individually. the Opposition, the Opposition Whip, and Mr. SPEAKER: I agree. I stated the the Opposition Secretary respectively, rules, forms and usages of the House shall be recognised by this House as being,
there are members of the Country Party and had to the Rules, Forms, and Usages of members of the Liberal Party. Again that the Commons House of the Imperial Par demonstrates that we are here as one parlia liament of Great Britain and Ireland for mentary party for which we have received the the time being, which shall be followed and recognition of the House. observed so far as the same can apply to This official entry, being unchallenged in the proceedings of the House.'' the House, has, by implication, received the Dealing with the precedents which you, 1·ecognition of the House. That is important Mr. Speaker, suggested we should be guided when reference to the Queensland statute by, I submit that the 1937 Act of the British shows that the Leader of the Opposition shall Parliament is not a Rule, Form or Usage of be a person recognised by the House as the House of Commons, but it is statute law the Leader of the Opposition. May I further of the House of Commons. I submit that draw the attention of yourself, Mr. Speaker, Standing Order 333 does not make any and hon. members, to a further reference in reference whatsoever to statute law and, the Journals of this House in regard to this consequently, should not be taken into accou1;1t matter~ If you look back to the first day in considering this question. of the opening of the 1950 Parliament you Because of that, and to determine the will find a similar reference. This is impor matter for all time, and to allow this House tant: in 1953 the Premier and myself were to determine it and not put the responsibility representing this State overseas at the Coro on you, as Speaker, or any other member, nation of Her Majesty the Queen. As I had I suggest that the House should agree to my not returned in time for the opening of Par motion that it will make an Order of the liament the hon. member for Coorparoo who House, and the matter of who is the Leader was then Deputy Leader of the Opposition of the Opposition, who is the Deputy Leader, announced that the Opposition parties had who is the Whip, and who is the Secretary, elected myself as Leader of the Opposition can be determined by that Order in the and the hon. member for Coorparoo as Deputy correct way, that is, by each and every Leader of the Opposition. He also announced member of this House having his say on this the names of the other members of the Oppo very important question. sition Parties who had been elected to certain positions. The Parliamentary Officers of the I again emphasise that the House should Opposition are not elected by the Country not be allowed, by creating precedents, to do Party, nor are they elected by the Liberal something in blind subservience to anything Party; they are elected by the two parties that may have happened in any other Parlia sitting together. ment for which it will be sorry at some future date. I do not think that the case quotec1 May I refer the House to the fact that on by you, Mr. Speaker, is analogous. It is a 1 May last the Opposition addressed a letter matter for hon. members to decide, and it can to the State Administrator requesting him be decided by voting on my motion. to call Parliament together not later than 11 June, 1957, and that letter was signed by 1Ur. I\IORRIS (Mt. Coot-tha) (12.37 p.m.): Mr. Morris as Deputy Leader of the Opposi I second the motion. The Leader of the Opposi tion, and myself as Leader of the Opposition. tion has established very soundly the fact I submit that by our speaking as a combined that a decision of this nature must be made Party in this House we have the greatest by this House, not by precedent. The House numerical strength of any Parliamentary has given him permission to move the motion, Party with the exception of the Government and I am sure he will accept its decision. Party. As I said before, I have not included He has dealt very thoroughly with all the you, Mr. Speaker, in the membership of the circmnstances and all the irrefutable evidence Australian Labour Party. If we want pre that exists to prove that we are a combined cedent for that not being clone I am sure that Parliamentary Party. I should like to give. you, Mr. Speaker, could refer us to many. one illustration to support him in asking the These precedents show that the Speaker is House to consider us as one united Party for one who is apart from party politics, and all Parliamentary purposes. I quote from the who acts impartially. As there is no legis policy speech on behalf of our Party sitting lative provision in the Queensland statutes on this side of the House. analagous to the English Act of 1937, this House is in no way bound to conform to Mr. Burrows: You will still be here the English law. In other words, we are next year. complete masters of our own business in this lUr. I\IORRIS: I am accustomed to hear. particular regard, and the matter before the the irresponsible interjections that now come House is something to be decided by ourselves. from my left. Usually I can just look at the I refer to Section 4 of the Constitution hon. membeT and keep him quiet. I have not Act Amendment Act of 1896 which states that privilege at the moment, but I have no that the Leader of the Opposition shall be doubt that we shall not be pestered by him.. a person recognised by the House. You, much longer. Mr. Speaker, did mention Standing Order In the policy speech that was delivered on No. 333, which reads as follows:- 28 April last year, I said- ''In all cases not specially provided for '' The Liberal-Country Party team is com by these Standing Rules and Orders, or by pletely united under one Leader, and we Sessional or other Orders, resort shall be support one Party.'' 6 Leadership of Opposition. [ASSEMBLY.] Leadership of Opposition.
Could I produce any more complete evidence We do not want the hon. member for Yeronga than those few words' I repeat them for the or anybody outside this Parliament to tell benefit of those who did not hear them us what we are to do. Our course is clear, ''. . . completely united under one Leader, we know where we are going, what to say and we support one Party.'' That, of course, and we know the course to follow. I say has been fully recognised for three Parlia that the greatest disservice the hon. member ~ents. It has been recognised by Parliament for Yeronga and other hon. members on Itself. my right can do in this matter and the great In view of the complete coverage that has est disservice they can do to democracy, is been presented to this House, there should be to feed a vile thought. The commonsense no doubt where anybody stands on this matter. of the people of Queensland will be demon strated in a striking fashion when appealed Mr. DUGGAN (Toowoomba) (12.40 p.m.): to. They will not follow the specious plead I wish to oppose the motion. I think that ings of those people who put us in the role you Mr. Speaker have, with crystal clarity, of being the villain in the piece. If it is given the House a lead which should be fol logical for the hon. member to claim to be lowed. I do not for one moment question Leader of the Opposition because 12 months the right of this House to determine in its ago Parliament recognised him as such, he own way the procedure to be adopted in should argue also that because 12 months matters governing the conduct of the House, ago, by the same procedure, the House but I say that if by some arrangement accepted the hon. member for South Bris betV(een the Leader of the Opposition and bane as Premier, that hon. gentleman should the Government Party this motion is carried, be confirmed in his office for the life of this it will proclaim to the world that this Par Parliament. No doubt later in the day or liament has in its hands the right to deter tomorrow, or at some other time, the Leader mine this question, but it shall also reveal of the Opposition will marshal his forces to nakedly and unashamedly that the voting destroy the authority of the Premier. If he strength of this alliance will be used to wants to be accepted as the Leader of the destroy the very thing that the Opposition Opposition, how can he deny the right of the Parties claim we are seeking to destroy in hon. member for South Brisbane to be this State. Have we not been assailed accepted as Premierf throughout the length and breadth of I heard the other day a ministerial Queensland that the Australian Labour broadcast by one of the hon. gentlemen on my Party is seeking to perpetuate in this country lef.t in which he spoke about Magna Charta. the dreadful conditions that prevail in He said that we in Queensland owed our exist Hungary and other places where Fascists and ence to the preservation of the principles Communists have been responsible for the contained in Magna Charta. rape of those countriesf I and those behind me repudiate such action with all the vehe An Opposition Member: What is wrong mence at our command. with that' On every occasion on which we have Mr. DUGGAN: It is very fine, but the debated in this House matters upon which very people who are talking about Magna some interpretation is required there has been Charta and asking us to preserve its prin nobody more consistent and more vociferous ciples will attack principles contained in the than the Opposition in upholding the pre statute law of the House of Commons. cedent of May. On every occasion members of that Party have come forward and said An Opposition Member: You do not know that we should model our conduct on the how the vote will go. House of Commons. On this occasion the people who have been running round the Mr. DUGGAN: I am stating my case country attacking us and saying that we now, because I shall not be able to speak are not prepared to carry out our oath of twice on the motion. allegiance to Her Majesty and wish to Mr. Sparkes: You are used to be·ing led destroy democracy are those who now want by the nose. to turn their backs on the customs and usages of the House of Commons. That is Mr. DUGGAN: The hon. member for an important point to make. Aubigny should be the last to talk about This Parliament should be supreme and I being led by the nose. He is the greatest have no objection to this Parliament coming conspirator of all. He will be feeding us to a decision on the matter. with stories about what we should do to the Queensland Labour Party, and at the Dr. Noble: You take orders from same time feeding the Premier and urging Bukowski. him to take a strong stand on the Australian Mr. DUGGAN: One of the penalties that Labour Party. He is an arch-conspirator we in a democracy must pay is that we must with a foot in each camp. The only reason accept those whom the people put up and l1e is not in more camps is that he has not confirm in various appointments. It sur more feet. prises me that a man who has attained The Premier can confirm what I am· now eminence in a particular profession should about to say. Twelve months ago the hon. reveal abysmal ignorance when it comes to member for Mt. Coot-tha, as Leader of the the determination of constitutional questions. Liberal Party in Queensland, applied to the Leadership of Opposition. [11 JUNE.] Leadership of Opposition. 7
Premier for the provision of secretarial opposition. We will not then argue the point assistance because of his position. Some of as to whether Mr. Nicklin should be the us were not entirely unsympathethic to the Leader of the Opposition; we shall be very application, with the reservation that there happy to confirm him in the appointment. must be some limit to the number of people I repeat that we have had adequate guid entitled to that form of help. We felt that ance from you, Mr. Speaker, in this matter. eight was too few a number for a party to I am shocked at the attitude of those who be accorded a measure of secretarial have for so many years quoted the authority assistance. of May, the usages of the House of Commons, As Leader of the Australian Labour Party and so on. When Standing Orders are silent I am not concerned with the emolument of -and they admit that they are silent on £500 but, irrespective of the decision of the this point-it is only logical that the Speaker House on the motion-and I am not should go beyond them in search of some anticipating it in any way-I feel that authority. You have done that. What better the Premier himself would perhaps be the authority could you get than the practice last to deny either Mr. Nicklin or me adequate and usage of the House of Commons~ Apart secretarial aid to enable us to carry out our altogether from that, it has been recognised proper constitutional functions. If the in every Parliament in Australia that the motion was defeated, I would be the first leader of the largest opposition group to support the provision of secretarial assist numerically should be accepted as Leader of ance for the Leader of the Opposition. If the Opposition. we are to preserve our constitutional form of On those general premises, the Australian government, the leaders of the recognised Labour Party bases its stand. I urge hon. political parties should be accorded adequate members with all the emphasis at my com assistance. Whilst I may not have pro mand to reject the motion and uphold your claimed it officially, we in this State-and Tuling. indeed other States-have been rather niggardly in the measure of secretarial help Dr. DITTMER (Mt. Gravatt) (12.53 given to the leaders of the recognised p.m.) : It is indeed unfortunate that, with so political parties. Of course, they must have many visitors assembled in the galleries, we a substantial following. should have such an unseemly scramble to retain for an hon. member an office to which The Leader of the Opposition announced to he is not entitled. I feel certain that the Parliament 12 months ago that the hon. mem Government on my left will not support the ber for Mt. Coot-tha was to be his deputy. present Opposition and the Leader of the They support each other when it suits them, Opposition because they will be aware of the but on other occasions they are diametrically damage it must do to parliamentary pro opposed. That was instanced in the debate cedure and prestige. on the introduction of the 40-hour week. The Liberal Party supported it, whilst the Analysis of the motion will show the specific Country Party was strongly opposed to it. purpose underlying it. I feel sure it was I am concerned at the moment only with the put forward not to retain the Leader of the question of unity. If it is suggested that Opposition in office but as election propa the unity allegedly manifested in the Chamber ganda. For many years they have sought to today is being preserved right along the beguile the public into believing they are one line, why is not Mr. Richter, the Leader of united party, and in that they have been so the Country Party, or Mr. Anderson, the eminently-- leader of the Liberal Party, acknowledged as Mr. Dewar: Successful! deputy leader of one or other of those parties' Dr. DITTMER: Unsuccessful! They have been so successful, as the hon. member They have their own separate and distinct political organisations. We know very well for Chermside interjects, that they have they each have their official secretariat and remained so very long continuously on the their own separate organisational facilities Opposition benches. You have gone to no and it is just so much nonsense to suggest end of trouble, Mr. Speaker, and you have that they are together as a unified party with exhibited the maximum of patience towards a unified policy to present. The only time the speakers in favour of the retention of they go to the people as a unified body is the leadership of the Opposition by the hon. when they seek to misguide and mislead the member for Landsborough. The hon. mem people into giving them control of the bers for Landsborough and Mt. Coot-tha are Treasury benches. the very men who have claimed Tepeatedly m the past that we must uphold the prestige of Much as we regret the circumstances that Parliament. What does the present Leader have led to the need for the determination of of the Opposition say nowt Immediately h~ this question, we will join, as vigorously as rose to his feet he reflected on the Chair. we can and with all the forces at our com mand, in fighting these people who are trying 1\'Ir. SPEAKER: Order! to secure from the House an expression of opinion that they should be preserved in Dr. DITTli'IER: The evidence is there. opposition. On the hustings we will do all On the enunciation of his policy speech the we can to ensure that those of them who are hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha said that they returned are returned as members of the were acting as one united Party. Why do 8 Leadership of Opposition. [ASSEMBLY.] Leadership of Opposition. they have separate Exeeutives7 Why do member, if there is one or more of their they have separate Leaders, Deputy Leaderb, number indepe•1dent on that side now he will and Secretaries1 It is interesting to recali disagree with the motion of the hon. member that the hon. member for Landsborough said for Landsborough. that their officers were elected at a joint meeting. There may have been a joint ~Ir. AIKENS (Mundingburra) (2.15 · assembly but there was a definite determina· p.m.): Mr. Speaker, we heard an imj;assioned tion of the basis on which the personnel debate this morning, and I propose to bring would be appointed, because of the four into the debate some ordinary simple logic officers elected three of them are Country and calm reasoning. I suppose it is news to Party representatives and one Liberal Party many people in the gallery but not to mem representative. The Country Party were bers of the Assembly that I belong to none determined that they should have their pro of the three parties in the House. I am not tection. They have three to one as the1r a member of the Queensland Labour P11rty right. In the Press we repeatedly read that or the Liberal and Country Party or the Mr. Nicklin is the Leader and Mr. Mull~r Australian Labour Party. I am proudly a is the Deputy Leader of the Country Party member of the North Queensland Labour and Mr. Morris is the Leader and Mr. Munr~ Party, and I represent North Queensland ·the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. and its useful people. So I can enter this Only recently they were trying to roast us debate in an unbiassed manner and with a ~nd ~isrepresent our position as a Party fair and clean mind. m th1s House. They were talking about the Let us have a look at the question before right of direction by a body outside Parlia the House. In simple terms it is whether ment, the Queensland Central Executive. the Leader of the Opposition is to retain What about the right or authority of the that office or whether he is to be supplanted Country Party Council to direct and expel by the hon. member for Toowoomba. We as they did Mr. Leahy on 20 July 1947' were told that the question was based on . Now tlley •orr.e in here and try to mis custom, precedent, Standing Orders and May lead the people of Queensland through the and what-have-you . . Press that they are sitting as one united Party. Surely the people will not Mr. Walsh: That is not right. accept that ! It has been pointed out by ~Ir. AIKENS: At least Mr. Speaker said the Leader of the Australian Labour Party so, and I am prepared to take his word for that on a vital issue affecting the social wd it. fare of the people of the State, the 40-hour week, the Liberal Party supported it but the Mr. SPEAKER: Order! The opinion I Country Party not only opposed it then, but expressed was that the ease was based on . ha'l'~ ve~emently opposed it at every oppol'- an Act o.l' Parliament. . tumty smce. How can they now with any honesty of purpose and with a determination ]fr. AIKENS: To me that is a distinction to uphold the prestige of Parliamentary pro without a difference. Anyway I accept your cedure and practice claim that they are a statement or denial or whatever it is. Every united Party1 Repeatedly the hon. members time I hear a member of this Assembly for Landsborough and Mt. Coot-tha and their appealed to by anyone to obey the Standing associates have held up the practice and Orders or customs or the rules of Parliament usage of the House of Commons as being as set down by May, I do not know whether almost perfection in Parliamentary pro to laugh or to vomi'!; because during the cedure. Now it does not suit them. I am 13 years that I have graced this Chamber not going to say that the hon. member for I saw precedent after precedent, by-law Landsborough would be so very interested after by-law, Standing Order after Standing in the emoluments of office but he knows that Order, smashed to pulp in this very Chamber. an election is imminent and he seeks to How often have we seen our own Parliamen tary Standing Orders broken. Let me quote capitalise from an election point of view. a few examples. Although there is a Stand Consequently I believe that the Government ing Order to say that there shall be definitely will not support the present Liberal Party no extension of time to a member in Com and Country Party in their nefarious attempt to orcupy an office to which they are not mittee, it is not adhered to. legitimately entitled. We saw this morning a breach of custom in this House. It has always been the You have given your ruling and ordinarily custom, we are told, in the House of if they had been carrying out in practice Commons and here for the Speaker to call what they preach so often they would not speakers from each side altenJately. People have dissented from it. I feel certain that in the gallery saw me rise-and I am not the House will show a measure of goodwill exactly invisible; I can make myself heard and respect for the retention of Parlia· because I have a particularly loud and mentary procedure and follow the course mellifluous voice-and they saw four that guides the House of Commons. Hon. members on that side called before me. members of the Country Party and Liberal Party have boasted so much about the rights ~Ir. SPEAKER: Order! The hon. mem of individuals. Even though past experience ber knows that it is the custom and the prac has not shown that they have one independflnt tice for the Leader of the Opposition to get Leadership of Opposition. [11 JUNE.) Leadership of OJ)position. the eaU before any other hon. members. The of this House into our own hands, beMusE! hon. member has been here long enough to it is the supreme governing elected body of know that. Queensland. I was particularly pleased to hear you say after I rose to my point of Mr. AIKENS: I do not object to that. order, Mr. Speaker, that although you con I did not rise to get the call before the Leader of the Opposition. But I did rise sidered that your own ·interpretation of a and addre's you before the hon. member for British Act of Parliament, which does not Mt. Coot-tha, the hon. member for matter two hoots in hell to me, was the cor Toowoomba, and the hon. member for Mt. rect one, based on what you could read on Gravatt, and I did not get the call. the matter, you were going to allow the House to decide the issue. Moth-eaten Mr. Gair: The hon. member for Mt. tradition means nothing to me, particularly Gravatt can be seen much more clearly than the moth-eaten tradition that we get from you. overseas. I am a 100 per cent. Australian. That is how I think every issue before the Mr. SPEAKER: Order! The remarks of House should be decided. Let us, the elected the hon. the Premier are a reflection on the representatives of the people, make the Chair. The hon member for Mt. Coot-tha had decisions on the facts presented to us, and the opportunity of seconding the motion, and let us stand up to our responsibilities before was entitled to the call after the Leader of our electors. the Opposition. Let us see what all this argument is about. Mr. AIKENS: Now tell the House. the The hon. member for Toowoomba claims that gallery, and the people of QueenslanJ, he should be the Leader of the Opposition, through the Press, why you called the hon. and I believe him when he says that he is memLer for Toowoomba and the hon. mem not interested in the monetary perks attached ber for Mt. Gravatt before me when I was to the position. I believe, also, that he is on my feet and calling you before either of. not a bit interested in any prestige that them. might attach to the position. So the people Every time this House gets into a bit ot of Queensland and the pPonle in the gallery a pickle, it always presents a wonderful might well be asking, ''Then, what is all opportunity, sometimes for the hon. the the fuss about f If he is not concerned about Speaker, sometimes for the Leader of the the money and he is not concerned about Opposition, sometimes for the hon. the the perks, the kudos, or the prestige, attach· Premier, sometimes for the hon. ex-Deputy ing to the position, why is he buckingf Why Premier or someone else, to rush to the table not let the Leader of the Opposition go on and grab that great big green book and quote in his empty glory t" I am going to tell from May. I became so sickened llf this the people what the buck is about. hypocrisy at one time that when your pre In addition to the £500 a year extra decessor was listening to an interminable granted by the Parliament to the Leader of. argument as to what May thought and did the Opposition, he is also granted tw. I have of this Parliament, irrespective of the inane no objection to the Leader of the Opposition and insane giggling from my right, I go and Premier doing that. I could ride my bike back to my electors, I get up on the public and beat the two of them. (Laughter.) I platform-the only politician in Australia do not think that the hon. member for who has the guts to do it-and I tell the Toowoomba would mind riding round the people what I said in Parliament and how State in an ordinary first-class compartment, I voted in Parliament on every measure, and any more than the Leader of the Opposition would, but the real battle or the kernel in I seek their confirmation or disapproval. the nut is the time given for free Mr. SPEAKER: Order! I ask the hon. election broadcasting by that tyrannical member to keep to the matter before the monstrosity known as the Australian House. Broadcasting Commission. It is well known that ou the occasion of every Mr. AIKENS: I am dealing with it. I State election Sir Richard Boyer, that Lord believe that, as the elected representatives High Panjandrum of the Australian Brand of the people, we should have the ability casting Commission, allots four hours frGe and the guts to determine every issue that "broadcasting time over the State net comes before this House on the facts pre work to the Leader of the Government and sented to this House, and I think we should four hours free broadcasting time over tl1~ be intelligent enough to take the affairs State network to the Leader of thR 10 Leade1·ship of Opposition. [ASSEM:BL Y.] Leadership of Opposition.
Opposition, but no broadcasting timA to any Mr. AIKENS: And the sooner the better. body else. Sir Richard Boyer believes .ln On the eve of this election I have no doubt the first step towards totalitarianism-the that the Australian Broadcasting Commis persecution of the political minority. It may sion will divide its free bwadcasting time be news to you, Mr. Speaker, to know that over the national network equitably between as a singer of more than mediocre ability the two major parties. I will not be given I can sing over the A.B.C. I can speak over any at all; I want none of it. He can do the A.B.C. network on any subject excepting with his free broadcasting time what the }JOlitics but I cannot speak over the A.B.C. monkey did with the nuts. Our party can network on any political matter. Yet we arc buy all the time I want from the commer ;supposed to live in a democracy! When I cial stations. We have the money, we have challenged Sir Richard Boyer on this ques the organisation, and we are rearing to go. tion he said that it was his policy to allot We have the oven all heated up waiting to the time equally over the A.B.C. broadcast see if some ''dill'' will hop in to be roasted. ing network between the Premier of the State and the Leader of the Opposition, and he An Opposition I!Iember interjected. said he had no intention of interfering with that arrangement. He said to me, ''If you Mr. AIKENS: I do not want anything want time, go along and ask Mr. Gair or from the hon. member or anyone else. Our Mr. Nicklin for some of theirs.'' Hon. mem party can afford to pay for all it wants bers know how I would get on if I asked Mr. during an election campaign. If the party Gair or Mr. Nicklin. This is a very serious cannot pay for it, I will pay for it out of my own pocket. And what is more, I will pay matter, although I cannot resist introducing a little humour into it. I challenged this in cash. tyrant to apply the same ruling he gave to Let us get down to the crux of the matter. political broadcasts to his church and The hon. member for Toowoomba has sug religious broadcasts. I challenged him to gested that as he is the leader of 24, I take give of the broadcasting time over the it, loyal and indivisible members, he is the national A.B.C. network allotted for church leader of the largest single party in this and religious services, half to the Primate in House. The whole question revolves round Australia of the Roman Catholic Church and the three words "in this House." We all half to the Primate in Australia of the know that the Liberal organisation is separate Church of England, and say to all the other from the Country Party outside the House, denominations, ''If you want broadcasting but for many years-I do not know just how time over the A.B.C. for church and religious many-inside this House-and that is all we services, you go to Archbishop Mown or are concerned about-all of us, including the Cardinal Gilroy.'' There would be a Queensland Labour Party, the official Labour justifiable and perhaps a bloody .revolution Party, the hon. member for Burdekin and I, if he did that. He has not got the guts to have recognised the Liberal-Country Party as do that-to tell those smaller organisations, one composite party. They also hold com but he does that with the smaller political posite caucus meetings. They would probably Drganisa tions. like people to think that they do not hold caucus meetings; they may be cactus meetings. I!Ir. SPEAKER: Order! I think the I cannot tell you the difference between hon. member is getting away from the caucus meetings and cactus meetings, because motion. there are women in the gallery. For years there has also been a secretary of the com I!Ir. AIKENS: This is the real crux of posite Liberal-Country Party, who for many the position. To deny the Leader of the Aus years was the hon. member for Cooroora. I tralian Labour Party any broadcasting time can remember having a jest with the hon. during this election campaign would, in my member on one occasion when by error a opinion, be a travesty of democraJCy, yet if typist referred to him in a document as the the A.B.C. tyrant Sir Richard Boyer is not composite secretary of the Liberal-Country pulled into line that is what will happen. Party instead of the secretary of the com Nobody knows that better than hon. mem posite Liberal-Country Party. Perhaps the bers in this Chamber. The Premier will be hon. member for Cooroora will recall the little granted four hours free broadcasting time jest I had with him on that occasion. I over the A.B.C. network and the Leader of cannot remember how long it is since the the Opposition w-ill be granted four hours free broadcasting time over the A.B.C. net House as a whole has recognised the existence work, and the hon. member for Toowoomba, in this Chamber of a composite Liberal as the accredited Leader of the Australian Country Party. Whether there are divisions Labour Party will not be granted any. I do of opinion between the two parties outside not think that is fair. It is time that Boyer the Chamber matters little to us on this was taken on and it is time he was made question. I am quite prepared to believe that to realise that the Australian Broadcasting there are as many divisions and divergences Commission belongs to the people of of opinion among members of the Liberal Australia who are forced to pay for its Country Party outside the Chamber as there upkeep. were among the members of the Labour Party before the present split, but that did Mr. SPEAKER: Order! not affect their standing in the Chamber. Leo.derBhip of OppoBition. (11 JUNE.) LeaderBhip of OppoBition.
