1958. THE PARLIAMENT OF THiE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS SOFTHE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. No. 1. THIRD SESSION OF THE TWENTY-SECOND PARLIAMENT. TUESDAY, 25TH FEBRUARY, 1958. 1. The House of Representatives met pursuant to the Proclamation of His Excellency the Governor-General, dated the eleventh day of February, 1958, which Proclamation was read at the Table by the Acting Clerk, as follows:- PROCLAMATION Commonwealth of By His Excellency the Governor-General in and over the Commonwealth Australia to wit. of Australia. W. J. SLIM Governor-General. HEREAS by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia it is amongst other things provided W that the Governor-General may appoint such times for holding the sessions of the Parliament as he thinks fit, and may also, from time to time, by Proclamation or otherwise, prorogue the Parliament: Now therefore I, Sir William Joseph Slim, the Governor-General aforesaid, in exercise of the power conferred by the said Constitution, do by this my Proclamation prorogue the Parliament until Tuesday, the twenty-fifth day of February, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight, or (in the event of circumstances arising, at present unforeseen, which render it expedient that the Parliament should be summoned to assemble at a date earlier than the said Tuesday, the twenty-fifth day of February, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight) to such earlier date as may be fixed by a Proclamation summoning the Parliament to assemble and be holden for the despatch of business: Furthermore I do appoint the said Tuesday, the twenty-fifth day of February, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight, or such earlier date (if any) as is fixed by Proclamation, as the day for the Parliament to assemble and be holden for the despatch of business. And all Senators and Members of the House of Representatives are hereby required to give their attendance accordingly in the building known as Parliament House, Canberra, at the hour of three o'clock in the afternoon on the said Tuesday, the twenty-fifth day of February, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight, or, in the event of an earlier date being fixed by Proclamation, at three o'clock in the afternoon on the day so fixed. Given under my Hand and the Great Seal of the Commonwealth this eleventh day of February in (L.S.) the year of our Lord, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight and in the seventh year of Her Majesty's reign. By His Excellency's Command, ROBERT G. MENZIES Prime Minister. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN I F.1078/58. 2 VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 25th February, 1958. 2. Mr. Speaker (the Honorable J. McLeay) took the Chair, and read Prayers. 3. MESSAGE FROM His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL BY THE USHER OF THE BLACK ROD.-The following Message was delivered by the Usher of the Black Rod:- Mr. Speaker, His Excellency the Governor-General desires the attendance of this honorable House in the Senate Chamber forthwith. Accordingly Mr. Speaker with the Members of the House went to attend His Excellency:-And having returned- 4. RESIGNATION OF MEMBER AND ISSUE OF WRIT (PARRAMATTA DIvISION).-Mr. Speaker announced that during the adjournment he had received from the Honorable Howard Beale, Q.C., a lettzr resigning his seat as Member for the Electoral Division of Parramatta, in the State of New South Wales, as from the l th February, 1958, and informed the House that he had on the 14th February, issued a Writ for the election of a Member to serve for the said Electoral Division. The dates in connexion with the election were fixed as follows:- Date of Nomination .. .... Friday, 28th February, 1958. Date of Polling .. .. .. Saturday, 8th March, 1958. Date of Return of Writ .. .. On or before Saturday, 12th April, 1958. 5. DEATH OF THE HONORABLE H. C. BARNARD.-Mr. Menzies (Prime Minister) referred to the death, on the 6th December, of the Honorable H. C. Barnard, and moved, That this House expresses its deep regret at the death of the Honorable Herbert Claude Barnard, a former Member of this House for the Division of Bass and a former Minister of the Crown, places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement. And Mr. Evatt (Leader of the Opposition) having seconded the motion, and other honorable Members having addressed the House in support thereof, and all Members present having risen, in silence- Question-passed. 6. DEATH OF MR. G. J. RANKIN.-Mr. Menzies (Prime Minister) referred to the death, on the 28th December, of Mr. G. J. Rankin, and moved, That this House expresses its deep regret at the death of George James Rankin, a former Member of this House for the Division of Bendigo and a former Senator for the State of Victoria, places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his widow in her bereavement. And Mr. Evatt (Leader of the Opposition) having seconded the motion, and other honorable Members having addressed the House in support thereof, and all Members present having risen, in silence- Question-passed. 7. MINISTERIAL CHANGES AND ARRANGEMENTS.-Mr. Menzies (Prime Minister) informed the House that, consequent on the resignation of Mr. Beale, Mr. Townley (Minister for Immigration) had been appointed Minister for Supply and Minister for Defence Production and would represent in the House the Minister for National Development, except for the administration of the War Service Homes Division in which respect the Minister would continue to be represented by Mr. Roberton (Minister for Social Services). Mr. Menzies stated that these arrangements would be subject to review very shortly. Mr. Menzies also announced that Senator Paltridge (Minister for Shipping and Transport) had been appointed to the Cabinet. 8. OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE-CHANGES OF STAFF.-Mr. Speaker informed the House that Dr. Reid, Serjeant-at-Arms, had resigned. It was proposed that Mr. Blake would be promoted in his place. 9. JUDICIARY BILL 1958.-Mr. Menzies (Prime Minister) moved, That he have leave to bring in a Bill for an Act to amend the Judiciary Act 1903-1955. Question-put and passed. Mr. Menzies then brought up the Bill accordingly, and moved, That it be now read a first time. Question-put and passed.-Bill read a first time. Ordered-That the second reading be made an Order of the Day for the next sitting. 10. HIs EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S SPEECH.-Mr. Speaker reported that the House had that day attended His Excellency the Governor-General in the Senate Chamber, when His Excellency was pleased to make a Speech to both Houses of the Parliament, of which Mr. Speaker had received a copy, which read as follows:- MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: You have been called together to deal with matters of national moment. The second session of the Twenty-second Parliament having been prorogued, I am now opening the third session of that Parliament. When I last addressed Parliament, I was able to speak of the happy visit to Australia by His Royal Highness, Prince Philip. It is more than pleasing to us all that this present occasion should coincide with the visit to Australia of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Australians everywhere have looked forward to her second visit to this land. We have a special and personal interest here in the national capital, because of Her Majesty's particular association with the first sitting of the Australian Parliament in Canberra 31 years ago. It is the warm hope of all that Her Majesty may derive as much VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