As we have always recognised in this Mr. AIKENS: I am not on the fence at: . Chamb~r the Liberal-Country Party as one all. I am right outside the fence, where I composite party, we must in all fairness and have been for the last 15 years. I believe· decency continue to regard it as such. If it that, as the numbers of both parties claiming had not ~een so regarded in the past, if the to be the leading Opposition party are equal, two parties had got together only during the status quo should not be interfered with, the last week or two, the last day or two, and I propose to vote for the motion. or. the last hour or two, and had come into this Chamber this morning and claimed for Hon. V. C. GAIR (South Brisbane the first time to be a composite Liberal Premi~r) (2.37 p.m.): I have listened very Country Party, I should have regarded that attentively to the debate on this very as a trick and a subterfuge and would have important question as to who should he had none of it. But they are not doing that. recognised as Leader of the Opposition of On the contrary, for probably seven or eight the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and years I have regarded them in this Chamber I have no alternative but to agree with the as one composite party. case put up by the hon. member for Lands borough, the Leader of the Opposition. And so we come to the question of which An Opposition Member: I should think has the greater number, the party led by the you would. hon. member for Toowoomba, or the party led by the Leader of the Opposition inside the Mr. GAIR: It surprises me to learn that House. They both have 24 members. If the the hon. member thinks at all. HowevP.r, hon. member for Toowoomba could have got we must get away from all the extraneous one more member into his fold and could matter tha.t has been introduced into tfJ.e hav~ come here today with 25 members as debate. It has been suggested by hon. mem agamst the 24 comprising the composite bers, particularly the leader of the devia Liberal-Country Party, I would have unhesi tionists from the Government, that what we tatingly supported his application to be attempt to do by the motion is merely what regarded as Leader of the Opposition. So they have been charged with in their attempts we have two parties contending for the to destroy a democracy. I do not think th:,t honour-and the perks, which is the main comes into it any more than some of the thing-attached to the leadership of the matters raised by the hon. member for Opposition, each with 24 members in this Mundingburra; but we are entitled to examine the position very carefully. In the ~amber. As their numbers are equal, I thmk the status quo should be maintained. absence of any standing order or rule of Parliament in Queensland on tlle question It has been suggested that there will be of who should be recognised as Leader of a line-up by the Labour Party and the tlle Opposition, very definitely this Parlia Liberal-Country Party. Whether there is or ment and this Parliament alone has the not does not affect or concern me. I will responsibility of determining the question. be in no line-up. I will cast my vote and Mr. Aikens: We are the masters of our give my opinion as my conscience dictates, as own destiny. I have always done in this Chamber. As a matter of fact, I was looking for a line-up Mr. GAIR: That iiS the questio~ and the only question, we have to decide. You, to toss you out of the Speaker's Chair but Mr. Speaker, in very good faith I would say, apparently, that is not going to happ~n. I have quoted an Act of Parliament passed w~uld _have voted against it because, to my by the United Kingdom Government. An mmd, It would have been an act of victimisa Act of Parliament was introduced because tion and persecution. the Standing Orders of the United Kingdom did not contain a rule of Parliament to Mr. SPEAKER: Order! cover the position of the Leader of the Mr. AIKENS: I do not know what I Opposition. I argue that we are not bound would do if you were not in the Chair, Mr. by a statute of the United Kingdom. If Speaker. the United Kingdom Government or the House of Commons had a rule of Parliament Mr. SPEAKER: Order! dealing with the matter I would say it would be a guide for this Parliament, just :Mr. AIKENS: I would miss my little as the hon. member for Toowoomba says that brushes with you just as I am going to miss we invariably run to May for guidance. It my brushes with the present Attorney is admittPd that when our own Standing General. Orders are silent on an issue we look for I!Uidance from May, an authority on With that naive and transparent honesty Parliamentary procedure. for which I have been commended, time and Mr. Aikens: There is a difference time again I have stood up in this Chamber between guidance and direction. today to tell hon. members, clearly and unequi Mr. GAIR: That is so. It is not an Act vocally, my stand on any matter that has of Parliament. Our Standing Orders are come before the House. silent on the mattPr of recognition of the An Opposition Member: You are on the Leader of the Opposition. fence. Mr. Hiley: As also is May; 12 LeaderBhip of Oppo""itian. [ASSEMBLY.] LeaderBhip of Opposition.
M:r. GAIR: As also is May. There is If the House of Commons had a rule of very little reference to the Leader of the Parliament dealing with the question then Opposition in our own Acts of Parliament. we would have had the right to be bound Indeed the Leader of the Opposition is men by it. I do not think an Act of Parlia tioned in one Queensland Aoet of Parliament, ment to provide for the salaries of Minis the Constitution Act Amendment Act of 1896, ters, Parliamentary Under Secretaries and as subsequently amended from time to time. the Leader of the Opposition has any 'I'hat 1896 Act covers the salaries of all bearing on this question. Nevertheless it >.:nembers of Pal'liament except Ministers who helps us in one way: it clearly indicates, nre covered by the Officials in Parliament until it was passed, the House of Commons Act. Provision for the salary of the Leader did not recognise conventional rules whereby of the Opposition is made in the first the leadership of the Commons was proviso to sub-section ( 1) of section 4 which determined. Up till then they had no rule states- to guide them. The authority given to the '' Provided that one member of the Speaker under the Imperial Act to resolve Legislative Assembly who for the time any dispute as to the leadership of the being is recognised as Leader of the Opposition is doubtless interesting, but Opposition shall, in lieu of such payment at I do remind hon. members that it is not the rate of One thousand five hundred and the only distinction between the Speakers seventy-five pounds per annum, be entitled of the Commons and of this Assembly. to such payment at the rate of two The Speaker of the House of Commons is thousand and seventy-five pounds per not required to go to an election of the annum, and in addition thereto the people. He is regarded as beyond Parlia aforesaid allowances.'' ment-entirely impartial. The amounts mentioned in reading the There is a lot of difference between the proviso are not the present actual salary Speaker of this Assembly and of the House as adjusted under the next succeeding section. of Commons. It is the clear opinion of the The second proviso to section 4 (1) states- Government that any dispute as to the leadership of the Opposition should be '' Provided further that the two members resolved by vote of this House. of the Legislative Assembly who for the time being are respectively Tecognised as Let us view the matter in the light of the Government Whip, and the Opposition our experience as members and free from Whip shall, in lieu of such payment at the any party political bias. The hon. member rate of one thousand five hundred and for Mundingburra, I believe, did deal with seventy-five pounds per annum, each be the matter to some extent. It does not entitled to such payment at the rate of matter what the Opposition is outside this one thousand six hundred and seventy-five Parliament. It is a matter of what has pounds per annum, and in addition thereto been the practice of this Parliament over the aforesaid allowances.'' the years. I am not concerned about the degree of unity that exists between the Clearly the qualifying word ''recognised'' 1 Liberal Party and the Country Party; it in bl'lth provisoes means recognised by whom probably could not be less than that which By Parliament, by Parliament itself. existed between the Government parties for 1Ir. Jesson: \Vhat was the date of that some time and which brought about the ActW split that caused this question to arise today. As far as I am concerned, in Mr. GAIR: The hon. member has more conscience I have to say that I have always leisure than I haYe and I suggest that he recognised the Liberals and the Country look it up. Party as being the Opposition to the Government. They have been a party united 'l'he Imperial Act entitled The Ministers in opposition to me as Premier and Leader of the Crown Act, 1937, the Act you, Mr. of the Labour Party in charge of the affairs Speaker, referred to this morning, is of the State of Queensland. I in common material to the consideration of who is the with others have referred to the hon. member Leader of the Opposition in this Parliament for Mt. Coot-tha who is in a different poli for one reason only. Definitely that Act, tical party to his leader, the hon. member for which covers the salaries of Ministers, I"andsborough, as the Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Under Secretaries, and the Opposition. That term has been used by Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons, is not a rule, a precedent or a myself and the hon. member for Toowoomba and all hon. members who today are chal convention to bind us. It is an Act of Parliament that provides for the salaries of lenging the Leader of the Opposition in these people and if there is any disputc> it regard to the position which he occupies. places the responsibility in the hands of the I suppose you could say that even Mr. Speaker of the House of Commons to deter Speaker himself in calling the hon. member mine the issue when it arises. That position for Mt. Coot-tha, has invariably referred does not obtain here. All this argument to him as the Deputy Leader of the today is of little aYail. This authority under Opposition. the statute of the United Kingdom Govern nwnt has no bearing on it whatsoever. Mr. SPEAKER: No. Leadership of Opposition. [ll JUNE.] Leadership of Opposition. 13
Mr. GAIR: I accept your denial. The llir. GAIR: I have no desire to prolong fact remains that for the purposes of this the debate. I think that the Leader of the House at least we have recognised the Opposition made out a very sound, indis Opposition as one unit and not two parties. putable case. In the absence of any Stand I know that they have fought the Party ing Order in our own Parliament on this that I am privileged to lead-not very question, I think the matter should, and successfully, it is true, up till now-as one must, be finally determined by the Parlia Party, and they have had one policy in ment itself. this House. Apart from the 40-hour week, I c?nnot remember any question on "1'1-hich Speaking for the Government Party, I ihe Opposition has been divided. support the resolution.
~Ir. Hiley: And that was many years Hon. E. J. WALSH (Bundaberg-Treas ago. urer) (2.54 p.m.): I am amazed that so much time should be wasted on determining Mr. GAIR: That was many years ago, who should or should not be the Leader of and I am not going to explain that away. I the Opposition. I should hate to think that am not concerned with their Party difficulties, the officers of this Parliament had advised because I have been fully occupied with you on this matter, Mr. Speaker; but who difficulties that did exist but do not exist any ever has advised you, I think the points more. made by the Premier regarding the position Let us look at the position in a realistic, of Speaker are a clear indication that this commonsense and fair way. Were there two Parliament is not expected to follow the Opposition whips9 Were there two Opposition usages and forms of the House of Commons. secretariesW There may have been; but as far Obviously, if it was not the case, there as this House was concerned, there was only would be a lot of us who would be competing one Opposition whip. We recognised only one for the position of Speaker because we would member of this Parliament who received not go for election. 'rhat is obvious. To sug remuneration as whip of the Opposition gest that because the House of Commons has parties. passed an Act of Parliament in relation to When we get down to the basic facts, I do the position of Leader of the Opposition in not think there can be any objection to the the House of Commons it should apply to resolution moved by the Learler of the this Parliament would indicate that there are Opposition. We could quote Acts of Parlia some people in our midst who still think we ment introduced by the British House of are a colony. That position was left behind Commons, we could quote May, and we could a long time ago. In this State we have even quote Standing Orders of the House of abolished capital punishment, but would it be Commom; but the fact remains that it is the argued that the law in regard to capital responsibility of this Parliament to deter punishment so far as the House of Commons mine who should be recognised as Leader of is concerned should apply to this State~ The the Oppposition. It is our task to deter thing is too silly for words. mine that, and I am sure that the people Mr. BurrO!lVS: If we did not llave a law of Queensland would not have it any other of our own in respect to capital punishment way. We, as the elected representatives of it woulil be a different matter. the people, have that responsibility, and none of us wants to hide behind some authority Mr. SPEAKER: Order! elsewhere. IV e look to other authorities not for directions but for guidance in our deter lUr. W ALSH: My friend the hon. mem minations. After all, as much as some people ber for Port Curtis said that if we did not might want to assume a leadership, even if it have a law of our own it would be a different is leadership of the Opposition-just what matter, forgetting that there is such a thing the motive is, of course, is a matter of as the Statute of 'Westminster which conveys opinion-- certain authorities and powers to this Parlia ment. It has not been completely applied, :Mr. Aikens: Four hours' free broad bnt certain phases of it are applierl to Aus casting time on the A.B.C. tralia which did not apply prior to the pas sage of the statute. Without wanting to llir. GAUt: I do not know that it is reflect on you, Mr. Speaker-- four hours. I must look that up. It sounds a hit generous for the A.B.C.; I think it is lUr. Aikens: Perish the thought that two. you should do that. liir. Aikens: Well, it is none for me, Mr. WALSH: Do not anticipate me'. It you can be sure of that. is a pity that hon. members generally would not apply themselves more to the Standing JUr. GAJR: Four hours altogether. The hon. member has not seen me about the Orders of this Parliament, ancl to May and matter. I should have generously given some procedure generally. I do not think there of my time to him. I did not require it all, would be many who would argue that I have as the results will show. not made myself conversant in a general way with Standing Orders and their application Mr. Aikens: Like hell you would! I to this House. Mr. Speaker quoted from a wrote to you once and you knocked me back. 1937 Act, ancl to show that I am speaking 14 Leadership of Opposition. [ASSEMBLY.] Leadership of Opposition. from memory let me say that it would be issue was whether Resolutions on the obligatory on your part, Mr. Speaker-not on Estimates could be debated before the 17th this House-if you are going to depend on day. It is to the credit of the late Mr. the 1937 Act as passed by the House of Taylor, who was the hon. member for Commons not to thrust on this House the Windsor-- obligation of determining who shall or shall not be Leader of the Opposition. It is speci Mr. Rasey: Windsor has always had fically laid down that the Speaker shall good representatives. determine that in writing. If you, Mr. Mr. W ALSH: That is true. It would be Speaker, have transferred your duty and your very hard to get a better man than the obligations to this House I should say that present hon. member for Windsor. you have got away from what your clear obligations are under the 1937 Act. You can I invite hon. members opposite to look up not have it both ways. the records of this House. They are getting £47 a week and have as much time as I to Mr. SPEAKER: Order! I pointed out look up the records. If they do, they will that had this been the House of Commons I find that the late Mr. Taylor came into the would have ruled that way. As I feel the Chamber and, for the guidance of Parlia House has the right to determine its own ment, placed on record the interpretation of procedure I left the matter to the House the Standing Order as given by the then under Standing Order No. 333. Clerk of the House of Commons. Mr. W ALSH: I appreciate that, but Mr. Aikens: I still say we should not neither you nor I are in the House of Com be bound by it. mons, and therefore we cannot apply that rule. If you said that the 1937 Act related Mr. W ALSH: I am not disagreeing with to Ministers of the Crown in the House of the hon. member for Mundingburra, although Commons you must appreciate and accept all there have been times when we have dis the obligations thrust upon the Speaker in agreed violently. My real fear is that the the House of Commons. In this ease, I hon. member will join the Queensland Labour should say that you have not assumed those Party. obligations. If you had you would have definitely certified in writing to this House I shall now quote a second incident that without any motion from the Leader of the occurred in this Parliament. It concerned the Opposition. That is quite clear in my mind. late Hon. W. Forgan Smith, a grand man in You would have certified to that effect. It is Australian Labour politics. No man was more no good piekingo out of an Act, or part of an competent than he to make a speech without Act, the duties, usages, privileges, forms and referring to voluminous notes. At tha_t time, customs, and leaving it to someone else to he had an important legal document m con determine who should be the Leader of the nection with the Electric Authority of Queens Opposition, which is your responsibility land Act which he was introducing and it entirely. was very necessary that his every word should be recorded accurately in Parliamentary docu It is a pity that hon. members opposite did ments, and in proper form, to av?id ~ny _mis not make a survey of Australian Parliaments understanding of the legal Imphcatwns. to ascertain what has been done by some of Millions of pounds were involved. After he them. Never mind about the House of had been speaking for a considerable time, Commons; we determine a good deal of our the Speaker made a reflection on him, which own procedure here. I think it will be I do not think was accepted by any member generally conceded that the decisions laid of the House. There may have been reasons down in May are merely for our guidance; for that. However, the Speaker having ch~ we do not have to follow them slavishly. Over lenged his right to read the speech even m a number of years this House has decided those circumstances, the matter was referred how it should conduct its own business, and to the Clerk of the House of Commons. The rightly so. After all, if we are a Parlia Clerk upheld the stand taken by the then ment with sovereign powers elected by the Premier but, unfortunately, that was not people, why should we not exercise those recorded in the journals. The document must powers' be somewhere. I would say it has never been I shall give hon. members two instances listed where it should be. As hon. members of what has happened in this Chaniber. I know, I like to have these matters put on am not looking up notes, as are some hon. record for reference. members sitting behind the hon. member for We are now asked to determine who should Toowoomba. It is a pity that they do not be the Leader of the Opposition. I have no engage in a little research. Some hon. mem great love for hon. members opposite. In bers may remember that when the Labour due course, they will get all the bricks they Party was in Opposition from 1929 to 1932 deserve as opponents of the real La~our certain matters arose that required the inter Party, just as the hon. met;J?ers o~ my nght, pretation of the Standing Orders. The then who sit behind the Opposition, Will get the Speaker, the late Mr. Taylor, went to the equivalent of bricks, too. trouble of getting the opinion of two counsel, Mr. McGill and Mr. Given. The point at l\Ir. Gair: The splinter party. Leadership of Opposition. [ll JUNE.] Leadership of Opposition. 15
Mr. WALSH: Quite true, the break-away 1\Ir. Walsh: That is important-accord party from the Labour Party. It is very ing to the circumstances. clear that the time from 12 noon till now and it is just past 3 o'clock-has been wasted Mr. MUNRO: While they remain. I had in seeking to determine what should be intended to cover the point that these laws of obvious-who should be the Leader of the the United Kingdom do not apply in Queens Opposition. All I can say in conclusion is land. If there had been any shadow of doubt that I wish my friend the hon. member for at all it would have been completely removed Landsborough a very long term as Leader by the passing of the Statute of Westminster. of the Opposition. However, it is unnecessary to cover the point because it has been disposed of very effect Mr. MUNRO (Toowong) (3.9 p.m.): I ively by the Premier. agree with the Treasurer that we are spending an inordinately long time in determining a Let me proceed to my second point. As a question which, on the face of it, appears to niatter of general procedure and convention, be obvious. So I shall make my remarks as where you have an existing state of affairs brief as possible and keep them completely you do not alter that state of affairs unless relevant to the issue. At the time I there is a material change in the circum attempted to rise, which was immediately stances, or a good reason for doing so. I after the hon. member for Toowoomba and listened very attentively to the hon. members the hon. member for Mt. Gravatt had spoken, for Toowoomba and Mt. Gravatt but neither I had many notes of points that called for of them, in my opinion, put their case reply, but most of them have been answered effectively. effectively by the Premier in his very able contribution to the debate and, to a lesser I have one other matter to deal with, extent, by the Deputy Premier, so it will something that can be effectively said only be easy for me to reduce my remarks to by a member of the smaller section within a very small compass. Nevertheless of this composite opposition. It is this: the there are one or two things which should be only point put forward by the hon. member said by a member of the Opposition, particu for Toowoomba which could have any sub larly as the last five speakers have not been stance was the claim that the number of the members of the Opposition of this Parlia Party should be determined by reference to ment. the membership of certain organisations out side this Parliament. On the face of it It is necessary for me to make my first that is a very flimsy kind of reason. Let us point for the information of anybody who see where it would lead us if we took it may have heard the debate only since the seriously. I point out that in relation to luncheon adjournment. It would be a com the Liberal and Country Parties outside this plete puzzle to them why it was necessary Parliament there are in some respects not two for the Leader of the Opposition to bring organisations but several. At the time that the motion before the House. Everybody members were elected to the 34th Parliament who has heard the debate from the commence we had an organisation in North Queensland ment will realise the inherent danger in the under the control of a Liberal and Country situation that arose from the report made to Party co-ordinating committee, which had a the House by the hon. member for Too considerable degree of autonomy. I also point woomba. The crux of the debate lies in the out that in many material areas at the time of meaning of the one word ''recognised.'' the elee~ion there was a Liberal-Country Party Quite obviously while Parliament is sitting co-ordinating council which had considerable recognition is a matter for Parliament but powers in relation to matters normally dealt there is considerable doubt as to what would with by political parties. The claim put happen while Parliament was not sitting if a forward by the hon. member for Toowoomba claim were made as to who was recognised as has not a sound basis in law nor has it a the Leader of the Opposition. We have to sound basis in fact. Apart from the question consider that in the circumstances everything of law involved, we should deal with this indicates that this Thirty-fourth Parliament matter as one of commonsense. The primary is in its concluding stages. It may be only purpose of the office of Leader of the Opposi a day or two days before Parliamentary pro tion is to facilitate the conduct of the affairs ceedings are concluded. It would appear that of Parliament. We are in the concluding the recognition of the Leader of the Opposi days of the session, and my view is it would tion, with all the very important matters have been better if this claim had not been hinging upon it, whether Parliament is sitting put forward by the Leader of the recon or not, could, while Parliament is not structed Australian Labour Party. I make sitting, be entirely a matter for you, these remarks for one purpose: not only Mr. Speaker. Having heard your answer to must this House justly determine this the question asked this morning by the Leader question, but also it must be made abundantly of the Opposition the House should congratu clear that it has been determined justly and late itself that the Leader of the Opposition rightly. did bring the matter up for determination by the House in such a way that the deter Mr. BURROWS (Port Curtis) (3.19 mination of the House will be final and con p.m.): The Deputy Leader of the Govern clusive while the present circumstances ment auoted the laws of England and said remain. they did not apply here otherwise we would 16 Leadership of Opposition. [ASSEMBLY.] Leadership of Opposition.
have capital punishment. That is quite If I make a misstatement, I always like correct. When the people first came here to correct it as early as possible. HaYing from England they brought with them the made the mistake of saying that the hon. English laws which prevailed until such member for Toowoomba was led by the nose, time as they were replaced by legislation I want to correct that. After all, any passed in the Parliaments of this country. animal that is led by the nose is rather I am not a lawyer. difficult; but the hon. gentleman has stated Mr. Walsh: There is no English statute that he did not need any leadin
Question-That the motion (Mr. Nicklin) Order in Council under the Sewerage, be agreed to-put; and the House divided- Water Supply and Gas:fitting Acts, 1949 to 1951. AYES, 50. Order in Council under the Fish and Mr. Adair Mr. Kehoe Oyster Acts, 1914 to 1955. Aikens Low Bielke·Petersen Madsen Order in Council under the Racing and Chalk McCathie Betting Act of 1954. Coburn .. Moore Collins Moo res Regulation under the Local Government Cooper Morris Acts, 1936 to 1957. Devries Miiller De war Munro Regulation under the Fish Supply Managr.; Diulock Nicklin ment Acts, 1935 to 1951. Doh ring I);.. No le En:rliRh Mr. Pizzey Regulation under the Navigation Acts, Evans Power 1876 to 1950. .F'letcner Rase_y Fo!ey Robe1 ts Regulation under the Racing and Betting Gair Robinson Act of 1954. Gardner, H. R. Skinner Garrlner, R. J. Smith Proclamation under the Farmers' Assist· Gaven Sparkes ance (Debts Adjustment) Acts, 1935 to Hadlev Taylor. H. B. Heading Walsh 1945. Herbert Order in Council under the Abattoirs Acts, Hewitt Hilev Tellers : 1930 to 194!1. Hilton Order in Council under the Fauna Con ,, Jones, A. Mr. Brosnan ,. Jones, V. E. Nicholson s~rvation Act of 1952. Order in Council under the Primary Pro· NOES, 23. ducers' Organisation and Marketing Acts, 1926 to 1957. Mr. Baxter Mr. l}uan Brown ,. Jesson Order in Council under the Sugar Experi Burrows Keyatta ment Stations Acts, 1900 to 1954. Bvrne Lloyd Cl ark , Marsden R.egulation under the Dairy Produce Acts, Davies Tavlor, J. R. 1920 to 1952. " Davis Turner Dr. Dittmer Wallace Regulation under the Fruit and Vegetables Mr. Donald Act of 1947. Dufficy Tellers : Duggan Regulation under the Fruit Marketing Forde Mr. Wood Organisation Acts, 1923 to 1956. Graham Hanlon Regulation under the Margarine Acts, Resolved in the affirmative. 1910 to 1950. LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO MEMBER. Regulation under the Primary Producers' Organisation and Marketing Acts, 1926 Hon. V. C. GAIR (South Brisbane to 1957. Premier), by leave, without notice: I move- Regulation under the Regulation of Sugar ''That leave of absence for this session Cane Prices Acts, 1915 to 1954. be granted to Thomas Flood Plunkett, Regulation under the Stock Acts, 1915 to Esquire, member for the Electoral District 1954. of Darlington, on account of illness." Regulation under the Traffic' Acts, 1949 to Motion agreed to. 1956. Rules of Court under the Industrial Con· ciliation and Arbitration Acts, 1932 to PAPERS. 1955. The following paper was laid on the table, Proclamations under the Motor Spirits Dis and ordered to be printed:- tribution Act of 1957. Report, dated 21 October, 1955, by Order in Council under the Labour and. Mr. H. G. Alderman, Q.C., who was Industry Acts, 1946 to 1952. appointed to be the Royal Commission Seventy-second Report and Balance· to inquire into certain sewerage con· sheet of the Union Trustee Company of tracts affecting the Redcliffe Town Australia Limited. Council, in the matter of the costs of legal representation before that Royal Order in Council under the Landlord and Commission. Tenant Acts, 1948 to 1954. Order in Council under the Profi teering The following papers were laid on the Prevention Acts, 1948 to 1954. table:- Proclamations under the Public Works Order in Council under the Criminal Code. Land R-esumption Acts, 1906 to 195'> Order in Council under the British Pro· and the State Development and Public bates Act, 1898. Works Organisation Acts, 1938 to 1954. Proclamations under the Prisons Act, 1890. Ordinances under the City of Brisbane Regulation under the Nurses and Masseurs Acts, 1924 to 1954. Registration Acts, 1928 to 1948. 18 Suspension of [ASSEMBLY.] Standing Orders.
Regulation under the Hospitals Acts, 1936 We meet on what might be correctly termed to 1955. a momentous occasion. It is an occasion Regulation under the Aboriginals Preser which the people of this State have been fol vation and Protection Acts, 1939 to lowing with increasing interest. Over recent 1946. weeks tension has mounted regarding this Proclamation under the Health Acts, 1937 political crisis. Nobody in the Australian to 1955. Labour Party is gleeful about the position; Order in Council under the Irrigation Acts, nobody in the Australian Labour Party is 1922 to 1954. happy that this event has occurred within the party. No-one relishes the prospect of having Order in Council under the Rural Fires to deal with colleagues with whom one bas Acts, 1946 to 1951. sat for many years and for many of whom Regulations under the Irrigation Acts, they have a high regard. Because of that 1922 to 1954. position it is not easy for those of us here Order in Council under the State Ele'l· to say that we will not approve of the resolu tricity Commission Acts, 1937 to 1954. tion to be moved by the Premier. It is not Order in Council under the Southern because of any desire to prevent the Public Electric Authority of Queensland Acts, Service from being paid. It is well known 1952 to 1954. that if action had been taken, or even if action is taken now, that there will be ample By-laws under the Southern Electric time for the elections to be resolved and for Authority of Queensland Acts, 1952 to 1954. :Parliament to be convened and for Supply to be passed. We are sincere in the desire Regulations under the Apprentices and to have this matter determined by the electors Minors Acts, 1929 to 1954. and to make possible every facility for the Or~~~ 3int 0Co:9~c~~ under the Libraries Acts, people's voice to be heard. Let us deal with the events that led up to this matter. As you know, the Parliament SUSPENSION OF ST4NDING ORDERS. of Queensland for many years has been TEMPORARY CONSTITUTION OF COMMITTEES OF composed of three major parties--the Labour SUPPLY AND WAYS AND MEANS. Party, the Country Party and the Liberal Party. In the normal course of events we APPROPRIATION BILL NO. 1. would have gone on for two years before the composition of this Parliament would Hon. V. C. GAIR (South Brisbane- be determined. There are many who say, Premier), by leave, without notice: I move-- seeing the p(\ople spoke so recently as 12 ''That so much of the Standing Orders months ago, we of the Labour Party have be suspended as would otherwise prevent been guilty of a serious disservice to the the constitution of Committees of Supply Labour movement by terminating the and Ways and Means, the receiving of authority of the Gair Government. It is Resolutions on the same day as they shall painful for us to have to take this stand, but have passed in those Committees, and the we believe that any self-respecting Premier passing of an Appropriation Bill through realising he had lost control of the House, all its stages in one day.'' would of his own volition, have taken steps Mr. DUGGAN (Toowoomba) (3.45 p.m.) : to seek a dissolution of Parliament in order I oppose the resolution for the suspension that somebody-.even if it were to be himself of Standing Orders because I consider that --could come back and say, ''I have been political developments being as they have reinforced by the voice of the people who been in recent weeks call for the early ter have given me authority to carry on the mination of this Parliament and the leaving government.'' Much has been made of the in the hands of the people the responsibility fact that I resigned as a Cabinet Minister, of determining the composition of a new and it has been said that, because of that, Parliament. It may be argued that we should I have been trying to pursue and fulfil an have waited for a subsequent motion before ambition to become a leader and to become taking this stand. I say, as leader of the Premier of this State. I have made it Australian Labour Party, that it ill-becomes abundantly clear on so many occasions that, those who seek to champion the cause of if I were concerned about fulfilling some tradition, custom and practice of the House personal ambition, there would be much easier of Parliament, to come into this Parliament ways of achieving that objective than the and refer to me as the leader of the devia course that I and those with me took on this tionist party instead of by my correct title. occasion. I want to say quite definitely Not that I mind what terms are used outside and the Premier knows this better than any the precincts of this Chamber. I know that body else-that I told him on more than one worse has been said outside, and worse will occasion that he had no cause to fear within probably be said again. I am not concerned the Party that I would take steps in that about the accusations that might be levelled direction, despite the fact that I had been at me, but at least we should expect from encouraged to do so for two or three years. the No. 1 Parliamentarian an acknowledg I said that, and he knows it to be true. ment of the correct and proper usages of this House. Mr. Gair: After you counted heads. Suspension of (11 JUNE.] Standing Orders.
Mr. DUGGAN: That is a deliberate lie, has questioned that arrangement or cavilled and the hon. the Premier knows it. at it. Everybody regarded that as the normal operation and functioning of political Mr. SPEAKER: The hon. member is not organisations in a democratic community. in order in using that term. Much has been made of the fact that I Mr. DUGGAN: I withdraw it, and I will voted for the Premier against this particular leave to tile conscience of the hon. the recommendation. It is true that I did, and Premier the knowledge that I approached there is no need for me to apologise for him before the last elections and told him having done that. I took that stand, and I that, irrespective of the outcome of the made it quite clear. elections, whether or not some of his fol lowers were defeated, I would not be a party Mr. Hilton: Was it a conscientious vote? to any arrangement with people who were Mr. DUGGAN: Of course it was a con dissatisfied with his leadership, and that scientious vote. The Secretary for Public Lands he could be assured, whatever he heard and has suddenly been converted into a very great from whatever source it came, that I would constitutionalist who has no desire to bring not be standing against him for the leader any spleen or vindictiveness into this par ship of the Parliamentary Labour Party. ticular controversial period, but he arrogates He knows that to be true. If he wants to to himself the right of being the only person deny that statement, I leave it to his con who can determine whether or not a person science to be the final arbiter in that has been actuated by worthy motives. I particular matter. shall probably have something to say about Mr. Brosnan: No-one else opposed him. that later on. At the moment I make it clear, and the Treasurer has been good Mr. DUGGAN: I think that is quite enough to acknowledge it on more than one irrelevant. It was a unanimous decision, as occasion, that I said I was prepared to the hon. member well knows, and I was quite accept direction from the Q.C.E. provided happy to make it a unanimous decision, too. that direction involved a decision arrived at Dr. Noble interjected. at a properly constituted convention and dealing with a constitutional matter. Mr. DUGGAN: I do not know that I am Mr. Walsh: You would concede to me responsib,e to the hon. member for that that I said I was not prepared. particular matter. It is a matter between the Premier and myself. It is all very well }fr. DUGGAN: That is true. It will be for the hon. member to be very solicitous readily recognised by the Treasurer that I for the Premier. If the Premier is sincere ~aid I was prepared to resign if the Q.C.E. in this matter, he should know that there is was not prepared to accept our view on cer no member on this side of the House striving tain matters. I said that I would be bound harder to bring about his defeat than the by that decision. hon. merrber for Yeronga. Cut out all this silly nonsense about solicitude. He would I do not think we need go back a great boil him in political oil if he could do so. deal on the events which led up to this matter because they have been freely venti Dr. Noble interjected. lated in public speeches and through the Mr. SPEAKER: Order! Press for some time. I have dealt with them in various broadcasts and Press articles. It Mr. DUGGAN: I am not ashamed to say is a proven fact that all political parties that I did, and I make that public have their conventions and are bound by acknowledgment. I say quite frankly that I ilecisions arrived at. Certainly those decisions had no ambitions to be leader of this Party, might not be unseemingly publicly ventilated the Labour Party, until the Premier, in a when they happen to impinge on the opera properly constituted meeting, was voted out tions of the Opposition party, but the Press of office or was deposed, and it was thought Aeem to take a great delight in ventilating that I or somebody else might have claims grievances when they are detrimental to for the leadership. All this talk about Labour. Neither I nor my colleagues behind wanting to give effect to this ambition of me have any objection to being vilified in mine is completely untrue, and I take this the election campaign. It is rather peculia!' opportunity of making a public denial of it. that some people seem to think that it is I do not want to recapitulate all the proper that they should attack us with reck events that led up to this trouble. We know less abandon and impute all sorts of improper that the various political parties have their motives and charge us with being Corn Constitutions and their Rules. It is all very munists or agents of Communism and of well for people to suddenly come out and being fellow travellers with Communists and talk about being great constitutionalists and of being bent on destroying democracy, but the need to preserve democracy. But we when we reply those people charge us with all know that for many years the various engaging in a campai1m of slander. It is political parties have convened conferences a peculiar state of affairs when one section at which they have laid down a policy that of the people can make any accusation they has been binding on those organisations until like against the Labour Party and when we the next conference was convened. Nobody reply we are the people who are guilty of 20 Suspension of [ASSEMBLY.] Standing Orders. saying all sorts of nasty things. I say now the defeat of Dittmer. If that is his objec that I do not intend to cast any personal tive, he will be sadly disillusioned. In any reflections upon the Premier or members of case, even if it was realised what a hollow his Cabinet now or during the currency of victory it would be :for a man who claims the :forthcoming election campaign. to be the guardian of the Labour Party! He Mr. Walsh: I did not appreciate your has as his primary objective the destruction remarks at Ipswich about his fellow of the two men who have been elected as Ministers. leaders of the Labour Party, the principles of which he has subscribed to and supporced Mr. DUGGAN: What was that? year after year. What a hollow victory it would be ! Then this man comes to Mr. Walsh: About the·ir incompetence. Toowoomba-- Mr. DUGGAN: I think I know what the Mr. Gair: And had a very good meeting. hon. gentleman is referring to. The Premier is reported as having said at Rockhampton lUr. DUGGAN: All I can say is that the that I was the weakest link in the Cabinet Premier should count his blessings. I wish team-that I was the weak member. he would visit Toowoomba more often. We read in the Press that there were 30 hecklers Mr. Gair: I never said that. at his meeting. I advise the "Courier-Mail" reporter who said there were 30 hecklers pres lUr. DUGGAN: The hon. gentleman iiS reported as having said it. ent to visit an optometrist. Twenty times 30 would be a nearer estimate of the number of Mr. Gair: Where? hecklers. Mr. DUGGAN: In the paper-that I was llir. Walsh interjected. the weakest. The hon. gentleman has an llir. DUGGAN: The Premier was not army of public servants at his command to game to go to Toowoomba on his own. He help him in these things. Whnt I said at had to take the Treasurer with him. Further, Ipswich, after having heard what the they had to go up two days beforehand, not Premier said about some of his ministerial on State business but on Gair's business. colleagues was that I was not greatly flat That is why I say this Parliament should tered to think that I was the weakest. 1 be dissolved. If you try to ring up any said that after having heard his opinion ot Minister these days you will find that they some members of the Cabinet. That is prob are all scattered throughout the State at the ably what the Treasurer refers to. expense of the taxpayers, :forming branches :filr. Kehoe: Your actions show that you of the Queensland Labour Party and all sorts were the weakest. of movements aimed at defeating the Labour Party. When I was a member of the Min ]'Ir. DUGGAN: I am not concerned about istry and we did those things, we at least the hon. member. If he takes my advice clothed it with an air of respectability by he will seek every possible opportunity of doing some official business. (Opposition saying what he has to say in Parliament uproar.) because his days as a Parliamentarian are I do not know why Opposition members numbered. If the hon. member :for Nash is should be so upset. They have risen in their not regarded as the weakest member of the places session after session condemning the Government, he will certailily be regarded Government :for doing what I have just as the one with the shortest Parliamentary referred to. They have attacked the Public service of those on his side of the Chamber. Relations Bureau, and similar branches of His tenure of office will be very short. the Public Service, year after year. Mr. Gair: He is a man of principle. As I say, the Premier of the State came to Mr. DUGGAN: There we go again! The Toowoomba and hawked round nominations only person is the Premier. to various people. At the expense of the taxpayers, he even invited the Mayor of The Leader of the Opposition has made it Toowoomba to a lavish luncheon at Lennon 's clear that he proposes to fight the :forth Hotel. coming election on what he has been pleased to term the '':four Ds.'' He apparently has IIIr. Chalk: Would you not do it if you had the services of one of these new stream were Premier~ lined publicity officers, and :feels that he lUr. DUGGAN: Not for that purpose. should get away :from the conventional The Mayor of Toowoomba has done many approach to elections by having something good things :for that city. As its chief more arresting. And so he has the :four citizen, on many occasions he has entertained Ds-Decentralisation, Development, Democ distinguished visitors who have been sent racy, and Decency. I am not criticising the there by the Chief Secretary's Department. hon. member for that; he can have five or If the Premier tendered a luncheon to the six Ds if he likes. mayor in appreciation of services of that The Premier is a little more modest in his type, I should not criticise him but com Ds. He made it quite clear in Toowoomba mend him. However, it is well known that that, whatever happens, he will be perfectly the Premier asked him to accept nomination satisfied as long as the ''two D'' plan :for the Queensland Labour Party. triumphs, that is, the defeat of Duggan and lUr. Gair: You're a liar! Suspension of [ll JUNE.] Standing Orders. 21
Jir. DUGGAN: Ask the mayor himself. that sound like a Labour meeting~ Even the rich popular Liberals cannot get amounts Mr. SPEAKER: Order! I ask the hon. of that size at their gatherings. gentleman to withdraw that remark. JUr. Kehoe: How much are you going Mr. Gair: Yes, I readily withdraw it. I to get hom the oil companies~ know it was out of order, but I made it pur posely to register that the hon. member for ]}Ir. DUGGAN: That is the sort of state Toowoomba cannot stick to the truth. ment I would expect from a man who is running around as a leader on Christian prin Mr. DUGGAN: The Premie·r, when it ciples. I get nothing from the oil companies. suits him, quotes reports in the Press and, if he reads the newspapers, he will find that ]}fr. Chalk: How much did you get from the mayor in his public statement said he the taxi-drivers~ had been approached by more than one ~Ir. DUGGAN: Nothing. political party in this contest. I will. go further and say t11at the mayor was glVen lUr. SPEAKER: Order! The hon. mem ·certain other inducements to stand. ber is not in order in imputing improper motives to any hon. member. I am address lUr. Chalk: Your mind is becoming more ing that remark to the hon. member for warped every day. Lockyer and I hope he will bear it in mind. Mr. DUGGAN: The hon. member for Moreover, I ask the hon. member to address Lockyer should be the last one to criticise. his remarks to the Chair. If his machinations succeeded-and they 1\'Ir. DUGGAN: I will very gladly do so. won't-and if Mr. Anderson were elected On this particular matter, the Premier came member for 'l'oowoomba, and if the Liberal along with all the prestige and authority of Country Party gained a majority of seats, his office of Premier, and with his retinue. Mr. Chalk's chances of becoming Minister He said to that particular audience, ''I come for Transport would be very greatly reduced. here, unlike other people, not to make a Mr. Chalk: Your mind is becoming more snivelling appeal to electors.'' He went on warped than ever. to talk about his years of service in the Labour Party, how many years he had been JUr. DUGGAN: I am only drawing on a trade unionist, and all about his family. what the hon. member said to a couple of Then there was the greatest humiliation of friends about how worried he was. vV e shall all when he brought ln his good wife. Let see how he gets on. It shows how little me say that she is a good wife. I hope that these people are concerned about whom they I never mention her name again other than .approach when they even go along to in laudatory terms. She is a good woman Mr. Ted Hall, the Liberal candidate who and a good wife. He exposed her to the stood against me at the last election. lt public humiliation of getting her up on a certainly was not the Premier who went to public platform before a mixed audience him, but men wearing the Q.L.P. label which was obviously and markedly hostile approached him and said, ''Will you join the to the Premier where he asked her to make Q.L.P. ~'' He replied, ''I hope to be the a plaintive appeal to save his political hide. endorsed Liberal candidate for Toowoomba.'' That is the sort of thing this man will do, He was told, ''That won't stop you from a man who in two successful elections has said joining the Q.L.P." Ask Mr. Hall about that it was a personal victory. It was not that. the work of the ministry, not the work of Dr. Noble interjected. those in the Labour Party, but a personal victory, a personal tribute to his leadership lUr. SPEAKER: Order! I am surprised that the Australian Labour Party won 50 :1t the hon. member for Yeronga continuing seats. to lnterrupt. I ask him to obey my call to Mr. Roberts interjected. order. If he refuses to obey it, I shall take steps to deal with him. lUr. DUGGAN: We will fight you much harder than we will fight the other people. ]}'[r. DUGGAN: The fact that two or We have to deal with what precipitated this three members of the Opposition are so crisis at the moment. We do not want to rattled because Mrs. Lacaze has nominated deal with you now, but some other time! shows how fearful they are. An Opposit.i(}n niember: Will you deny Mr. SPEAKER: Order! it~ li'Ir. DUGGAN: It was suggested that nir. DUGGA:X: Yes, I will de·nY it. All they would fight this thing on any level at the funds we have will be used for the prose all-on the highest level or in the gutter, if cution of our own campaign. We need every necessary. If some people feel that they are bob we have. The pounds will not be coming in their natural environment in that position, in in hundreds, as they have been for our they are welcome to stay there, but we will friends opposite. Remember how at their not get down to them. meetings Mr. So-and-so put in 100 guineas, They have spoken about oil interests being somebody else 50 guineas, somebody 3il interested ln our campaign. The Liberal guineas, and somebody else 20 guineas~ DoPs Party decided to get a man representing oil 22 Suspension of [ASSEMBLY.] Standing Orders.
interests in Toowoomba to stand for Liberal Mr. DUGGAN: Yes he did. Why did not pre-selection, a man named Reynolds of the he have the intestinal fortitude to bring it Shell Company. Does that suggest that there up in Caucusf is some connivance between me and the oil companiesf lUr. Hilton: I did. What are the charges levelled against us Mr. DUGGAN: He did not. It was in this campaign~ We are out to destroy carried unanimously. democracy, we are agents of Communism! Itir. Hilton: It was not. How palpably false, untrue and absurd are these accusations! These people know that Mr. DUGGAN: It was carried unani they are untrue but they are peddling this mously. I do want to say this to son1e of line hoping that there will be some reaction. you people who are talking about the The people who are peddling this charge were preservation of democracy: I ask you, not the ones who last election and the election as Duggan the Parliamentarian, but as an before that were resolutely defending a simi ordinary citizen, to think and ponder and see· lar charge. I can recall an occasion when the that democracy does or erate without hon. member for Landsborough or the hon. hindrance and without being influenced member for Mt. Coot-tha referred to the because of the high position of certain people. Government as the Gair-Evatt-Bukowski group. Now we :find that Mr. Gair is taking Mr. Moore: Eocplain yourself; make a up the role of the Liberal Party and sub charge. stituting "Duggan-Evatt-Bukowski group." Mr. DUGGAN: That is all I need to say. Last time he became very red in the face The person to whom it appiies knows what defending his Government against charges I am referring to. I make no personal that they were in any way tinged with Com reflection on him because of the position. He munism. They are running Mr. Bukowski is not the guilty person. I say that they down at the present time. They are using would have helped if it were not for the fear his name right throughout the length and of certain people in certain positions. I breadth of Queensland to frighten even small was challenged to say something about the children. They are emphasising the senti threat to public servants. mental side of the darlings in the community and what will happen even to the children Mr. Walsh: Challenged by whom? because of these terrible A.L.P. men. Surely we are an adult community. Surely the Mr. DUGGAN: By you. I refer to people are not going to accept the type of Inspector Currey. I say that the transfer thing they are peddling around. Why should of Inspector Currey from Toowoomba was a we want to destroy democracy! The hon. politically vindictive action because he was member for Landsborough and the hon. a friend of mine. member for Marodian are either a Military Mr. Gair: Will you deny that he was. Cross or Military Medal winner and there are transferred there at your express wish' others behind me here with a distinguished war record. There are even some on the Mr. DUGGAN: That is true. The other side. We have not cavilled at sending Premier was one of the loudest when he men into the Forces to defend a democracy said that he was one of the few Ministers against vicious attacks from outside. The who was not consulted about officers coming fact that we have sent men into the Forces to his electorate. He was an extremely good inspector. In 28 years in Toowoomba I know showed that we are not in any way associated of only one man transferred, a man who fell with this dreadful Communist menace. This foul of the Premier of the day. I do not sort of talk has been going on for years wish to attack the Minister in charge of the and years. When I entered Parliament 20 police; he is not a bad fellow, but unfor years ago I remember Mr. Maxwell, then the tunately he is prepared to carry out decisions hon. member for Toowong, would get up with that have been made by others. It will be what he called his little red book and talk argued that Inspector Currey was transferred about the socialist vote and the evils of because the new position was senior to Communism. There was the talk of the Toowoomba. We have had men in charge of evils of Communism. For twenty years mem Townsville and Cairns, Inspectors Lipp and bers of the Opposition have got up and made Castledine and Mahoney and Martin who these statements. It started off after the were far senior to Inspector Currey and they First World War. They :first referred to the were left in Toowomba. It was not because Kaiser and then the Bolsheviks and then the of Inspector Currey personally, but because he was a friend of mine. (Government I.W.W. interjections.) I say it is true. Mr. Hilton: What did you say about the Mr. A. Jones: No man in the Cabinet foreign policy adopted at Hobartf stood over the Commissioner as much as you did. Mr. DUGGAN: The hon. gentleman unanimously subscribed to that policy. lir. DUGGAN: That is nonsense; that is an unmerited reflection on me. If I have Hr. Hilton: I did not. to involve the Minister, I shall have to Suspension of [ll JUNE.] Standing Orders. 23 reflect on some commissioned officer, and I Mr. DUGGAN: I am not kidding myself, do not want to do that. I throw the matter because the hon. member is gone for sure. back at his feet. Mr. Kelloe: I wa;s a member of the Mr. A. Jones: Do that. Queensland State Service Union. Jllr. DUGGAN: I did not want to 1\'Ir. DUGGAN: It probably will not be embarrass any commissioned officer. I said long before the hon. member is a member to Currey, "What is your reaction to again. I am sure that if we are in power this~" He said, "I have no .comment." the hon. member will be put back, and I The reason why I have refrained from am sure that Mr. Nicklin will have him talking about Inspector Currey-- back. Do not worry about Mr. Gair, because l1is days are finished, and he knows it. Mr. A. Jones: You are embarrassing All over Queensland there has been a 11im now. tremendous surge of public recognition and acclamation of what we are doing. Look at Mr. DUGGAN: He is not being embarrassed now. He will do a good job in the constitution of the Queensland Labour Rockhampton, just as he did in Toowoomba. Party. It is composed of men with no Unless there is a wicked hand of a vindic Labour background at all. They are men in tive man, he has no need to fear. Some the higher professions and men in executive people in Toowoomba knew about the positions. The Queensland Labour Party is inspector's transfer before the inspector not concerned about their political and knew himself. industrial background. They will come out and tell you about Cullinane from Hughen Mr. A. Jones: I say he was five years den or somewhere else. When the hon. in Toowoomba. Is not that sufficient for member for Flinders, Mr. Forde, was behind any officer' the party opposite, and when Mr. Gair thought he would be one of those men who Mr. DUGGAN: He had 20 months to go, would loyally put up his hand on every .and his family is in Toowoomba. occasion for Mr. Gair to discredit Mr. Culli nane. Mr. A. Jones: That is not true, again. (Time, on motion of Mr. Baxter, extended.) Mr. DUGGAN: It is true. Do not argue Mr. DUGGAN: I thank the hon. member about that. I know the position very well. for Norman for moving that my time be His son, who is the representative of an extended, and I thank members of the House insurance company, was staying with him; for the indulgence that they have given me. I do know. I am telling you that there was 110 justification for his going. I shall not keep the House very long on this matter, because, as I have indicated Mr. A. J~nes: You were talking about already, I think we should have an early l1is family. I said his family is not going appeal to the electors on it. We have there. nothing to be afraid of; we have nothing to be ashamed of. Mr. DUGGAN: I know they are not going, booause he is coming back in 20 I see the hon. the Treasurer rising in his months to make Toowoomba his permanent place. No doubt he will relish the oppor home. All the officers of the department and tunity of trying to berate me personally. the hon. gentleman himself knew that, but The hon. member for Bundaberg is a doughty it was thought that he might have been of fighter and will have something in this pock.et some service to me. and something in that pocket, and he wrll have all sorts of charges to level about W:ha tever the result of this election, various things. I expect that from him. .1 people will take their hats off to the Aus want the public to know that from ?ow unt.Il tralian Labour Party for preventing this fllection day we will have a surfeit of this campaign of fear and intimidation being kind of thing. My only regret is that on used against senior officers of the Public the opposite side of the House there ~re Service. Do not make any mistake about many misguided members who are feelmg that. Certain favoured men can get very unhappy about the position today. We information from the higher Government are not feeling very gleeful, make no bones personages closed out at any time in those about it. We will direct the attention of positions. They are frightened to talk, and the electors throughout Queensland to the they have told me so. Since I have become position that confronts this country if they Leader of the Australian Labour Party, do not return Official Labour to power. We more of them have reposed their confidence realise that with the present set-up the in me, and, despite the motion of the Opposition parties have a golden opportunity executive of the Queensland State Service to press home their claims to be the. Govern Union, there will be no more pleased men ment of this State, but we shall resrst them in Queensland than State public servants and fight them all along the line.. Everr when Mr. Gair and those men with him are intelligent political observer knows It to be thrown into political oblivion. a fact that the great Labour movement has 1\Ir. Kelloe: Don't kid yourself. been rended asunder and split down the 24 Suspension of [ASSEMBLY.] Standing Orders.
middle. Everybody with Labour interest at Christianity and on attacking the churches. heart knows the position. We gain no satis We have a great respect for all religious faction over it. We are sorry for the present denominations, which are carrying out the position but say that the situation having great work of providing spiritual guidance developed, we must face up to realities and for the people. All of us, irrespective of let the people know. denomination, will feel privileged, and are quitt> willing and happy to discharge our Having said those things today I hope it obligations to every religious denomination. will be the last I will have to say of them. It is quite untrue for anyone to assert that From the personal angle I am making no we are out to break down family life and reflections upon the Premier or those with the Christian tradition. him. I am not attacking his probity or integrity or his personal character but I Let us not waste time by debating the tackle him in his official position and hi; motion for hours and hours. We on thi& actions. I hope it will not be necessary to side will have two or three speakers and no say very much more on that aspect because doubt there will be two or three on the I hope that from now on as the campaign other side. Let us ask the people for their unfolds we will deal with the broader and decision. There is no doubt that it will be more constructive aspects of Labour's policy. a vindication of democracy and of the The Labour movement has down through the principles that we on this side stand for. years had its vicissitudes and its difficulties. I am indeed honoured to have been chosen It is inevitable in any organisation that has as one of the men to carry the banner of been in power for so long, particularly when Labour in this continent. The voice of there have been attempts to disrupt it. I Labour and the policy of Labour will ring want to say that right through Queensland, throughout Queensland, and we will find that apart from prejudiced people, we have found it will have a responsive chord in the hearts a real awakening of interest and a renewed of thousands of men and women in this desire to serve the Labour movement as those State. They will send us back in numbers who formed it served it. People are coming to this Parliament to uphold those things along in large numbers-- that some people are charging us with destroying. Mr. Hnton: Including the Corns. Hon. E. J. WALSH (Bundaberg-Treas Mr. DUGGAN: The great crusader! We urer) (4.32 p.m.): I do not intend to take are heartened by the measure of sup up much time at this stage. I feel that I port given by the people. There is a large owe it to the House at a later stage to percentage of the population who subscnbe discuss the financial position of the State to the Country Party. I have no quarrel and to outline the reasons why the motion with those people who from conviction feel should be carried and Supply granted. that the best interests of the country would The hon. member for Toowoomba pro be served by supporting the Country or bably realises that few men in the House Liberal parties. That is their inalienable would like to attack him in the way that I right. We will fight them to show that our have to attack him; anything that I have policy is better than theirs. What is the to say against him will not be said in a future of the party opposite~ Apart from personal way. The hon. member will those misguided people who feel that con remember that at the Labour Convention in stitutional matters are involved-and othet Toowoomba in 1950, when the hon. member speakers will deal with that aspect-I say for Brisbane was in some difficulty, he said that there is no future for the party opposite. that if he voted on the matter from a It will be seen that public servants are begin purely personal point of view he could vote ning to break away from Mr. Gair and his in only one way. The hon. member has supporters and after the election there will conceded to me that I have given him more only be the remains left of that organisation. guidance and advice since he ·has been a It will collapse. It must do so because it member of the Labour Party than any other is not built on trndition as the great person in the Party. Nobody is more sorry Labour movement in Australia was built. than I to see him in the wilderness where From the earliest times people realised that he is today with his Red brothers. their security and happiness were wrapped up in the Labour Party. Those who say In more recent times, the hon. member that we are out to destroy democracy are for Toowoomba has admitted to me that h& talking- a lot of nonsense, and they know it. had less conflict with me than with any The thousands of trade unionists who have other member of the Cabinet. I say that pledqed their support to us know that it is to show that since he became a in their own interests that democracy be pre member of Parliament in December, 1935, served. They know, too, that we must fi.R"ht 22 years ago, I have never intrigued against CommuniRm and its attendant evils. We him or attempted to undermine him. One pledge ourselves to do that. of the pieces of advice I gave him on that occasion was: "Never try to be anybody We pledg-e oursrlves also to uphold the else but yourself, Jack. The first people to Christian way of life. I throw back into notice it will be the mates that you work the mouthq of those who have said it, the with." Unfortunately, he drifted, and infamous lie that we are bent on destroying drifted very widely. Suspension of [11 JUNE.) Standing 01·ders. 25
The hon. member for Toowoomba referred Mr. WALSH: I do not want to reflect on to remarks made at a meeting in Too the chair aud I am not asking· you to woomba. I know he did not want to name protect me against hon. members opposite, me, but I was the person responsible for but references have been made and terms the statement that, as far as I was con have been used-not that I would worry cerned, the fight was on. No longer had about them, because I can direct just as I to consider my personal friendship with much to the other side without any diffi him in the matter; the battle was on, just culty at all. The hon. member will not as it will be on with the Leader of the deny that I warned Jock Burnett, when Opposition and the hon. member for Mt. Fred Paterson came down on circuit court Coot-tha-no different at all. He is one business in Mackay and wanted to speak in of them now. (Opposition laughter.) support of the hon. member for Mackay in Mr. Dewar: We won't have anything to his campaign-- do with either of you. Mr. Graham: Mr. Speaker, I again seek your protec·.tion. The hon. gentleman is Mr. WALSH: They might try to disown making a charge against me that has no him but he is with them. I said that the truth in it. He is trying to malign me. fight was on and that it would be on with the gloves off, politically speaking, and that Mr. SPEAKER: Order! I ask the hon. if they wanted to get down into the gutter gentleman not to impute improper motives. I was prepared to get down there with He knows the rule. them. I did not say I was prepared to get into the sewer with the rats. I left it at :1\Ir. WALSH: I do not want to enter into that. a discussion with you, Mr. Speaker, but, in the first place I have made no charge Mr. Graham: You are with them now. against the hon. member. Mr. SPEAKER: Order! Mr. SPEAKER: Order! You are imput Mr. WALSH: Nobody knows better than ing improper motives. you, Mr. Speaker, that I do not mind inter jections from hon. members opposite. I can Mr. WALSH: If that is the case, I point remember that when I went up to take out that the hon. member for ToJwoomba, charge of the campaign for the hon. who has just resumed his seat, made all member for Mackay I had to warn him sorts of imputations. I do not mind; as because of the suspicion that surrounded long as it is to be two-way traftic, it is him. He knows that. I told him there all right with me. Any hon. member was only one branch that could run that opposite knows that I can take it and give election campaign, and that was the it, too. Mackay Branch of the A.L.P., not the Communist Party. Mr. Graham: We will give it back. Mr. Graham: That is right. The boot Mr. W ALSH: Let them give it back; is on the other foot now. they vl'ill never worry me. After all, I am the judge of the conversation that took Mr. WALSH: He knows that Jock place between myself and another person, Burnett, Secretary of the Communist and not the hon. member for Mackay. I Party in Mackay, came to me and sought remember that Mr. Paterson did address my approval, as campaign director, of leaf a meeting there and I go further and say lets being given out by the Communist that he did not proceed to advocate at all Party in his support. for the hon. member but he dealt with my late predecessor in Bundaberg. I do say Mr. Graham: That is a deliberate lie. that these were the persons who came to Mr. SPEAKER: Order! me and wanted to know from me as cam paign director if I would give _my appro':al Mr. Graham: Well, it is an untruth. It to their support of the campargn. I sa1d, is offensive to me and I ask the hon. ''It is a matter for yourself; you get no gentleman to withdraw it. approval from me.'' Mr. SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Treas The hon. member for Toowoomba said urer to accept the denial of the hon. that he had no desire to withhold supply, he member. had no desire to deprive the public servants of their pay. His action today has been to Mr. WALSH: I could accept his denial, oppose the motion moved by the Premier but I do not think he is in a position to which seeks to suspend the Standing Orders rleterminc a conversation between Mr. Jock to enable a Supply Bill to be brought down. Bm·nett and me. What other factor could be involved but an ]Ir. Graham: Bring proof of it. You attempt to prevent the public servants from could say anything. getting their payW Obviously whether we are granted supply or not is not going to deter· Mr. SPEAKER: Order! I also ask the mine the date of the election. lton. gentleman not to impute improper motives to hon. members. Honourable Members Opposite: Yes it is. 26 Suspension of [ASSEMBLY.] Standing Orders.
Mr. W ALSH: Let me tell hon. members Mr. SPEAKER: I ask the hon. gentleman that that does not appear to be the case at to accept the denial of the hon. member for the present time. The only reason we are Toowoomba. meeting today is that Parliament was pro rogued until 11 June. Contrary to the pub Mr. WALSH: I accept the hon. member's lished advice-the same as we see the false denial. The hon. member knows that per heading in the afternoon Press about Mr. sonally I would not be offensive to him, but Duggan 's being the Leader of the Opposition when these things come to our knowledge, -contrary to any advice given by the if I name my authorities I think that is Premier on behalf of his Ministers, there fair enough. The hon. member for appeared in the Press an intimation that the Toowoomba made some reference to the fact Administrator called Parliament together at that he was sorry that these circumstances the invitation of the Leader of the Opposi had been brought about. The hon. member tion. That is entirely wrong. There is only did concede to me he at least had intimated one recognised authority according to pro that he was prepared to accept direction. I cedure over a long period that is competent have always conceded that to him-that he to advise the Governor of the State, that is did say so and that he did say it at the the Premier and his Ministers. Mackay Convention. I said that I was not prepared to throw my oath of office aside Mr. Aikens: Could you not have gone lightly; as a Minister I had to regard myself to the country without having called Parlia as being something different from a member ment together first~ of the branch without any industrial responsibility. Having said that I conveyed Mr. WALSH: If the hon. member for the fact that as far as I was concerned I Mundingburra can tell me how to run an was never at any stage prepared to accept election without rolls I will be happy to hear a direction from any source outside to set him. Nobody in this House would be bap· the day and date and month or year in pier to go to the country right now while this which we should introduce legislation into side of the House, the Queensland Labour this Parliament. That is the point. There Party, is on the top of the wave, than the is no objection to the formulation of policy. Queensland Labour Party itself. The Premier How many members over there have openly is the person who will determine the election said that they were not prepared to accept date. Obviously he has to determine it accord a direction. Of course they said it. What ing to the mechanics of an election. Very is the use of denying it. But when the whip few people in the House have given any was cracked and Big Boss Joe got alongside thought to that at all. The hon. member for them there was only one way they could go. Toowoomba may have thought that by frus trating the Government at this stage in the The hon. member for Toowoomba made introduction of a Bill to provide for supply some reference to the slander campaign. He to pay public servants dnd Crown employees has a 22 years' membership of this House generally it was going to influence the and 10 years' ministerial responsibility. It election date. That is not the point at all. is a pity that he should have allowed his Today is the date to which Parliament was signature to be put to the numerous prorogued, and not desiring to go beyond that advertisements that are being circulated date the Premier recommended to the throughout this State. After all, his name Administrator that Parliament should be is there. No matter what the definition of called together. the hon member may be he has to accept the responsibility once ·his signature is there. The hon. member for Toowoomba engaged in some cross-fire with the Premier. Refer Mr. Grabam: They are no more scur ence was made to the hon. member's ambition rilous than the ones put out by the Q.L.P. to succeed to the Premiership. In the last ltir. W ALSH: The Mackay people will few months I have become suspicious of that deal effectively with the hon. member, make myself. I am more suspicious when the very no mistake about that. The hon. member man who accompanied the member for for Toowoomba having identified himself Toowoomba here, the night the Premier was with the type of propaganda that is going expelled, said that Duggan made a pact with out, has to take some responsibility. I shall them at the Trades Hall and he failed to accept responsibility for any propaganda that carry it out and they had him. His name is goes out on behalf of the Q.L.P. There will Mr. Egerton. I am not the guilty person. I be no running away. The hon. member should am not accusing the hon. member for not come in here and talk about the slander Toowoomba with having entered into a pact campaign. I feel sorry for him as I do with anybody. But if his friends go round for some other hon. members opposite. He babbling that sort of stuff you cannot blame is certainly being pushed about by ''Big members on this side if they form a con Joe" now. clusion. The hon. member made reference to "the Mr. DUGGAN: I rise to a point of order. weakest link.'' I do not think that at any The Treasurer did say that he was not stage any of the hon. member's ex-colleagues making any charge against me, but I give it would have said of him that he did not apply a categorical denial that I entered into a himself to his job in some way and give &o;ne pact with anybody. benefit in the administration. I do not thmk Suspension of [ll JuNE.] Standing Orders. 27
nnybody has ever said that. I have never grapevine is correct, no-one has worked harder heard the Premier say it. However, he did than the hon. member for Toowoomba and the say this-and I confirm what the Premier hon. member for North Toowoomba to get said-that the hon. member was the weak Mrs. Lacaze into the election campaign. link in the Cabinet of 11. Now the hon. member for Toowoomba is asking the public ~Ir. DUGGAN: I rise to a point of order. generally to say that the other nine ministers, I am not very much concerned, but just for excluding the Premier, were wrong and he the record, I want to say that I have not was right-men with wide experience in the spoken to Mrs. Lacaze for at least two Labour movement, men who had come up from months-not one single word have I spoken the ruck and through the ranks of the nor have I caused any communieation to be Labour movement, and men who thought r:ddressed to her, either in writing or orally. more of the Labour movement, apparently, than he did. He wants to deny that he is lUr. SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Treas the weak link. urer to accept the denial. When the hon. member addressed the work Mr. WALSH: Yes, I accept the denial. I u·s at the Ipswich Railway Workshops, he would not expect the hon. member to be such was reported in the "Queensland Times" as a novice because somebody else would be having made a reference that ill became him. doing the job for him. He makes much out I think I can say in all modesty that he was of the statement that advocates of the Q.L.P. not referring to me, but he is reported in the went along to recruit the Liberal member ''Queensland Times''- who opposed him last time. The thing is Mr. Duggan: Supervised by the security farcical. He has already nominated as the police, too. Liberal member. In reply to that might I say that in Dalby the Secretary of the A.L.P_, Mr. WALSH: I will come to the police Mr. Schmella, addressed a meeting at which later on. The hon. member is not suggesting there were 30 in attendance, and at the same that the security police or anybody else deter time the Secretary for Public Instructio11 mine what goes into the ''Queensland addressed a meeting at which there were 130 Times"f present. This is the interesting point: of He is reported as having said that the the 30 who turned up at Mr. Schmella 's meet Premier reprimanded Ministers because of ing, according to Press reports 15 formed their incompetence. As I said in Toowoomba, a new A.L.P. branch and eight had been I cannot imagine anything lower-a man who expelled from the Labour Party because they sat in with his mates all these years! Again were suspected Communists. I do not mind I say, in all modesty, that he would not say the hon. member saying that that is a lie. it about me; nevertheless, I am one of the That is true. team. Mr. Dnggan: We have a good candidate Mr. Duggan: What about the reprimand out there and we will see how many A.L.P. the Premier gave me about the Cabinet supporters there are. decision from which you dissociated yourselH Mr. WALSH: Never mind about the Mr. WALSH: I think I am entitled, as Cabinet decison. I will give the hon. member Treasurer, to outline to the House the a reprimand if he wants one. He will be reasons why there should be a Supply Bill. sorry for himself by the time I have finished I hope the House will support the Bill and with him. I do not think the Premier has indi give me the chance of saying something more cated at any time that he had any complaints at a later stage either today or tomorrow. about the Minister's attention to his duty. The hon. member for Toowoomba can shakiJ and wriggle about as much as he likes, but The hon. member made a great song about Communists have attached themselves to him Ministers travelling round at the expense of and other members of the A.L.P. There is the taxpayers. After all, he has had 10 years no way in the world to stop me from pro of it. He has been doing exactly the same ducing some evidence of it as I go along. thing as the Prime Minister and the Ministers What better evidence do I wantf I might in the Federal Cabinet, say, have been doing. add that in the Q.C.E. there was a record The practice has been recognised over the and I take it it is still there-of known Com years. munists not being allowed to broadcast over Mr. Hanlon: With a majority in the station 4KQ, the Labour station. Who broke House; not with only a third of the House the decision and allowed Messrs. Dawson behind you. and Hanson to be in the first of five speakers over that station in defending the Q.C.E. 's Mr. WALSH: We have not reached that action in expelling the Premierf They are stage yet. The hon. member for Ithaca is a two avowed Communists in this State. novice and has a lot to learn yet. I suggest Neither Mr. Dawson nor Mr. Hanson will that he should tread very warily in these deny that. I sympathise with the hon. mem matters. The pity of it is that he, together ber for Toowoomba in his great difficulty with others, will not be in Parliament after in having these people round him, not that the next election. I sympathise with some of the others because The hon. member for Toowoomba also made of their known affiliation. We heard the reference to Mr. Hall in Toowoomba. If the broadcast of Mr. Dawson, the Secretary of 28 Suspension of [ASSEMBLY.] Standing Orders. the Building Workers' Union. Hon. mem get from him this afternoon~ All that mat bers know what a good memory I have. I ters to me is that Inspector Currey was a migl!t not listen to the rubbish put over the friend of his. station by the hon. member for Norman and Mr. Duggan: That is why he was trans otker members of that Party, but I kept my ferred. ear glued for any broadcast by men like Dawson. I had the opportunity of listening Mr. W ALSH: It would not justify retain to what he had to say and I heard these ing an inspector in one centre. Police words by Mr. Dawson: "Friends of the officers come into and leave my district with Labour Movement''-which, of course, out my knowing anything about them. includes the Trades and Labour Council, 1\'Ir. Duggan: That is a great horse laugh. dominated by a Communist President and a Communist Secretary. Surely that gives me llir. W ALSH: I would not know the some evidence that they are floating along names of more than three police sergeants with the Official Labour Party. All I have in Bundaberg. to do is to quote the actions and words of Mr. Duggan: I am talking about com the Communists themselves. I say that for missioned officers. the first time in the history of this Govern 1\Ir. W ALSH: The hon. member for Too ment Communists Dawson and Hanson are woomba has admitted that on his personal now touring this State at the expense of representations, Inspector Currey was trade unionists-Communists touring this brought from Longreach to Toowoomba. He State and advocating support for the Official cannot deny that. Labour Party. In the past, Communist candidat<>s have opposed the endorsed Labour Jllr. Duggan: The same way as Inspector candidates, but on this occasion I doubt if Martin was brought from Cairns to Brisbane. one Communist candidate will stand in any Mr. W ALSH: At one time it was sug seat held by the official Labour Party. If gested that you, Mr. Speaker, were barrack· that happens it will support my statement, ing for Inspector Martin. That would not which I hope to elaborate later, that there is encourage me to barrack for Inspector an affiliation between the Communist Party Martin, would it~ and the so-called official Labour Party. The hon. member for Toowoomba went on I know how rattled the hon. member fDI with great gusto and said he did not know Toowoomha can get-he has frequently of any of these men who had been transferred shown evidence of that-but he has done from the district within 20 months to a Inspector Currey a great disservice by men position of equal status. In the :first place, tioning his name in this Assembly. I have he overlooked the fact that Inspector known Inspector Currey much longer than Mahoney was transferred from Townsville to has the hon. member for Toowoomba, but Toowoo;:nba. that fact will not encourage me to go over lUr. Duggan: On his retirement-and he the thing-s that I might say. I should hate asked to go to Toowoomba. too. to think that it was with Inspector Currey 's approval that, at a social function, the hon. Mr. WALSH: It does not matter. The member made the statement he did or that hon. member made the bald statement that no he even mentioned the circumstances of inspectors had been transferred. Inspector Inspector Currey 's transfer. Mahoney went to Toowoomba. ll'lr. Duggan: On the eve of his retire Mr. Duggan: It is true. ment at his request, and you know it. More lUr. W ALSH: The hon. member invited over, I said ''from Toowoomba.'' this. Thlr. W ALSH: The hon. member knows Mr. Duggan: I do not mind. Everybody that when Inspector Buggy went to Mackay knows it. he had only about 18 months to go. Jlir. Duggan: He was in disfavour. 1\lr. W ALSH: I must correct the hon. member on what he said of my visit to Too Mr. W ALSH: Be honest about it. The woomba. He is so dazed these days that it man who was to go on that occasion was is quite impossible for him to realise the dif Nobby Clark from the Valley, and, because of ference between yesterday, today, and illness in Inspector Clark 's family, which tomorrow. For his information, the Premier everybody conceded, the Minister who was and I arrived in Toowoomba at about l approached on that occasion agreed that he o'clock on the Friday, not two days before should not go. The next man on the list hand, as the hon. member said. I was Act was Inspector Buggy. ing Secretary for Labour and Industry at Mr. Duggan: That's all right. the time, which was my only right to chal lenge the hon. member for Toowoomba to lUr. WALSH: The hon. member says it break his silence if he felt that there was is all right, but he sought to imply that the anything irregular in the transfer of man was in disfavour. Inspector Currey from Toowoomba to Rock· lUr. Duggan: And he was, because he hampton. It was in the public interest that would not salute you. He would not go he should break his silence, but what did we down and meet you at the station. Suspension of [ll JUNE.] Standing Orders. 29
Mr. WALSH: The hon. member is mak or it should not allow any latitude in debate. ing himself so cheap that I am becoming Later on, in Committee of Supply, the debate more disgusted with him as I go along. is as wide as the ocean, but not now. How What about Inspector Stolz 's transfer from ever, you have allowed hon. members on both Maryborough to Ipswich W I have not got sides of the House to be completely out of these things in my notes. order. I hope that you will stop it now. We Mr. Wood: The hon. member for Too on this side of the House are just as anxious woomba said that in his 28 years he had as the Leader of the Australian Labour Party known only once that an Inspector had been to have Parliament dissolved and the people transferred from Toowoomba. of the State elect a new Government in Queensland. Mr. WALSH: Toowoomba is not the only place in Queensland. Mr. Hilton: Not as ap.xious as we are. Mr. Wood: That was the place he Mr. NICKLIN: E.verybody is anxious. mentioned. The method adopted by the Leader of the Mr. WALSH: From my limited experi Australian Labour Party is not the right ence I should say the three most important way. \liTe will take the appropriate action police districts in Queensland are Townsville at the appropriate time to state our case Cairns and Rockhampton. Inspector Currey and then make our decision to bring about was transferred to a place that was filled by what we desire, which is what the Secretary a man who, I would say, was the most com for Public Lands and Irrigation says is what petent police officer, and one of the most he desires. We hope in the near future to respected officers, in the State-Tom Quinn give him an opportunity to join with us in a man who had few equals in knowledge of helping to bring about the early election the law. I cannot see how that could be desired by the people of the State. demotion for Inspector Currey. I believe that the Treasurer, as tl1e spokes The hon. member is so childish. Surely he man for the Government, has every right to has something bigger to deal with than state his case on Queensland's financial that~ If I were to name the police officers position. We propose to give him the in Toowoomba who have been there a long opportunity by allowing Standing Ordms to time, I think it might surprise hon. members, be susprnded so that he can move a motion but I will not do that. The hon. member :for Supply in Committee. raised the matter and if he wants to disturb the whole police organisation by representa JUr. Walsl!: You are· going to agree with tions to the Secretary for Labour and Indus us for one day. try and to the Commissioner-- lflr. NICI{LIN: I always adopt the prac Mr. Duggan: The ones that have been tice of ag-reeing with what is right. If the there the longest do not happen to be in my Treasurer happens to be right on this corner. That is why they are being kept occasion I agree with him; if he is wrong there, too. I will not agree with him. I always agree Mr. WALSH: Even though the hon. mem with him if he adopts the right attitude. ber has been so small as to raise these We want this to be done properly and the matters, I will not give the names of those proper thing to do is to give the Government I could mention. However, there is every an opportunity to bring in their Supply Bill reason why the motion for the suspension of and state their case. After all, that is some Standing Orders to enable the Government thing that we all stand for, the right of to bring down a Supply Bill should be agreed everybody to state their case freelv. If we to. opposed the motion we would deny the Treasurer and the Government the right to Mr. NICKLIN (Landsborough-Leader state their case. We are prepared to hear of the Opposition) ( 5.9 p.m.) : In the last their case and judge it on its merits. hour or two we have witnessed in this Chamber a remarkable exhibition, remarkable lir. :iliorris: The people have a right to for two reasons: ( 1), the action of the leader know. of the Australian Labour Party in refusing to support the suspension of Standing Orders Mr. NICKLIN: As the hon. member for to enable a Supply Bill to be brought in and, Mt. Coot-tha interjects, the people of (2), your astounding tolerance, Mr. Speaker, Queensland have a right to know the Govern in allowing the debate to go along as it has. ment's case. They will have that right when the Treasurer is given an opportunity to Mr. SPEAKER: The motion seeks to state his case. suspend the Standing Order that ·would otherwise prevent the reception of the Because we believe it is the right of the resolutions on the same day as they shall Government to state their case, the right of have passed in Committee of Supply. That the people to hear that ease, the right of debate is as wide as the ocean. every hon member in the House to make his c1ecision after hearing that case, we will Mr. NICKLIN: The motion before the support the motion for the suspension of House is that the Standing Orders be Standing Orders and allow the Supply Bill to suspended. That does not allow any latitude be brought into the House. :30 Suspension of [ASSEMBLY.] Standing Orders.
Hon. V. C. G.UR (South Brisbane Mr. Sparkes: What is wrong with it? Premier) (5.15 p.m.): When I moved the motion I did not expect any opposition to lUr. GAIR: Nothing. But the hon. mem it, but contrary to my expectations, and I ber for Toowoomba thinks it is wrong if my .am sure the expectations of the House, we wife feels the impulse to get up and tell the heard a hysterical outburst from the hon. women of Toowoomba or any»here else of member for Toowoomba. The hon. member the dangers that would confront their took advantage of the occasion to rehash children and other children in this some of the speeches he has been making at State and what they are likely to the various points he has visited throughout suffer because of the infiltration of the State, and he also referred to new phases Communism in any political party. which we shall no doubt hear on the radio Mr. Hiley: Was any complaint made m see published in the nevvspapers during the when she did much the same thing some 12 next few weeks. It was evident to every months ago~
I feel that I have adequately disposed of "From the Trust and Special Funds Mr. Duggan 's hysterical outburst this after the sum of £9,500,000; and noon. I am very sorry that he saw fit to ''From the moneys standing to the introduce the name of Mrs. Gair into the credit of the Loan Fund Account the debate. It will not comfort him to know sum of £3,500,000. '' that Mrs. Gair will make more speeches, equally as effective as the one in Toowoomba, COMMITTEE. and they will not help the candidates of the party that he leads. As long as she has (The Chairman of Committees, Mr. Clark, breath in her body she will speak against Fitzroy, in the chair). the evils of Communism, just as I and other members of the Queensland Labour Party will Hon. E. J, WALSH {Bundaberg continue to do, not only during this campaign Treasurer) (5.42 p.m.): I move- but after it is over and for all time, in the '' That there be granted to Her Majesty, interests of the preservation of democracy, on account, for the service of the year v.·hich means so much not only to you and 1957-1958, a further sum not exoeeeding me, but to the generations still to come. £27,000,000 towards defraying the expenses of the various departments and Question.-That the motion (Mr. Gair) be services of the State.'' agreed to-put; and the House divided- Parliament has authorised and appropriated AYES, 49. in Appropriation Acts during the 1956 Mr. Aikens Mr. Low session- Bjelke-Petersen Madsen 1. Funds for the current financial year, Brosnan McCathie Chalk , Moore 1956-1957, and Collins , Moores 2. Supply for a short period of the next Cooper " Morris Devries M tiller financial year, 1957-1958, known as the Dewar ,, Munro "Vote on Account." Diplock Ni holson Dohring T)his "Vote on Account" is normally English ri'r. ~~?~~in sufficient to enable the Government to carry , Evans Mr. Pizzey ,. Fletcher Power on in the first weeks of the succeeding ~oley Rasey financial year until Parliament meets early Gair Roberts ~n August and passes further supply to Gardner, H. R. " Robinson Gardner, R. J. Skinner supplement such amount. Gaven Smith .. Hadley Sparkes In view of the pending election and the Heading Taylor, H. B. apparent need of the elected Government ,. Herbert .. Walsh for time to formulate its legislative pro Hewitt .. Hiley gramme, Parliament may not meet as early Hi!ton Tellers : as usual, in which case the existing .. Jones, A. Mr. Adair ,. Jones, V. E. Kehoe authorised supply for 1957-1958 may prove inadequate. NOES, 23. Parliament has appropriation on a.ccount of 1957-1958- Mr. Baxter Mr. Gunn Brown ,, Hanlon £14,000,000 for Consolidated Revenue Burrows Jesson Fund, Byrne Keyatta Clark ., Tavlor, J. R. £9,000,000 for Trust and Special Funds, Davies Turner and navis Wallace D·r. Djttmer Wood £3,500,000 for Loan Fund. Mr. Don~!d Dufficy This was designed to meet requirements Duggan Tellers : until the end of August, 1957. For de Mr. Marsden Graham Lloyd The proposed Bill seeks supply for a Resolved in the affirmative. further two months to the extent of: £14,000,000 for Consolidated Revenue Fund, SUPPLY. £9,500,000 for Trust and Special Funds, and VOTE OF CREDIT-£27,000,000. £3,500,000 for Loan Fund. This augmented supply will be sufficient to MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR. meet disbursements by the Crown until the MR. SPEAKER read a message from end of October, 1957, totalling: His Excellency the Administrator recom £28,000,000 for Consolidated Revenue mending that the following provision be Fund, made on account of the services for the £18,500,000 for Trust and Special Funds, year ending 30 June, 1958- and ' 'From the Consolidated Revenue Fund £7,000,000 for Loan Fund. of Queensland (exclusive of the moneys Certain commitments, such as Salaries of standing to the credit of the Loan Fund the Governor, Judges, Ministers and certain Account) the sum of £14,000,000; top public servants; Payment of Members Supply. (ll JUNE.] Supply. 33
of Parliament; Public Debt charges, and granted, including payment of salaries and certain grants and endowments are appro wages to Crown employees, health, hospital priated by the relevant Acts of Parliament and other social services, education, law, .and payment for these purposes may be order and public safety, railway operation made without further legislative enactment. and other services, and constructional and However, supply and appropriation must be developmental works, etc. Expenditure for granted by Parliament to cover all other the first four months of the two preceding expenditure on Government services. Funds will be needed to maintain Govern financial years, as compared with Supply ment activities beyond the end of August granted and sought for 1957-1958, is as until such time as further Supply is follows:-
1955. 1956. 1957. -- I Expended. Appropriated. -- £m. £m. £m. July and August- Consolidated Revenue (excluding amounts appropriated by Special Acts) ...... 11 12·6 14 Trust and Special ...... 6·5 I 7·4 9 Loan ...... 1·7 2·4 3·5 I Total ...... 19·2 22·4 26·5
September and October- Now Sought. Consolidated Revenue ...... 9·6 11·6 14 Trust and Special ...... 8·6 9 9·5 Loan ...... 2·6 3·1 3·5 Total ...... 20·8 23·7 27 July to October- Granted and Sought. Consolidated Revenue ...... 20·6 24·2 28·0 Trn"t and Special ...... 15·1 16·4 18·5 Loan ...... 4·3 5·5 7 Total ...... 40·0 I 46·1 53·5
Thus, the Supply sought for 1957, as compared with the increased expenditure in. 1956 over 1955, is as follows-
July to October.
Increase. Increase. -- 1956 Actual 1957 Supply over 1955 Actual. over 1956 Actual.
Amount. Percentage. Amount. Percentage. £m. % £m. % Donsolidated Revenue ...... 3·6 17·5 3·8 15·7 Trust and Special ...... 1·3 8·6 2·1 12·8 Loan ...... 1·2 27·9 1·5 27·3 Total 16·0 ...... 6·1 15·2 7·4 I
Supply granted to the Government to carry on in 1956-1957 until the Estimates were passed and annual appropriations made, was as follows-
November. August. Total. 1955. 1956. £m. £m. £m. Consolidated Revenue 13 19 32 Trust and Special g 15 24 Loan 3·5 7 10·5 Total 25·5 41 66·5
That is to be compared with a total of As I pointed out, and as hon. members £53,500,000 novv sought for the four generally know, i:iupply has been granted months ending 31 October. up till the eud of August or theres.bouts. 1957-c 34 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
Because of the situation, it was thought The hon. member for Toowoomba made some necessary to bring down a measure pro remarks about that and was again indulging viding for Supply that will enable the in cheap politics. I think I shall be able to Government that is returned to formulate produce :figures to show that the one depart its budgetary plans after the election. Of ment in this State that has been responsible course, we expect to be returned. This for gradually levelling down the :finances of measure will enable the new Government this State is the Raihyay De1. ;ntment. to have finance up till October and give When I read all the loose talk. about what the it a little time in which to adjust its Government could have done with their financial policy generally. £6,500,000 which matured in May of this year and was re-invested in the Common lUr. Hiley: To enable us to understand that P'Jint and the implication of it, arc wealth Loans, and when I hear the remarks you tclllng the Committee that the Govern of the hon. member for Toowoomba, I think how cheaply he has taken his responsibility ment are undertaking to resign~ Other wise, what is tlw implication~ You as a member of an allegedly great partner referred to an election and a 11ew ship. He is going to tell the people of his Government. ability to run the party, but as he, in parti cular, and members on the other side of the Chamber know, there is no way in which we Mr. WALSH: I think the hon. member could have made any of that money available would have enough experience to know that. to improve the situation about which he com Mr. Hiley: The Committee is entitled plains. As a matter of fact, the money for to a very plain statement. Commonwealth-State housing is money advanced by the Commonwealth out of its :i\Ir. WALSH: I think the hon. member portion of the total loan raisings of. Aus has had sufficient experience in this House tralia. And when that loan fund 1s cut to know that I would not have the burden out, the hon. member knows what the position on my shoulders of answering a question as will be. I hesitate to think he would argue to whether or not the Government was going that we should find from our own cash to resign. resources money to enable what is a Common wealth project to be carried out and, at the :i\Ir. Hiley: You are making statements same time, dismiss 2,000 men or thereabouts ~onsistent only with those premises, but they from our Government activities. That is the have not been established. story. I will produce figures to show the relationship of the Railway Department to lUr. W ALSH: It is very obvious that, in this matter and I will discuss other interest hringing down this measure, we have sought ing thin~rs about the department since the 1.o stand up to our obligations. Irrespective hon. member has had so much to say about of which party is returned at the pending it. election-as I said, we expect to be returned What led up to this interests us all. I --there will then be a period in which the should say that it will be accepted that all Government can adjust their :financial policy. political parties in Australia irres~ective of I think the hon. member for Coorparoo has politics, have contributed somethmg very sufficient experience to realise that normally worthwhile to the economy of this country. We we would be preparing the Budget at this might differ as to policy, but in the final period of the year when we are now pre analysis, I think it will be conceded that ~he paring for an election. If the Leader of Labour Party which has become extensiVe the Opposition desires that I prepare the throughout Australia is a progressive one ancl Budget and have it in readiness for him if that it has dealt with those things that mean he is elected as Leader of the Government, so much to the welfare of this country. We which I do not expect, I shall be happy to do it. would not be so imbecilic as to argue that other political parties have not contributed Mr. Hiley: We can improve' on your something to our economy. It is agreed work. that if democracy is to function there should be a strong Government on the one hand and Mr. WALSH: That remains to be seen. a strong Opposition on the other. That is a The hon. member must look at the nation verv necessary state of affairs. Political wide problems of finance today. If I remem historY will show that a strong Opposition ber correctly, the hon. member for Coorparoo has c~me about when Labour has been in indicated quite clearly last year that he Opposition. It can be said that strong understood the difficulties of the Government opposition came from the Labour . Party in regard to finance, even though many other when it kept the Government on theu toes people are trying to m;'l'c out thnt we lwd and saw that they kept abreast of the times. all this money and telling us what we could J\'Ir. J\'Iorris: You would not say that in have done to save the situation here in regard the Federal House. to housing, and so on, if we had availed our selves of certain moneys at a time when those Mr. WALSH: In some respects they loans matmed instead of re-inve,;ting them. I have reached the stage when they are not shall have something interesting to say about much different to our friends who have just that later. left us here. There is a great body of really Supply. [11 JUNE.) Supply. 35
good Labour stalwarts who have contributed I think it will be agreed by all that to what is worthwhile in this country. I do trade unions have played a very important not think anybody will disagree when I say part in the economy of this country. that if a Government becomes inefficient or Earlier I referred to the part that political ineffective and the Opposition is inefficient or parties have played in developing the national ineffective too, democracy and the Parlia economy. Though we differ in policy and mentary structure of the country suffer method, Australia owes much to the com accordingly. I hope to be able to give some bination of political effort. instances of the difference between a strong When I consider the small Soviet Republics Government and a weak Government. That is like Latvia Lithuania and the Baltic States, why we have reached a crisis in Queensland not those g;verned by the influences operating today. It was because there was a Govern in Russia but those that have built up a form ment with the courage to stand up to their of democracy somewhat similar to that devel responsibilities regardless of pressure, whether oped in Australia by the Labour Party over from the ranks of those who allegedly sup the years and when I see all the grand things ported the Labour Party over the years or that the~ won, destroyed overnight in the from such great pressure groups as oil com brutal onslaught of Communist Russia, I panies and other vested interests. realise it is time to wake up and ensure that The present crisis must be related not so such things do not happen here. much to a defence of the present Parlia Mr. Lloyd: How long has this been going mentary system, which insists on govern on~ ment by the people, as to an attack on it. In other words, we on this side should not lUr. Gair: Rip Van Winkle! he put in the position of having to defend Mr. W ALSH: The hen. member for democracy in the Parliamentary system as Kedron has suddenly awakened. He Wlll have we know it. Rather should we be resisting to be wide awake in his electorate now that the attack made on it by those insidious we have such a prominent candidate as Dr. forces that have been developing year by Uhr. Even if the hon. member does not know year and a re gradually finding their way how long it has been going on, I a~ su::e into what is know as the Labour structure. many people in this Chamber and outs1d~ 1t Hon. members on this side of the Chamber >Yill concede that I have been dra wmg still regard themselves as the Labour attention to it for many years. If he reads Party. my speeches made in this Chamber in 1944 and Jl[r. Brown interjected. 1945 on Communist infiltration in this country, he will know it is nothing new to me. He lUr. WALSH: I hope the hen. member will know that I instanced the greatest propa for Buranda will rise to Ins feet later on gandist in Queensland as Jack Hanson, Secre and question my authority for saying that, tary of the Operative Painters' and Decor and for other statements that I shall be ators' Union and now allied with the so-called making. I hope, too, that he will defend Official Labour Partv. I never under-rate his attitude in this matter. the capacity of the trained Communist and Hon. members generally know that I never I never have. I remember that, in the early like to place myself in the position of stages of World War II., Hanson toured the having to defend in circumstances such as coastline of Australia in an endeavour to these; rather would I undertake the role of disturb the workers and the trade union move attacking the enemies of democracy in the ment generally and set them against what he l'arliamentary system. That is what I called the Imperialist ll ar. Then I remember propose to do as I proceed. The present the night of 22 June, 1941, when Russia was Dpposition results from many years of attacked by Germany, not c_oming ~o the eareful planning by insidious infiurnces defence of Britain or her Alhes but m the and forces outside this country who have so-called Imperialist war. Overnight Hanson planted their machinery and their agents sent a cable to Churchill demanding the open within the structure of Parliamentary ing of a Second Front in Europe. How government and democmcy in Australia. quickly the scene had changed from. an I regard the present political crisis in Imperialist war to a war of the proletanate. Queensland as transcending any plank in If anyone wants to do a little research i? any political platform, whether it be that the matter, let him refer to the Sunday J'l{ail of the Liberal Party. the Country Party, of 22 June 1941 and read Mr. Hanson 's Dr the Labour Party. When I was speaking demand in 'the c;ble he sent to Churchill. in Bundaberg, I invited my audience not Everybody knows that the Communists have to judge me on what I had done for them been endeavouring to make inroads into the in the past as the member for Bundaberg, trade union movement and have been very Dr on what I was likely to do for them in successful. the future, but on one issue only, that is, Qn who was going to rule and govern the Mr. Lloyd inte,rjected. eountry. No hon. member who applies l'flr. W ALSH • I do not mind a little noise l1imself to this question without prejudice but I would like some protection from the and without bias will be left in any doubt hon. member for Kedron with his inane about who is trying to rule the country interjections. If they were relevant it W01Zld after I have related all the circumstances. not matter. 36 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
Mr. Lloyd: Ask the Premier to keep Parliamentary or Municipal Labor Party quiet for a little while. may decide at a duly constituted Caucus Mr. W ALSH: Everybody knows that meeting ..• '' over a period of years the Communists have Here is the majority of the Parliamentary been making inroads into the trade union Labour Party-over here; there is the movement. They have been successfully breakaway party-over on the other side on resisted by bona fide Labour trade unionists my right. within the various unions. But the Com A.L.P. Members: Nonsense l munist Party have a different policy today. They have realised that their work over the Mr. W ALSH: Obviously. There is the years involving the spending of thousands of pledge that is signed. pounds of trade union funds, the levies of union members, has not achieved much JUr. Baxter: Keep going. merely 1 y paying attention to the trade union movement. Now they have made their Mr. WALSH: The hon. member for Norman would not know. I remember on wa:v into the political machine of the State. I think I would be just as good a judge, one occasion when the hon. member was doing his 4BK broadcasts he t«JOk my speech if not better than, most hon. members opposite on the extreme right when I say on the introduction of the amendment of the thRt the Communist Party in Queensland Workers' Compensation Acts. At the end today has a greater grip on the Labour struc of my introductory speech on the Bill I ture of the political machine than in any made the observation that it was not other period of the State's history. Having intended to increase the workers' compen· made that statement, hon. members do not sation premiums at that stage; and the hon. expect that I am not going to produce some member forgot to cut it out and he put it evidence of it :1s I go along! over 4BK. Yet the hon. member has the hide to tell me how they would interpret Honourable Members: Produce it. this part of the pledge. There it is quite lUr. W ALSH: I will produce it, much to clear. their discomfort! A.L.P. Members: Read it. We have heard a good deal about the pledges. During my years of association Mr. WALSH: I shall read it. There is with hon. members opposite on the extreme nothing there to hide. For the information right I realised how little many of them of hon. members opposite on my extreme understood the Rules of the Australian Labour right, that is a different pledge from the Party. From their broadcasts it is Yery one that they signed on joining as a member obvious how little they know of the A.L.:P. of an A.L.P. Branch. They failed to dis Rules. Every person who seeks to contest tinguish that in these rules the political a seat as an endorsed Labour candidate signs machine of the Labour Party recognised that a plrdge. I am not going to quote it from it could not bind members of Parliament in memory, hut from the Constitution and the same way as it bound a member of a General Rules of the Australian Labor branch. There it is quite clearly. It says- Part:v. On page 98 we find- '' On all questions affecting the platform '' Pledge of State Candidate. you shall vote as the majority of the party ''Each Candidate sh~tll, prior to the has voted.'' taking of a ballot or prior to securing recorrnition as a Labor Candidate sign 1'\Ir. Coburn: Read the next sentence. the following Pledge: 1\lr. W ALSH: I shall read the next 'I . . . . being a Candidate for selec sentence. tion by the Labor Party's recognised Political Organisation in the . . . . Elec 1'\Ir. 'Davis interjected. torate, hereb:v erive my Pledge that if not selected I will not in any way oppooe the liir. W ALSH: There is nothing in this Candidature of the dul:v selecter1 Nominf'e; about conven6on. The hon. member is trying and, if selected, I will go through with to put something into this pledge that is not the contest. I aQree, if elected, to advocate there. It says- a11cl support the :Princirles contained in '' In the event of the question of the the A nstralian Labor Part:v 's Federal, interpretation of any plank in the platform St~te anrl Local Government Plntforms.' '' being in dispute it shall be referred to In tho House anr1 on the hustings I have the Q.C.E. for decision, and that decision done fnr more than any hon. member over on shall be final.'' the ri,g-ht in advocating the principles of the Where is the dispute in connection with Constitution and Rules of the Australian this~ The Parliamentary Labour Party Lnbor Part:v Platform. Nohorl:v can say determined unanimously-not one vote that I hnve ever broken that plri!ge either against-that they were in favour of the in or outside the House. The pledge tln·ee weeks' annual lea Ye in principle. continues- ·where does the dispute come in W The only '' ... and on all questions atfectinQ tne dispute is whether the Q.C.E. should have Platform to vote as a ma.iority of the the authority to direct members of this Supply. (ll JUNE.) Supply. 31
Parliament as to the day, the date, the week service to the realm, as to the real interests and the month when such legislation should be of the constituency which has elected him, introduced. or even of the society which pays him, differ from the decision of the parliamen It is the interpretation. I shall not waste tary party and the maintenance by it of my time on that. The thing is quite clear. its policy, he has come under a contract to Even though, Mr. Clark, we concede all those place his vote and action into subjection things, it is still here that they shall act not to his own convictions, but to their in accordance with the majority decision of decisions. the party. I have had a long association -with the Party and I understand the rules ''My Lords, I do not think that such a which I have studied carefully. Even subjection is compatible either with the though I say it, I think there are many spirit of our parliamentary constitution people >Yho will give me credit for my con or with that independence and freedom tril•·~tion on those things at State or Federal which have hitherto been held to lie at the conventions. While I am on the matter of basis of representative government in the pledges, I think this should go on record. United Kingdom." Hnn, nwmbers will realise that I like to do a How appropriate! If my friends on my Httl 0 re~earch in connection with these thin!Ts. right want to accept the Communist line and This is very interesting, and I think for that bow to the decisions of outside bodies regard renson it should go on record, It is from the ing the implementation of legislation in this juf!P."ment of Lord Shaw of Dunfermline in an State, that is their business. English case of Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants v. Osborne before the House There is another interesting extract there, of I o;·ds. One would thinl< thnt in this but I shall leave that for the time being. judgment the House of Lords was dealing As I said earlier, this is a threat to with all the things that are involved in the democracy. There have been previous threats poli ticnl crisis within the Labour Party in to democracy in this country, and, strangely this State. enough, they all seem to come when the I Amongst other things, Lord Shaw said- Labour Party is in power. When take my mind back to what happened in 1949, when '' As to candidate and members of Parlia the late Ben Chifiey had to assume the respon ment themselves, the constitution is in sibilities of the ofiice of Prime Minister of these terms: 1, 'Candidates and members this country and demonstrate to the Labo,nr must accept this constitution; agree to people, particularly, throughout Austraha, abide by the decisions of the parliamentary and to the people as a whole, that Labour party in carrying out the aims of this con was competent to govern in any period of stitution; appear before their constituencies crisis and realise how Mr. Chifiey measured under the title of Labour candidates only; up to his obligations as the Prime Minister abstain strictly from identifying themselves of this country, I liken that to what with or promoting the interests of any Premier Gair has done in this State. party not eligible for afiiliation; and they In other words, we have the same influences must not oppose any candidate recognised operating in this State today as we:e operat by the executive committee of the party.' '' ing in the structure of the trade. umon move ment in New South Wales particularly, and How like our own Rules in this State! everybody knows that at that time the Com ''The position of a member of Parlia munists had a plan whereby they sou.ght to ment supported by the contributions of the hold this country up to ransom. Then first society is accordingly this. As stated, (1) threat was to stop coal production in New he is by the society's rules 'responsible to' South Wales-- as well as paid by the society; (2) he must have as a candidate signed and accepted lUr. Gair: Where was the, hon. member the conditions of the Labour party; (3) for Flinders then W while that party has its own policy, he must lUr. WALSH: The hon. member fl(lr accept its constitution, and 'agree to abide' Flinders was out in the wilderness at that by the decisions of the parliamentary party time. The Communists sought to brill!~ in rarrying out the aims of the constitution. industry to a standstill; powerhouses and Under these aims the first object of the industry generally were to be brought to a constitution must be included, namely, main standstilL The late Mr. Chifiey with a com taining the Parliamentary Labour Party's bination of wise JlOl'tir11 am1 industrial own policy. Unless a member becomes leadership in New South Wales at that time bound to the society and to the Labour was able to resist the inroads of the Com party by these conditions, and shapes his munists into industry in New South Wales. parliamentary action in conformity there And how did he do itW By providing troops. with, and with the decisions of the parlia He put military personnel into the coal mines mentary party, he has broken his bargain. in New South Wales. There are those people TD ke the testing instance;''- who have so much to say about breaking a and this is the important part- platform, hut if they read from page 107 of this booklet-- '' should his view as to right and wrong on a public issue as to the true line of Thir. Dufficy: We have read it all. 38 Supply. [ ASSElVIBL Y.] Supply.
Mr. W ALSH: And you will hear it again the hon. member for Toowoomba. On the tonight. This is going on record. Paragraph contrary, I refused to listen to my best 11, under the heading of "Defence", says- friends in this party when they tried to tell '' Defence personnel not to be used in me about the failings of the hon. member for industrial disputes. ' ' Toowoomba. I regarded him as a young man who would contribute something to this Did anybody charge Mr. Chifley, his Cabinet party and eventually become its leader. He and his Party, with having breached the plat knows that nobody tried more than I to save form because he stood up to his obligations~ him from the wreckage that he is now in. Mr. Chifley was able to show as the Labour Prime Minister just as Premier Gair is show ~Ir. Duggan: You worry about saving ing, that he was prepared to resist even if it yourselves. We are all right. meant the risk of his defeat. Somebody in I\Ir. Gair interjected. Toowoomba said the other night that Mr. ~Ir. Duggan: You will not have the l'.fenzics won. Of course he won, after what Packard much longer. Mr. Chifiey had done for the waterside workers and the coal-miners. No other 'file CHAIRliiAN: Order! Government in Australia had improved their conditions as much as they were improved lUr. WALSH: I have already invited the under Chifley 's Prime Ministership. That did hon. member for Toowoomba to contest my not matter. The Party had to be thrown into seat, and also to get on the same platform political oblivion, and the Communist Party and give his side of the story. However, went hand in hand to the Liberal Party to he was not prepared to do that. It would seek to bring about the defeat of Mr. Chifiey have been a fair thing if both of us had and the Labour Government. That is the appeared on the same platform. party that the official Labour Party is JUr. Duggan interjected. linked with today. lUr. W ALSH: I hope the hon. member lUr. Davis interjected. will give it here tonight. lUr. WALSH: Now, Mr. Barcoo, if any ~Ir. Duggan: I have only 25 minutes, body wants to drag the sectarian serpent in but you have about five homs. here, I am ready for it. I listened to the broadc!lst of the hon. member for Mackay .Mr. WALSH: In addition to what hap the other night and when I remember the pened in the coal mines in New South Wales, actions of the hon. member for Mt. Gravatt I draw attention to what happened to the in this matter, do not let anybody dare to '' Halligonian Duke,'' which arrived in Vic bring the sectarian issue up here. toria from India with gas coal to make up the deficiency in that State's supplies. Ben Mr. Davis: Is Santa Maria sectarian? Chifley put the Navy on to unload· the coa.l. Mr. WALSH: The hon. member knows, He was not reprimanded for that. That 1s because he :oupported him. He assisted Dr. what surprises me all the more about the Evatt to write his policy speech. hon. member for Flinders. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Federal Government for The CHAIRliiAN: Order! years, yet now he chooses to say that 110 longer does he recognise Parliamentary Dr. DI'l'TJUER: I rise to a point of orde.r. authority. He is prepared to be pushed Any intelligent person would infer from the around by an outside body, irrespective of Treasurer's remarks that he was accusing me its constitution. of sectarianism. That is offensive to me and if he intended the inference I ask him to JJir. Dav.is interjected. withdraw it. Mr. WALSH: I have already warned the hon. member for Barcoo that I am going out The CHAIRliiAN: I ask the Treasurer to to his electorate. accept the hon. member's explanation. Let me now come a little closer to home Mr. W ALSH: I must accept the hon. and talk about the meat strike. That was member's explanation, but when his own one of the most carefully-designed plans of leader and other members of his party are the Communist Party in this State. They making a clumsy attempt to raise the sought to start a dispute in the Oxley bacon sectarian issue in broadcasts, do they expeet factory on seniority and the old mle of last me to remain silent~ on, first off. However, the dispute was Dr. Dittmer: I expect you to be decent. settled and they transferred the trouble to the Brisbane abattoirs. The Industrial Mr. W ALSH: Fancy the hon. member Court was able to effect a settlement there, for Mt. Gravatt, of all people, giving us a and then the Communists switched thll lecture on decency! When did he reach the dispute to Mur:uriP. Bit by bit they stage when he could give anybody on thi8 sou-ght to sabotage the machinery of side of the Chamber a lecture on being Government and industry in this State. decenH He is another one whom I tried They succeeded in putting the waterside to advise to the best of my ability. I did workers and the coal-miners out for months, not look for inferior things in the hon. mem and they did their darndest to get the rail ber for Mt. Gravatt any more than I did in ways out but whether it was any credit to me Supply. [11 JUNE.] Supply. 39
or not-I was Minister for Tra11sport at the Hon. members will realise that I have fol time-they did not succeed. Thanks to a body lowed my political and Labour history very of loyal trade union officials in the railways, carefully. Queensland was protected from a complete There are some questions to be asked and tie-up engineered by the Communists. We all some to be answered. This is whm·e you begin know what happened. The late Hon. E. M. to find the footprints of the Communist Hanlon accepted his obligations as Premier Party coming into the political structure of and applied the emergency provisions of the the State. Why did the Carpenters' Union, State Transport Act, which contained dire the Painters' Union an cl other trade unions penalties for those trade unionists who did not remain aloof from the A.L.P. for so long~ comply with the demands of the Government. Silence on my right! 'l'he Carpenters' Union Did any bona-fide Labour man object to the and the Painters' Union got out about 1941. late Mr. Hanlon 's measuring up to his During the whole of that period they have responsibilities as Premier~ contrilmted nothing to the Labour Party's Then we had the railway strike in 1948. I campaign funds in Queensland, irrespective was not in this Assembly at that time. Hon. of what they may have clone in the Federal members will remember that one of the most sphere. The A.R.U. have remained aloof for drastic pieces of legislation ever brought 31 years. Why then at this stage have the down in the House was introduced by the Carpenters' Union (which is Communist con late Mr. Hanlon. It became known as the trolled), and the Painters' Union (which is anti-picketing law, and, to my mind, it cut Communist controlled) and the Australian across the whole of the principles of the Railways Union (whose leadership over the industrial code of Queensland, yet hon. mem years has been suspect, if not Communist bers, after a brief discussion in Caucus, controlled) come into the structure of the accepted it unanimously. I am not com Labour political machine~ These are the plaining about it, because the Government qut>stions which have to be asked. Why have were measuring up to their responsibilities. they returned f I will tell hon. members why Now the scene has changed, and there are they have returned. I hope they will pardon some questions to be answered. me, but here is my authority, ''Communist Review'' for April, 1957. I am not going to Mr. Turner: Was that legislation quote from some anti-Labour Party publica approvnd b:· the Q.C.E. ~ tion but here is an authority-- Mr. Gair: Yes. IIIr. Hanlon: The Communist Party is Mr. Turner: It was not. anti-Labour just the same as these people here. Mr. Gair: It was. What would you know about it: Mr. W ALSH: That is an interesting interjection from the hon. member for Ithaca. ilir. WALSH: I think I could answer On page 140 of the "Communist Review" for that more effectively and more truthfully April, 1957, we find- than any hon. member over there, as I was a member of the Q.C.E. Inner Executive at '' Today we share the leadership with the time. No such legislation was ever pre members and supporters of the A.L.P. sented to the Q.C.E. Inc1eec1, my experience in many trade unions, factories, and on extends over 14 vears and I have no know the jobs, in the mines and on the ships. ledge of any le'gislative proposals by the vVe must work to increase this unity. Labour Government being submitted, dis Members of the Communist Party have cussed and approved by the Q.C.E. before proved skilled, capable, sincere and introduction in the Chamber. I will defy courageous fighters in these activities and Mr. Bukowski or anybody else to name any. bave shown workers how to win many vic tories. vVe must take this further, to c\.s a matter of fact, one of the bitterest share the leadership in the Parliamentary critics of the anti-picketing legislation was iiclds, in Federal and State Governments, the late Mr. C. G. Fallon. I was personally and increasingly in Local Government.'' associa tccl with him for many years in the Mackay district and in Labour circles in Those are not my own words. They are not Brisbane. Being a good, loyal industrial from the '' Conr"er-Mail'' or any anti-Labour lea~er, he ~aid not one word a bout the legis source bnt a record of the Comi1mnist Party. latlon ~nd 1ts effect on trade-union policy till Mr. Wood: Nor any Labour source. the stnke was over. Then he demanded its repeal. The A.W.U. executive made an Mr. WALSH: I can imagine what the appointment with the then Premier to dis hon. member for Toowuomlw would say. The cuss the question but, in the meantime fact remains that they have accepted Jerry Cabinet decided to repeal it and announced it Da>Yson and Jack Hanson, devout Commun to the world, appeasing the Communist ists, into their arms. Nobody realises the "n:fiuences in the Trades Hall who had hon. member's difficulties more than I do. .1lready publicly announced that they were ~obody feels more sympathy than I do going to hold a mass meeting in the because these people have come in and Stadium on 30 June. It was taking the inflicted themselves upon the Labour Party benefit and credit of any repeal of that despite all the endeavours of the hon. mem legislation completely away from the A.W.U. ber for Toowoomba to shake them off. These 40 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
Red bugs will have the hon. member scratch Nineteen were required and 38 nominated. ing and tearing for the rest of his political Mr. Boland polled 21st in Bukowski 's dis life. It reminds me that the A.L.P. used to trict. The Hero of Hobart was not even voted be referred to as the Evatt Party, but now in as a delegate from the Southern district it has got to the stage ,.-here it is accepted to Convention. So much for the great Labour as being the Bukowski-Evatt-Duggan Party. stalwart, the hero of Hobart. .Just imagine If you cut it short for the sake of conveni it! ence you would call it the B.E.D. Party. If Over the whole of the State, where it was you want to put the Labour Party to sleep for accepted that the ballot may have been mis ever, all you have to do is to join the B.E.D. handled or manhandled, the branch secretary Party-the Bukowski-Evatt-Duggan Party. always topped the poll. But in this case I now wish to say something about union Harold Boland came 13th on the list for the ballots. whole of the State. Remember, in Mr. Bukowski 's own district he was actually An Opposition Member: What do you voted out as a delegate to Convention! know about them~ That brings me to Mr. Bukowski himself. Mr. WALSJI: I think I know quite a bit There are some of us who have been close about them. I probably know more than enough to discussions under headings that than some people would like me to know. would lead us to make the statement that Mr. I cannot be blamed if I peruse the published Bukowski is a self-confessed spy. Nobody ballot figures in "The Worker" newspaper. over there is going to deny that he, himself, I do not ask hon. members to take the figures admitted that he was part of an qrganisation that I may produce, but I ask them to accept in this State and the reasons why he was. the figures that appear in one of the Decem Just as you might suspect him there, say, ber issues of ''The Worker'' each year. From so he is to be suspected where he is now. time to time it has been said by Bukowski Having regard to his past affiliations, th~re that the A.W.U. has a membership of 80,000. is all the more reason why the trade umon In their report they use the figure of 64,000 movement of this State and the political members. I am not concerned with either of Labour structure should do everything in their those figures. The figure I am concerned with power to shake him off. is the certified audited return put into the hands of the Industrial Court, which gives At one time I used to think that he was a the membership of the A.W.U. at approxi friend of the hon. member for Mundingburra, mately 74,000. At the last ballot there would but I think otherwise now. be fewer than 17,000 members out of that total whose votes are shown to have been lUr. Ailrens: At one time he was your recorded. I am not saying they recorded their best pal. You could not prise the two of votes, but I am saying that there would be you apart with a chisel. approximately 17,000 out of 74,000 whose The CHAIR:fiiAN: Order! votes would be shown as having been recorded. That number is about 23 per cent. of the Mr. WALSH: I have always known the total. When I look up Bukowski 's figures hon. member's feelings about Mr. Bukowski. I am a bit sorry that I am not on side with In case anybody had doubts about his him. I think any union official who can friendship with me, I know that when I went attract 98 per cent. of the votes in his dis to contest the Bundaberg seat he had no trict is a pretty good worker. In the Southern interest in my winning that seat from the district last election Mr. Bukowski received anti-Labour member who held it. He went 98 per cent. of the totnl votes east and 95 so far as to say to the people of Bundaberg, per cent. over the whole of the State. "Why do you want an outsider~ Why don't l'lfr. HHey: That is not too good· that you get a local man~'' That is the sabotage is two per cent. less than Stalin got. ' that was going on. Bukowski knew that ~ had never trusted him. That is why Bukowski Mr. WALSJI: I was leading up to that could not unload anything on my associations I think the only people who could record vote~ and affiliations. to that extent were Hitler and Stalin. Accord Dr. Noble: Wa's he in cllarge of. the ing to my recollection of the ballots under Labour Party when you became an orgamser~ the Nazis and the Communists in Russia they each polled about 95 per cent. of th~ lUr. W ALSH: No, definitely not. God total votes recorded. Let us see how this was used against the man who became known as forbid! the Hero of Hobart, Harry Boland, a decent I previously mentioned that I shoul~ have Labour man. No matter how rigidly he may something to say about Mr. Bukowskl. In have stuck to union policy, no matter how this letter, a copy of which I have here and much it may have reacted against myself the original of which I have seen, addressed to personally, nevertheless I would concede that the late Mr. C. G. Fallon, who was then he was a genuine Labour man. How did he General President of the A.W.U. and also fare in the ballot two years ago~ In March, branch secretary here, by Mr. J. A. Beasley, 1955, he was the Hero of Hobart. In Sep Minister for Supply and Development-- tember, October and November an A.W.U. ballot was held for delegates to Convention. lUr. Jesson: He is dead, too. Supply. Ill JUNE.] Supply. 41
:1\Ir. W ALSH: It does not matter about him in the trade-union movement t() his being dead. If it will help the hon. whom I mentioned it and they knew member for Hinchinbrook, I shall inform him I had a copy of this letter. In the that prominent members of the A.W.U. have first place the late Mr. Fallon gave me the seen the original of this letter, and for his letter, and to make sure afte1· he was dead,. information and for the information of others, I got a copy from his son. There was one the last I heard of it was that it was in the place where my footwork was a bit faulty. possession of Mr. Jack Schmella, the secre tary of the Q.C.E. Mr. Jesson: It took you a long time to bring it up. lUr. Jesson: I only said that because you have quoted three dead men. Mr. WALSH: Now that the war is on, it is all out. Mr. W ALSH: I do not care why the hon. member said it. If he is casting any doubt Mr. Jesson: You kept it in your chest on the authenticity of this particular docu for a long time. ment, I am referring him to the original. Jlr. W ALSH: It does not matter how Mr. Jesson: The only reason I said it long I kept it there. As I have been was that you had already quoted three dead challenged I am not running away from men. the fight. Everybody knew that I distrusted Mr. W ALSH: This letter reads Buko>Yski. Have I not with Mr. Bryan and the late Mr. Fallon gone on deputations PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL. to the late Premier, Mr. Hanlon. One of COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, the things that Mr. Fallon pleaded with me MINISTER FOR SUPPLY AND about during the 1950 discussions regarding DEVELOPMENT, the election date and so on, was whatever I did not to mention it to the inner execu CANBERRA, A.C.T. tive because Bruce Pie would have it in the 4th May, 1942. morning. And so it was. That was how ''Mr. C. Fall on, I found the relationship between Bukowski ''General President, A.W.U., and the employers. He was always boosting the employers. I never heard him engage "Worker Office, in Labour propaganda. He took it upon "Brisbane, Qld. himself to assume that I was going to ''Dear Mr. Fallon, make this allegation and one night over ''In connection with the Queensland Station 4KQ he tried to make out that Advisory Food Committee, the Hon. F. Security got mixed up with a man named Bulcock, Minister for Agriculture, for Bolewski, the same name as a great foot warded the name of Mr. J. J. R. baller around the Bundaberg area. It is Bukowski as the Workers' representative. true there was a man named Bolewski actually associated with the Communist Party in ''I have received from the Secretary Mackay but that is not the story that of the Supply Department, a memor Mr. Bukowski told to Mr. Fallon. His claim andum enclosing a Secret report in which was that Security got mixed up with another it is stated that Bukowski is a native of name, Bokoweskchan. The family resided Mount Morgan and is of German-Polish around Maryborough. Security did not descent. He resided in Mackay and make any mistake. It had the right while there he was shown on a member name. It was not Bolewski. I will not ship list of the local Communist Party unravel and reveal all the circumstances but no evidence was obtained that he was related to the name of Bokoweskchan. an active worker in that body. That was the name he gave to the late Mr. ''Just as an added precaution, I felt Fallon. I am not manufacturing all this; I would like to check the matter with I am not given to that sort of thing. If you. Therefore, I shall be obliged if I throw bricks, I like them to be on facts. you will drop me a note at your earliest Mr. Fallon told me that the internment convenience. papers were ready for signature, and that ''I hope you will not mind my referr had it not been for his representations to ing the matter to you. Somehow I feel Dr. Evatt, the internment would have been you will understand more particularly as proceeded with. I could give the name of the matters I have referred to appear on the officer who recommended the internment. thP file. This enquiry is entirely between He lives within 100 miles of this city. ourselves. Therefore I would appreciate Mr. Davies: Wby didn't you tell them if you would treat it confidentially. that at the Q.C.E. ~ ''With best wishes. Yours Sincerely, Mr. WALSH: Mr. Fall on had the original (Sgd.) JOHN BEASLEY." documents. I do not have to be the "knocker" in everything, although many I never made any public declaration people might expect me to be. that Bukowski was a member of the It might also interest hon. members to Communist Party, Mackay Branch. There know that at one time Bukowski was a were certain of those associated with recruit in the Police Force. He got out and 42 Supply. [ASSEl\1BLY.] Supply.
wanted to get back again. But that is going enemies opposite might be returned as a back many years. Mr. Bukowski talks about Government, so they will do their utmost to his industrial history. I have here a letter ensure that the Queensland Labour Party ~rom an old Labour stalwart. Some parts of is returned. I make no apologies for those 1t, Mr. Clark, may not do justice to you. intelligent people ,,-ho subscribe to our The man's name is W. J. Long, and his funds, and who, for nearly 40 years, have address appears on the letter. He says that benefited from wise administration. Of A.L.P. men who worked with Bukowski course they will subscribe. cotton-picking in the Dawson Valley say that It would be n bad day for the campaign he scabbed on them when they went on strike of Labour in Queensland if it had to for more money, and that he was chased out depend for its resources on the funds of Baralaba by an ex-Mt. Morganite. AR contributed bv trade unions and the Central a matter of fact, this man would not let Executive. Branches in many eentres and Bukowski board the train at Baralaba, but individual unions have lent much assistance made him walk to the next station. He then financially and otherwise but, as to the went north and became a unionist. central organisation, less than £1,000 was 1\. gentleman called on me todav who was contributed directly to the political cam an A.W.U. representative at Dittmer Mine, paign by the whole of the trade union Proserpine. In fact, he got the sack there structure of Queensland. because of his activities as a union rep resentative. He went to school with Mr. :Mr. Hiley: Without the breweries and BukmYski. He told me about the war in the the S.P. bookmakers you would be broke. eopper works at Mt. Morgan when Mr. Mr. W ALSH: The hon. member for Bukowski bailed up on taking a union ticket. Coorparoo kno1m very well that his side is The hon. member for Port Curtis, too, the one that gets the share from the could tell an interesting story about Mr. breweries. Bukowski. He worked on Mt. Marlow station Mr. Hiley: What about the time they \\ith Mr. Bukowski when he did not have a sent you your cheque? union ticket. The hon. member for Port Curtis cannot deny that, because I heard him lUr. W ALSH: What about the time the say it ·when addressing an A.L.P. meeting at oil companies sent your cheque to us and Bundaberg. we had to return it to you. (Laughter.) Charges have been made against the Tl1e CHAIR]}IAN: Order! Premier of collecting money for campaign funds from opponents of the Labour Party. lUr. WALSH: I make it clear that I I have yet to hear of any political leader in have no objection whatever to any employer this country on either side who has not contributing to the funds of the Labour received subscriptions to his campaign funds Party and thereby helping to maintain from interests other than the union move stable government in Queensland. ment, and I refer particularly to Chifiey, As further evidence of this association Curtin, Calwell, Evatt and Scullin. Because with certain employers, let me read a sworn of the policy introduced by the Scullin declaration by a Mr. Tully. It says- Government of protecting the small loeal ' 'Queensland manufacturers against the big importing magnates, those people were glad to sub To wit scribe to Labour Party funds. I am not I, William Henry Tully of Fifth aoinP" to talk about the timber interests, Avenue, Coorparoo, Brisbane in the State beca~se they are not in this eity. However, of Queensland, Retired, do solemnly and I know that in some of the ramifications of sincerely declare as follows: Mr. Bukowski 's activities, when he was very 1. I was formerly employed as active in the Group movement, he collected Liaison Officer for N. V. Appleton Pty. £100 from prominent employers in one instance Ltd. The Managing Director of that and in Brisbane, two other contributions of Company is Mr. T. A. Hiley, M.L.A., £100 each. I am not condemning those who is also the Liberal Member for employers. They were eontributing funds to the State seat of Coorparoo. an organisation that sought to destroy the 2. In 1951 I was employed in the influences of Communism in Queensland. Sales Department of the abovenamed Mr. Hilton: Set up by the Q.C.Ei. Company, and a written order came from Mr. Hiley as follows:- :Mr. W ALSH: Yes, set up by the Q.C.EJ:., ' Deliver one Model 5 Home Laun as the Secretary for PulJlic Lands and dry to R. J. J. Bukowski at Eingle Irrigation points out. I am simply draw field R-oad, Oxley. Charge to me.' ing attention to the complaint about those in industry subscribing to a fund to help 3. This order was carried out, and the return of the Labour Government. Of the cost of the Home Laundry charged course they do. The business people of to Mr. Hiley 's account. Brisbane do, too. That is why I feel sure AND I MAKE this solemn Declaration hon. members opposite will not be returned. conscientiously believing the same to be The business interests of the State and true, and by virtue of the provisions of elsewhere fear the day when their traditional the Oaths Act of 1867." Supply. (11 JUNE.) Supply. 43
The CHAIRMAN: Order! £6 000 000 to the State against the cost to th~ St~te of £25,750,000 from 1 July, 1947, to- Mr. HILEY: I rise to a point of order. 30 June, 1956. It is perfectly true that I arranged for Mr. Bukowski to purchase a washing machine. It is only fair that I should say that that I have never been hostile to the trade union period of 16 years covered the war period movement. I am not prone to reject a when the returns to the railways were con· courteous request from any trade union siderable and profits were made. There was official. Mr. Bukowski did not approach me no way in which the Railway Department directly but the request came through an could spend its funds at the time. The hon. member of this Chamber who was then highest yearly charges to the State on record and is now a colleague of the Treasurer. The wP-re as follows:~ cheque was paid by Mr. Bukowski on his £ own account. 1955-1956 6,131,132 1952-1953 4,660,555 Mr. WALSH: I am not worried about the hon. member for Coorparoo. What I 1951-1952 3,508,244 was trying to convey is that his man's hatred 1949-1950 2,342,206 for employers does not stop his using the 1954-1955 2,101,905 employer where he can get personal gain of During the war years, increased traffic and some sort. On this occasion he had to go reduced expenditure resulted in the Railway through a Liberal member, the same as he Department returning substantial credits to goes through Bruce Pie, Chandlers, Redcomb and so on. Consolidated Revenue. The figures are as follows:- Every time the hon. member for Toowoomba £ makes a broadcast he likes to push out his 1942-1943 4,335,746 chest and say how much he has done for the 1943-1944 1,813,9711 Queensland Railways and how he has been responsible for all the great activity in the 1944-1945 681,497 Railway Department. Let us see at what cost 1941-1942 561,917 it has been. I well recollect his remarks when The following table shows the excess cf I was sitting up there where the hon. member working expenses over receipts for the five for Mundingburra is now seated. In years in which they occurred:- "Hansard,'' page 1213, Vol. 199, 1950-51, £ we find that the hon. member for Toowoomba said- 1955-1956 2,665,737 1952-1953 2,494,535 '' Many of these works of modernisation and rehabilitation had their beginning dur 1951-1952 1,649,376 ing the time of my predecessor, the present 1950-1951 98,665 hon. member for Bnndaberg. He set in 1949-1950 10,106 train certain reorganisation and modernisa During the period from 1 July, 1947, to tion plans that could not be developed very 30 .Tune, 1956, working expenses exceeded much because of material and manpower receipts by £4,750,000. On 1 July, 1955, the shortages.'' State held cash and investments totalling It is true that a committee was appointed £25,750,000. The total was reduced to to go into the matter of electrification. Mr. £17,750,000 at 30 June, 1956-£6,131,132 of Harrison from South Australia was appointed the reduction of £8,045,462, or over 7 5 per by me to inquire into the reorganisation of the cent. was due to the operation of the rail workshops throughout Queensland. It is true ways during that year. That is a clear that I did all these things as l\finister for indication without wanting to take anything Transport but I was only doing as a member away from the hon. member that he has of the Government what I was expected to do. obviously had a very generous Treasury that There was no reason for me to throw my was able to make available to his department chest out and say that I was responsible for £25,750,000 over the period in excess of th0 tl1is or that. amounts returned to the Treasury. The hon. member for Toowoomba must accept these Mr. Duggan: Why quote my statement unless you want to throw your chest outf things. At Ipswich he said that Gair and Walsh were miserable, and if we had not Mr. W ALSH: It is pertinent to what I been so miserable there would be another 104 have to say later on. After all, I did not new aluminium carriages in the suburban make the statement. Every time the hon. area. I do not know why the hon. member member makes a political broadcast he must mentioned suburban carriages. He knows my come back and say something about the Rail feelings in that respect. He did not tell the ways. Let us have a look at what it has other side of the story of introducing a new meant to me as Treasurer. Let me tell vou principle into the financing of these contracts what it has cost. From 1 July, 1947; to whereby the Treasury would be called on to 30 June, 1956, the operation of the Railways, pay interest at bond rates or 6 per cent. on excluding capital expenditure, cost the State the late payments. If that were done why £25,750,000. From 1 July, 1931, to 30 June, should it not be clone to finance contractors to 1947, 16 years, the Railways returned a net build schools and hospitals and homes 'l The 44 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
hon. member for Toowoomba knows that money (iii.) That, therefore, Cabinet regards for that purpose can only be made available as a matter of the utmost gravity from loan fund~. the attempt being made to impose on the Premier responsibility for Nobo~y knows that better than the hon. :member for Toowoomba, but he wants to decisions to which we incliviclually mislead the public into the belief that we and jointly subscribed, and to had the funds. which we adhere, and we, the undersigned members of On the other hand, when revenue improved Cabinet, wish it known that any punitive as time went on and it wa~ clearly indicated action by way of expulsion, suspension that the Railway Department could be assisted or otherwise taken against the Premier in regard to this matter, what did I do as will therefore be regarded as having been Treasurer and as a member of the Gov JUr. W ALSH: No, I have not contra ments, most of which obviously are paid for dicted myself. by the oil companies. Then we are expected Mr. Duggan: You •said that I thought to believe that he wants to dissociate himself the Ministers would not sign it. They had from things that appear over his name. signed it before I put my addendum to it. On the subject of secret conferences with the Lead. r of the Opposition, I warned that lUr. WALSH: The hon. member sold to hon. member one day when he rang me that his party the story he sold to the Trades he would have to be very careful about Hall representatives-that there would be a getting in touch with me. He seemed a break in Cabinet on this and that at least little disturbed when I told him to be very four or five Ministers would not be prepared wary of secret conferences. I said, ''You to stick to the Premier. never know when your telephone is tapped.'' Mr. Duggan: You tried to make a break in the A.W.U. executive. lUr. Duggan: Are you admitting that you are doing that sort of thing~ Mr. 1YALSH: The break will come in the A.W.U. executive. Mr. W ALSH: I am not in a position to do it, but I shall tell the hon. member a lUr. Duggan: Yours will be the· master very interesting story. Because ot what ~s hand. happening on my telephone, I have been m toueh with the Postal Department and have Mr. WALSH: Though I may have the complained about interferences and master hand in it I think they are competem to do the job themselves. To the credit of disturbances on the line. Williams and Goding it can be said that Mr. Duggan: You should be ashamed of they saw the damage being done to the Trade yourself. Union Movement and the Labour Movement not out of personal regard for the Premier Mr. W ALSH: I should not be asJ:amed We all know too that as true unionists and of complaining to respon,ible officers 1n the Labour men they were prepared to take a Postmaster-General's Departmen~. It is my stand against the machine that sought to right to protest about my telephone service. destroy the Labour Party. lUr. Duggan: That is a different thing. lUr. Duggan: They are backing this I have no objection to that. Party energetically. Mr. WALSH: What is the hon. member Mr. W ALSH: Wait and see. The hon. objecting toW He is in such a dizzy frame member knows that I am not in any way of mind that he does not know whether he trying to misconstrue his actions. Nobody is coming or going. knows that better than himself. He toot I have here a newspaper cutting that a objection to those words in the last para Queenslander sent to me from the South. graph and he thought if the words wer., He is on holidays in Sydney. It is ''The altered he might be able to sign the wholf Sun'' of 6 June, 1957, and this is what document. He will not deny that I pleaded it says- with him across the Cabinet table and said, '' Prisoners of the Reds, union leaders "Jack, you are the potential leader of the have to take care on the phone-they know Party in this State. You have no challenge their conversations are reported. from anybody sitting around this table, cer They have daily evidence of a Com tainly not me.'' He still found a reason munist Party espionage service in the trade why he could not sign the final paragraph. unions as efficient as any Police State's. Mr. Duggan: That does not show the Here are some examples. Naming the actions of an ambitious man. men would cost them their jobs-finish them industrially. lUr. WALSH: The actions of an ambitious man f He will remember that I Mr. A., leadPr of a big union with strong said, "You can place whatever so-and·5'J anti-Communist views, is surrounded by worc1s ,v. 5 o'clock in the afternoon and have no action to stop them. It is no use coming in business in his office at half-past 2 in the here now and speaking about these things mommg, and the hon. member for Mt. when they were a party to them. They Gravatt. They can make all the explanations should have taken action to stop them. In they like. Having said part of what I have view of all these circumstances we believ·~ to say I move the motion. that it is imperative that this intolerable situation which has left the State virtually }lr. NICKLIN (Landsborough-Leader ungoverned be resolved by the proper and of the Opposition) (8.58 p.m.): Many Sup only arbiters-the electors; and we are there ply B1lls have been introduced into the fore determined to send the Government to Chamber during the many years Parliament the people without delay. has been in existence, but I doubt-in fact I . am cert~in-that never has any Supply Opposition lliembers: Hear, hear! B11! been mtroduced the way this one has been introduced. Personally, I cannot see Mr. NICKLIN: The sooner this mess is t1te reason behind it. The Treasurer spoke cleaned up the better it will be for the people for a few minutes about the State's finances of this State. What is happening to the best State in Australia at the present tim ~ We and. the rest ~f the time he engaged in van_ous o?se.rvatwns upon what has been hap have not got a Government; the affairs of pemng w1thm the ranks of the Labour Partv. Government are being neglected, and the ~ am sure that the public will be particulariy administration of the State is being neglected mterested to read the contributions made because the Ministers and other members this afternoon by the Leader of the Aus and ex-members of the Labour Party are tralian Labour Party and the Treasurer. not concerned with getting on with their job Irrespective ~f the strange happenings on but with the fight one against the other. That is not for the benefit of this State. On t~e mtroduchon of the Appropriation Bill h1story is certainly being made in the an occasion like this one would expect the Chamber today. This session of Parliament Treasurer to give some indication of what will probably go down as one of the shortest the intentions of the Government are. Will on record, but it will not be recorded in the the Government attempt to carry on or what history of the State because of its brevity will they do~ It is no use coming 'here and but rather on account of the impact which asking this House for a certain sum of our actions today will have on future genera money. If the Treasurer thinks that he ]s tions of Queenslanders and the future going to get this money on the blind then advancement of this great State. It is with he has another think coming to him. If he t?ese cons.iderations in mind that the Opposi could justify the granting of this supply tion, hnvmg as always-I emphasise that why did he not attempt to do so. He did word-the welfare of the State and the :r:ot make any attempt to justify an addi people at heart, determined on the course of tional supply, so there is evidently no need action which it will follow in the situation for it; and we are not going to be a party to giving the Government one penny piece Wfl qre faced with today. We are not going to be diverted from' that course. Our above the supply they already have. The determination is reinforced by what we have hon. the Treasurer did say that he would heard in this House today. be coming to prepare future Budgets for us. We can do that quite well. We have men Opposition lUembers: Hear, hear! on this side of the Chamber who can pre Mr. NICKLIN: We have heard things pare a better Budget than ever the hon. today, particularly from tbe leader of the gentleman produced. A.L.P., which have been talked about and }fr. Devries: Do not count your chickens. suggested. On this occasion a responsible ex-Minister has stood up on the floor of tho ;tur. NfCKLIN: We are not counting any House .and spoken of intimidation in regard eh1ekens. We are prepared to leave this to pohr.e transfers and other things. If matter to our maRters the people, and these thmgs have been going on it is time whatever their decision is, we shall accept that all branches of the Labour Party were it. kicked out. :rtir. Hilton: So shall we. Opposition Members: Hear, hear! Mr. NICKLIN: If they give us the responsibility of governing this State, we Mr. NICKLIN: After all every section shall accept that responsibility: if they give of the Labour Party must take some the responsibility of governing the State re~ponsibil~ty f?r what allegedly has been to some other party in this House, we shall gomg on m th1s State. It is no use the accept that. But the only thing that metst Leru1er o~ the An•+ralian I"abour Party's be done at the moment is to give the people making this statement. What was the hon. that opportunity. member doing while those things were going on~ The hon. the Treasurer gave a lengthy ])[r. Hilton: They were not going on. dissertation on who rules Queensland. He made lengthy references to the Communist Mr. NICKT.TN: The hon. member said influence in our community and the power they were. If those things were going on of that influence. Have we not been telling why did not the hon. member take some the people of this State of that very same 48 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. thing for many a long day 1 Who has led down at Dunstan House and up at the the fight against Communism in Queensland W Trades Hall were all buddies. Heaven for I suggest that we have been unrelenting in bid that there should be disagreement in the in our fight against the Communistic Labour ranks! During the election campaign inf!uenees in this State. much was said about the alleged unity in the Mr. Walsh: They supported some of Labour Party. There was certainly a some your candidates. what outward semblance of unity but now we know exactly what unity there was in the ~Ir. NICKLIN: Many hon. members who Labour Party on that occasion. It was one sit and used to sit on that side of the of the greatest political confidence tricks House had very considerable support from ever put over the people of this State, and it the Communist Party. was put over by the Labour Party by its Mr. Power: I was opposed every time. statement that it was united and had the confidence of its backers at Dunstan House 1\Ir. NICKLIN: The hon. the Attorney and the Trades Hall. What actually happened General is always a bit different from was that all the stilettoes and knuckle every body else. dusters were parked for the time being, but What a mess we are in today! Is this it was not very long after the election Parliament, composed as it is at the present before the stilettoes and the knuckle-dusters time, with a minority Government, in a again came into operation. We now have the position to fight this great menace that the sad spectacle of the Labour Party split into hon. the Treasurer emphasised a few two sections, one sitting over there and the moments agoW Of course it is not. The other sitting on this side of the Chamber. only way in which we can effectively fight lllr. Dnggan: We will be sitting over Communism is by giving Queensland an there shortlv. effective government. When we look round the House, where can an effective govern Mr. NICKLIN: The hon. member alway:s ment come from 1 \Ve cannot get an effec was optimistic and he was just as optimistic tive government from the members presently and enthusiastic at the election 12 months occupying the Government benches. What ago about the unity of the Labour Party and hope have we of getting an effective govern how it would be able to do this and that. Do ment from the Left Wing over hereW No not let us forget that he went round the hope at all, when we realise some of their countryside saying at various times, ''If you associations. The only hope for effective don't return the Labour Party you will not government in this State, the only hope for have a hope of getting anything done in Queensland, is a government of the Queens your electorate. You have to return the land Liberal and Country Parties. Labour Party or else.'' The same intimidation and the same methods are being used today When the people of this State are given an opportunity, they will give the only in the inter-party strife which split the parties that can give the State effective Labour Party into two sections. The situa govPrnment an opportunity of being the tion is such We must resolve the impossible political favourable to both those parties. But our impasse that exists in Queensland, and chief reason for opposing the suspension of the only way we can do it is to have an Standing Orders was to take the Premier election. We on this side have stated quite and the Treasurer at their word that they plainly where we stand and what we propose would meet us on an equal basis. We all to do. We will not grant the Government had 40 minutes to speak on the motion for the any additional Supply. It is incumbent on suspension of Standing Orders, with in some the Government to carry out their responsi instances the right of an extension of 30 bilities as a Government, and if they cannot minute!;. But whRt is the position now? The get Supply their obvious line of action is to Treasurer says he wants to be fair. I ask resign and go to the people. him to consult the dictionary on the table Mr. Power: Without electoral rolls? on the meaning of the word ''fair.'' It certainly does not square up with his Mr. NICKLIN: Whose responsibility is approach to this question because it ~as taken that: him 119 minutes to belch forth his spleen Irrespective of what the Attorney-General against the Labour Party and he gives me says, it is incumbent on the Government to 25 minutes to reply. Is that fair1 !s th~t hold an early election so that a new Parlia reasonable~ Is it in accordance with his ment can be assembled before the current ell;pressed desire to give us a fair go~ He Supply is exhausted. If they fail to do that, rants to be factual. He wants to be helpful the culpability is on their shoulders. The and to encourage us. and then he takes 119 issues involved in the present political situa minutes to spew forth his attacks on all anti tion in Queensland cannot be settled within sundry. the four walls of this Chamber. When you This is one of the few occasions on see the feeling between the two sections of which I agree with the Leader of th& the Labour Party and hear what is said by Opposition. The Treasurer might well have them, it is obvious that there is no possibility come before us and said, ''I will tell you of their ever getting together again. why we want Supply until 30 October. I will explain why it is imperative for. us to Whatever way we look at it, there is no get authority to carry on Supply until that chance of Parliament in its present form date.'' But not one word have we heard doing the job for which it was elected 12 of the need for such a step. Instead, we months ago, that is, governing this State have heard many words, hundreds of words, properly. Nobody would suggest that at the thousands of words, of hate directed against present time Queensland is being governed the Partv that raised him and others with properly, or governed at all. Anybody who him to the high and exalted offices they has any regard for the future of the State and occupy today. If ever there was justifi for its people cannot allow the present situa cation for our taking action to hurl these tion to continue. We on this side of the people into oblivion and to give the electors Chamber will not be a party to allowing it the opportunity of Tectifying the positi?n, to continue one day longer than is necessary. it has been amply afforded by the tactics That being so, I repeat that we will not grant of these men, who clnim to be the cham the Government any additional Supply. We pions of democracy, who claim to. believe. in will vote against the motion to grant Supply. Christian principles and who cl:11m to give Let us get on with the job of governing people a fair go. They do not know the the State. Let us forget these personal meaning of those things. recriir 'nntions that have bPen ·fiving across I turn now to one or two points that the Chamber all the afternoon. The ·were raised. First let me deal with the people of Queensland are not concerned foul lie that I and those with me are with the differences of opimon between trying to perpetrate a sectarian campaign hon. members on the other side of the in Queensland. Nothing is more repugnant Chamber and those who are now sitting to decent Australian~. on my left. We on this side IYill play our Mr. Skinner: What about what you are part in giving the people an opportunity of doing in SDmcrset ~ electing a Government that can do the iob they expect to have done. We shall do that ~Ir. DUGGAN: The hon. member for by voting against further Snpply and refus Somerset is forgott\'11. I do Lot mind ing the Government one penny more than dealil1g with men "-ho have a rhance of they hnve now. political surviYal. I put the Treasurer in that category because he has a chance--a lUr. DUGGAN (Toowoomba) (9.19 p.m.): very remote one, but nevertheless a chance. If anv evidence was needed of jmtification for I am not going to waste any of my the attit 'de that we adopted in voting against precious 25 minufes on R political nonentity the snspension of Standing Orders, it has been who, without very much doubt, will be forthcoming by what has happened since then. thrown out in a few weeks' time. I saii! thnt there had been an alliance between the Country Partv and the Government to Mr. Skinner: We will see. enable certain thi~gs to happen, and we have 1\Ir. DUGGAN: We do not need to wait the satisfaction at least of knowing that on to see. \Ye kno\Y. It IS a matuematleal two occasions the Opposition have voted with certainty, so let us not waste very much the Government to achieve certain results time on that. 50 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. What. did we get in the 119 minutes~ they were false friends and became a sup We got a Cook's tour starting off about porter of mine he became this terrible man World War II. in 1941 when Hanson spoke of Polish-German extraction. I say now, about starting a second front. What in and I accept full responsibility for saying the name of goodness has a demand for a that I challenge the Treasurer to repeat second front in 1941 got to do with giving outside the Chamber the accusations Supply till 30 October~ Take all the other that have been made about Mr. Bukow~ki things he raised-dossiers, secret police, a:;; a Communist. If the hon. gentle tapped telephone conrersations, telling us man is half as fearless and half as what happened about one of the chief courageous as he says he is he will be citizens of the State, dealing >vith the prepared to make these accusations outside private lives of people, whom they meet. the Chamber. It will be like when the where they meet, and what they talk Premier was asked to name the Communists ahout. He and his colleagues talk about on the Q.C.E. democracy. On behalf of the electors of Mr. Walsh interjected. Queensland I throw back in the teeth of the Treasurer the suggestion that we are Mr. DUGGAN: He will not waste time going to permit to remain in office any with the little fellows. It will be the fel longer than necessary a Government that lows with the big fat wallets like you that condone the use of police for the purp0se he will have a go at. He will not waste of reporting back to the Treasurer and his his time on people who have nothing to lose. friends where I go, where everybody else Mr. Walsh: Why does he not get into goes, and what their possible conversations the wi tne6S box~ are. Then he brings into the House security documents and raic,es matters many years Mr. DUGGAN: The best the Treasurer old. Is that the sort of thing we are will have in the future is what I have got fighting for~ Is that in accordance with now. Somebody eltc3 will be speaking for 119 the true conception of democracy? It minutes but I hope that what he has to certainly shows how far they have drifted say will be different to what the hon. away from the great principles that gentleman has said. He will be in the brought the Labour movement into being. same position as I am, limited to 25 minutes They should hang their heads in shame. to reply. I am not growling about that They talk about Communist infiltration. very much. If the Treasurer had said, Do you not think it is significant, Mr. ·'Well, the gloves are off, I have got the Clark, that a man >vho knows things that advantage over you in that I can speak happened back in 1941, and who has in for as long as I like and as often as I his posse~sion a document allegedly signed like' '-he can get up in his place half a by Mr. Beasley in 1942, remains silent for dozen times-I would have said, ''Those 15 years or more on those important are the rules of the game,'' but he says, matters~ "We are the great demoerats--" lUr. Walsh: Never had it that long. Mr. Hilton: Would you give. him an extension~ l'llr. DUGGAN: He said he has seen these things for years. 'l'he Secretary for Public Mr. DUGGAN: You spend all your time Lands and Irrigation has a gleeful look on defending some of the things you should his face. He will have that removed before occupy your mind with. If you want to very long, too, when the endorsed Labour challenge me I will challenge you, make no candidate opposes him. He was fulminating bones about that. I am not going to seek the other night about those terrible Press the protection of the Chamber to say it people. He said that they should be either. thoroughly ashamed of themselves and then spent 10 of his 15 minutes quoting what The CHAIRlUAN: Order! the Southern Press had to say good about Mr. DUGGAN: You are one of those Mr. Gair. I should have thought that they philosophical men who profess Christian would be the last authorities he would principles and like Caesar's wife, you are quote from. As long as the Treasmer above suspicion. could use his power and influence to secure decisions that were favourable to him the Mr. Hilton: I have never said that in Q.C.E. was quite an acceptable organisation my life. to function in the interests of the Labour The CHAIR~IAN: Order! Party. Less than three years ago Mr. Bukowski, the State Secretary of the ~Ir. DUGGAN: You think you have a A.W.U .. for reasons best known to himself halo about yourself but you want to be did not like me as much as he liked the careful it does not fall down and choke Treasurer and the Premier. When these you before very long. organisers and others engaged in an attaek against me they were being so'Dled on by The CHAIR~IAN: 0Tder! the Treasurer and Premier-'' Carry on J oe, you are doing a grand job because Mr. DUGGAN: You can do what you you are using your influence to crush like about it. Duggan.'' But when Mr. Bukowski realised Mr. Hilton: Anywhere, any time. Supply. [11 JUNE.] Supply. 51 The CHAffilUAN: Order! Mr. DUGGAN: If the hon. ge.ntleman says that, I shall exonerate them. I would not Mr. DUGGAN: These people talk about want to involve them. I would not blame the influence of Communism and so on. It them for doing what they were asked to do. was the affiliated unions of the A.L.P. that What the hon. gentleman says seems to sug went along to the Premier, Treasurer and gest, instead of it bearing the hallmark of Secretary for Labour and Industry and the Parliamentary Draftsman and the Pub stated, ''There will be a campaign for licity Officers that it bears the hallmark of industrial reform by the Communist unions the collaboration of the Treasurer. It is in on the subject of three weeks leave. the typical Machiavellian style that the hon. Cannot we circumvent them~ Cannot we gentleman employs. The hon. gentleman can introduce it in such a way that we will give hawk the document from Crtpe York to Cool the Government and affiliated unions the angatta. I in no way apologise for my credit for it rather than the Communists?'' efforts to save the Premier from being If these people were sincere in fighting expelled. The hon. gentleman talks about Communism they would have got behind the things that happened. He knows that when affiliated unions and introduced this reform. the Premier asked me whether he should take I was not present at the early discussion. I a proxy along, I said yes, I thought it would did not take advantage of my lack of know bP wise. The Treasurer advised him against ledge of what was said by either party. I this. Were those actions of mine those of a said that it was a matter for regret that man who wanted to stab the Premier in the there was so much misunderstanding about back~ If the Premier had gone along himsfllf what somebody said or promised. Subse and made the speeches that I made and that quently a pledge was given by the hon. the Treasurer has made there would never the Premier and he was expelled, not because have been a problem of the three weeks' leave. he was Premier of the State, but from the The affiliated unions did all they could to Labour Party. The Treasurer quoted cer extract the Premier from the position that tain Rules but he did not quote Rule 90, was brought on by himself. You say that which says- you can repudiate the rulP book that guided '' All endorsed Australian Labour Party you for 20 years and then bring along a Members or Candidates shall be bound by document to pledge your allegiance to one the decisions of the latest Convention and man with no constitution or rules-merely the latest Platform, and shall sign such blinu passive obedience to one man. Platform when called upon by the Queens llir. Walsh: No, not one man. land Central Executive to do so.'' l\Ir. DUGGAN: Yes, one man. I invited That is the obligation. The hon. gentleman the Q.C.E. to take action and prefer charges went on to this famous document, namely against me if they thought that my actions the document circulated by the Premier merited expulsion. and signed by his Ministers, and faid llir. Walsh: Why didn't they do it? that I agreed that Mr. Gair was a wonderful man. I say frankly that I used my voice on lUr. DUGGAN: Because they did not think I 11 as deserving of it. occasions-and the Premier was happy to use such powers of public speaking as I lUr. Walsi1: You were just as culpable as might possess-in support of the Premier. I was. Ministers have come and congratulated me on ]Jr. DUGGAN: They were the people my speeches in Caucus in defence of the who, in season and out of season, said that Premier. Members on this side have told me, this body must impose some disciplinary "Why don't you pipe down; you make bet powers. ter speeches for the Premier than he does for A Government Member interjected. himself.'' Unlike the Treasurer I was pre Mr. DUGGAN: You would be better pared to go to any length to preserve the occupied in trying to find out whether or not unity of the Party. you have lost your skill as a fitter, because A.L.P. llfembers: Hear, hear! you will be employing it soon. 1Ur. DUGGAN: I was not concerned A Government Member interjected. al1out Duggan or Gair. The preservation of Mr. DUGGAN: If the electors should the Labour Party was the thing that appealed spurn me and I should have to go back to to me. During my 10 years' experience as a the very humble occupation of a grocer, I Cabinet Minister I know of no occasion when shall not be too proud to face that situation. a typed document embodying proposed legis A Government Member: Why make a lation came before Cabinet for us to sign. point of it~ It bore the hand-mark of the Premier's staff and the parliamentary draftsman. Mr. DUGGAN: I do not want you making my speech for me, and I object to your Mr. WALSH: I rise to a point of order. interrupting me. If you give me another In fairness to the staff, I wish honestly to 25 minutes, I shall quote any rule that you say that the staff had nothing whatever to do like. with the document. A Government Member interjected. 52 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. Mr. DUGGAN: It must be hurting the iHduce Mr. MacDonald to withdraw his hon. member. If you go down to a sty and candidature in 1947. Let the Premier answer throw a stone in, you can bet your socks that Borne of those questions! the pig that squeals is the pig that is hurt. In conclusion, I wish to deal with the story Let me now deal with this question of that the Treasurer and some of his supporters Communism. All these people are talking are spreading round the country about my about how they fought Communism, but n,l being in the pay of the oil companies. That hon. member on the Government benches could only exists in the foul mind of the Treasurer. deny that the A.W.U. and Mr. Bukowski, the I ~·ish to say as I said before that a repre State Secretary of the A.W.U., have fought sentative of the Shell Oil Company was one of Communis:U harder, more frequently, and for the Liberal aspirants for the Toowoomba longer penods, than any member on the Gov St:,t. ernnwnt side of the House. \Ve know that lllr. Walsh: That does not mean a thing. pronouncements have been made by them llir. DUGGAN: Of course it doe-s not about stopping industrial trouble because uf me:hl a thing to the hon. member. I do possible Communist infiltration at Marv Hut deny that I have seen oil company exee:u Kathleen, and we know the steps that M;. tives. Do hon. members think that I would Bukowski and other members of the A.W.U. have the knowledge I have of the things have taken to prevent Communist infiltration going on if I did not have contact with the of the A.W.U. Indeed, the constitution of v~ople who know these things~ I make my that organisation provides that they shall own contacts. I do not meet at the Lands not be there. Ofiice Hotel IYith top officials including police Mr. Walsh: That is not true. officoa'ls to have information tagged to me. I h~1·e nothing to be ashamed of. As to JUr. DUGGAN: I am not going to be this legislation v;hich the Premier put di. ~r·cerl. The hon. gentl~man had 119 JO:in through, the unhappiest men in Australia will utes, and he is now attempting to grab another be Mr. Gaylor and Mr. Josephson. I should ten minutes by interjecting. like to know "'here their money went to The Premier was a delegate to the Q.C.E. get this legislation put through. It is known Did he object when the Painters' Union that they are regretting very much now that came along~ they bacli:ed the wrong horse. I say on lUr. Gair: Yes. bchalr' of the Labour Party that if we are r<-tur'Jf'd to po" er we will repeal the obnoxious Mr. DUGGAN: You did not object. It provisions of the Motor Spirits Distribution wa'· a unanimous decision. You did not Bill. The other Parties sitting on this side object when the Carpenters came along. will do exactly the same thing. I spoke for Mr. Gair: I did. one !:our at the meeting of the Q.C.E. on this matter. The Treasurer should be ashamed lUr. DUGGAN: You rsat there with that of himself for the i,.,f,Hmntion tagged to h1m. smug, complacent look on your face and did What a sorry thing it is for us to think that not say a word against those unions. in t:t:s land of Qwcenal3ncl I cannot go into Let us see how far the Communists have n pnl,j:,. phre 11 i+hont being tagged by the helped the Premier. \Vhen the Communists Treasurer as to where I went, whom I spoke have nominated candidates in seats held bv to, and what I did! I was down at the book the Labour Party, have they opposed th~ ing office but the hon. member did not know Premier in South Brisbane~ Of course they y·h:1t for. have not. In 1947, Alex. MacDonald, this Mr. Walsh: You were on the third floor. man whom they are now defaming, this No. 1 Communist, nominated for the Sonb Brisb>rne Mr. DUGGAN: But now he knows, and seat, but withdrew from the campaign one that makes it all the worse. I say definitely month before polling day. It is worth noting that the people of Queensland will not stand that in the 1944 election, Mr. Gair had a for the Gestapo state of affairs here when majority of 1329 in a straightout cont~st ,ome high Government official can use var1ous with a Tory opponent. With only one op instruments to tag what people do, where they ponent again in 1947, his majority was cut go, and whom they meet. It would be a to 703, but the Communist candidate Mac sorry day for Queensland if they did. I did Donald had withdrawn from the contest with not, like the hon. the Premier, meet oil corn· only weeks to go. As it was, in 1947 Mr. pany executives at Lennon 's Hotel at Broad Gair 's majority was cut by very nearly half. beach for hours on end. I dicl not see oil What would have happened had MacDonald executives in Sydney until long after the not retired~ It is clear that if he had polled legislation was introduced in this Chamber as as well in South Brisbane as he did in the the Premier did. I have nothing to be Kurilpa seat in 1944, Mr. Gair would have ashamed of. The stand we take now is been defeated. Mr. Walsh brings all these a stand in accordance with high ethical (locuments out of the secret archives of the considerations and in accordance with Communist Party. If he wants to be helpful what we believe is a fair go. I agree with in these matters, I suggest that he withdraw the Leader of the Opposition that we say to from the archives of the Communist Party tl'e neople a" f!uir 1 these men who say that they are preserving rolls, to have the police go from door to door democracy, these men who claim that they so that the rolls are correct before election represent christian principles.'' The mask day. I cannot see very much wrong with will be torn aside for all time. We will see that but I remember quite clearly that in to it that the fate of these men will be 1953, when the Government wanted to take ~uch as is deserving of those who betray th~J advantage of the anti-Menzies-Fadden feeling Labour movement. We will fight the Labour that was permeating the State, they rushed Party's cause and principles throughout the to the country on 7 March, right in the State, and I am sure that everyone around middle of the northern wet season and will respond to our plea to come back to the cyclone season. They would have rushed to traditional way and support the Labour Party the country on 28 February of that year but and not have the state of affairs where a for some little thing that upset their arrange Treasurer in 119 minutes spewed forth his ments. So that the Government have proved venom. He will spew it forth again and I that when it suits their convenience they can ask the people to beware of this sort of thing, go to the country at any time. The conveni this campaign of character assassination in ence of the electors does not matter a roasted an attempt to undermine the morale of peanut to them. It was a shocking thing to Queensland people by suggesting we are go to the country on such a date as 7 March. disloyal, but the people will have nothing I suppose the Government thought there was of it. This is the last trick these men have some justification for following the rule that to play before they are struck into political self-preservation is the first law of nature oblivion. in deciding to hold the election on a date (Time expired). that suited their convenience. Fortunately, in 1953 North Queensland did not have the Mr. AIKENS (Mundingburra) (9.45 expected wet season or the expected cyclone. p.m.) : I voted in favour of the Premier's But one year later, on almost exactly the being granted leave to introduce the Bill same date-6 March-North Queensland was because I felt that the people of Munding hit by cyclone Agnes. That could easily burra would want me to vote that way, as have happened a year earlier, on the day on they and the rest of the people of Queensland which the 1953 election was held. I mention w~;,llt0d to Jmow why the Government needed these things to show that the Government Supply. We had no means of knowing hold an election when it suits their conveni before the Bill was introduced the extent to ence. I assume, of course, that that is true which the Government required Supply. It of all governments. It would probably be was not until the Treasurer rose to speak true of the Liberal-Country Party if it was that we learned with some amazement that in power, and it is true of the Federal he wanted Supply till the end of October. Government, irrespective of the political vVe heard the Treasurer for 119 minutes. complexion of the ruling party. He spoke on the Bill for 4! minutes and Ur. Walsh: Or the North Queensland then launched an attack on the opposite Labour Party. faction of the La1Jour Party. I have no objection to his doing that, although I do 1\J:r. AIKENS: It would be true of the not think that this is really the place for it. North Queensland Labour Party too, but As I say, I have no objection to what the we have a different conception of democ Treasurer says about the hon. member for racy from the Treasurer. We believe in Toowoomba, or what both of them say about taking the people into our confidence abso me; that does not concern me at all. But lutely and we sincerely believe that they I did think that we would be told, by either are always our masters. Anyone who knows the Premier or the Treasurer, when the me-and the Treasurer knows me well people would be appealed to. Instead of enough-may be sure that, even after this that, we have had an amazing exhibition. We remarkable session o:l' Parliament, I will be had 115 minutes of anti-A.L.P. vituperation back at the Regent 'J'heatre telling the from the Treasurer and 25 minutes of anti assembled multitude abvut it. Like Christ, Q.L.P. vituperation from the hon. member I go out into the market place and gather for Toowoomba, and we still do not know the multitude about me and I tell them all when the Government intend to go to the I have done. They either reject or accept country. When I heard the Treasurer and what I say to them and they approve or the hon. member for Toowoomba I thought condemn accordingly. We believe that of the old saying, ''Those whom the gods ''vox populi, vox Dei.'' In case hon. destroy, they first make mad.'' members do not know what that means, it The Government should be honest. This is means that the voice of the people is the not the time for political three-card tricks voice of God. I believe that-and I am or political thimble and pea demonstrations. not a deeply religious man. The North It is seven weeks since the split occurred in Queensland Labour Party believe it too, the Government Party, and the Premier and they believe that in this remarkable should have taken the people into his con set of political circumstances the people fidence and told them when an election would should be given an opportunity to pass their be held and why it could not be held before judgment as quickly as possible. then. We have heard a good deal from the 1\J:r. Walsh: I will say this: you have Attorney-General and others by interjection always consistently voted with the Opposi that there is need for a re-assessment of the tion against the Labour Government. 54 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. Mr. AIKENS: I always vote in the is foolish enough to line up for me to tip Chamber as I think I should. I have never the bucket on him. Already my buckets are been a political stooge or a party yes-man. overflowing. I thought I would have no I have always told the electors of Mnnding more to put in them but, as a result of burra that if they want to elect a yes-man today's debate, I have plenty to put in or a party stooge to Parliament they should more than I can possibly handle. not vote for me. If they want a man who will vote as his conscience dictates in accor Mr. Chalk: You will want more buckets. dance with his political and industrial prin Mr. AIKENS: Yes, I will. The hon. ciples, then they should vote for me. If member for Toowoomba complains, I sup ever I vote with the Opposition, I do it pose with a fair amount of justification, that because I believe they are right; if I vote the police are checking up on his movements against them, I do it because I believe they and meetings. I would suggest that he do are wrong. I remind the Treasurer that what I did on a memorable occasion at the on innumerable occasions both the Opposi Regent Theatre one Sunday night. I think tion and the old Government Party have the hon. member for Burdekin was one of the lined up to vote against me. I have been huge audience that listened to me on that defeated 68 to 1, 64 to 2, and so on. Look particular occasion. I was told that a bevy up Hansard. Time and time again I have of police shorthand reporters under Detective not been able to get the requisite number, Senr. Sgt. Cronau, now Inspector Cronau, was five, to have the names included in Hansard. in the audience to take shorthand notes. I So I stand in this Chamber as an example started off by saying, "Well, ladies and of true democracy in practice, not only in gentlemen, we have visitors here tonight. We the words. have police shorthand reporters. So that they The hon. member for Toowoomba com will not miss one word of what I am about plained that the Treasurer had taken advan to say about the people that sent them tage of the Standing Orders and spoken here I am going to speak very slowly ancl for an inordinate time while he was very lucidlv because I do not want them to limited to only 25 minutes. That is quite mis·s anything.'' They took down notes true, but it is in the Standing Orders and which filled 17 closely typewritten pages. it has been going on for years. How often They almost had to take it down on asbestos. has the Treasurer put the same thing over They sent it down here. The Treasurer read me~ And how often did the hon. member it, in fact every Minister of the Crown has for Toowoomba put it over me when he was read it. If hon. members want to see how I a Minister~ I very clearly remember one stopped the police coming to my meetings, let occasion when the hon. member for the Treasurer lay that typewritten report on Belyando was Secretary for Health and the table. It is a beauty. They were not Home Affairs. While putting through his game to send police reporters to my meetings estimates hP spoke, I think, for 8~ hours any more in case I might improve on my per straight and we did not get a chance to formance that night. I suggest that the hon. speak that day. I think hon. members of member for Toowoomba or the Treasurer, if the Opposition will clearly remember that. he ever becomes a member of the Opposition This sort of thing has been going on, as and is plagued with police shorthand writers, the hon. member for Hinchinbrook said, take a leaf out of my book. Say something ''from time immoral.'' (Laughter.) that they will report to the Government which the Government will have to handle The CHAIRMAN: Order! with tongs. lUr. AIKENS: I have never complained Since the day before Anzac Day there has about giving any Minister that start. I been no real Government in Queensland. It have never complained about a Minister is true that the Ministers have carried out having unlimited time at his disposal various functions, that we have had a Premier in the committee stage while only 25 and a ministry. However, they have not been minutes have been made available to game to do very much because they knew me, because I have always been con that the Government had lost control of Par vinced that I could say more in 25 minutes liament. They knew that if they issued any than any Minister of the Crown could say Orders-in-Council or regulations under any in 119. I am prepared to give him that Act they could be challenged and probably start and to continue to give it to him. nullified by an adverse vote in the Chamber. It was a remarkable complaint for the hon. I am not suggesting that the Ministers have member for Toowoomba to make that he not individually done their job well. I know had only 25 minutes. True, as member for from the correspondence I have had with Toowoomba he had only 25 minutes; but them that they have been carrying out their I remind him that he has another 23 mem duties very efficiently. Nevertheless, they bers in his Party and they each also have 25 could not do anything of any consequence minutes. If they all want to take the because they knew that they could not sur Treasurer on and wash more of the dirty vive a challenge in the Chamber. In other Labour Party linen, we will be quite words, we have had a Government in sus happy-I will, anyway-to sit here and pended animation. I think the hon. members listen. It is remarkable ammunition for for Yeronga and Mt. Gravatt will agree me, if either a Q.L.P. or A.L.P. candidate with me when I use a medical term and say Supply. [12 JUNE.] Death of Mr. W. Bertram. 55 that we have a cataleptic Government. Bill so that this Parliament can be dissolved Or, to quote one of the malapropisms of the as speedily as possible and the people-our hon. member for Hinchinbrook, we have had real masters-can give their decision in a Government suspended in the air like accordance with the merits of the case pre Mahomet 's womb. Therefore, the only decent sented to them by the various parties. thing we can do is to go to the people. The Progress reported. people have heard both sides of the argument from the two factions of the Labour Party. They know now what the fight in the Labour SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT. Party is all about. '!.'hey have had sufficient Hon. V. C. GAIR (South Brisbane radio broadcast talks, advertisements and Premier) : I move- publicity from both sides to know what the split is all about. But the split in the '' That the House, at its rising, do Labour Party is not the real concern of this adjourn till 11 o'clock tomorrow." Parliament as a Parliament. The split in the The House adjourned at 10.4 p.m. Labour Party is purely and simply a matter of concern to the Labour Party, old and new-if I may use that term. This Parlia ment was elected by the people to control the interests of the people and govern Queensland in the interests of the people. It is obvious that a t.xovernment with only a minority of members in the Chamber cannot effectively control the State. I would have been prepared to grant limited Supply, say, even to 30 September, if the Treasurer had indicated an election date and said, "We want Supply until 30 September for such-and-such a reason,'' had I honestly believed that his reasons were sound and worthy of supp01:t. But they have not done that. I agree with the Leader of the Opposi tion and the leader of the Australian Labour Party, not that it is necessary for me to agree or disagree with them. I express my own opinion that the sooner we get to the country the better it will be for the country and the better the electors will be satisfied. I have gone over most of North Queensland since the Government lost control of Parliament and I have talkecl about the problems that concern them. They are eager to reach their decision at the polls. What their decision will be, we do not know. vVe cannot deny them the right to express that decision at the polls. We would be unfair and undemocratic if we delayed our approach to them. lUr. Gair: You can only do it provided the machinery for the State election is in order. Mr. AIKENS: You have had plenty of time. lUr. Gair: You talk to the Government Printer. - Mr. AIKENS: Why have you not got up and said thaH The Treasurer was up for 119 minutes during which the hon. gentleman dealt with the Bill for four minutes and dealt with the leader of the Australian Labour Party and Mr. R. J. J. Bukowski and everybody else for 115 minutes. As I say, on the face of things I am eager to go to the country. As I said, we are ready and rearing to go. Everything is piping hot, and we are waiting for some dill to hop in and get roasted. I cannot see why an appeal to the people should be delayed. We have had no evidence to the contrary by the Treasurer or the Premier. I propose to vote against the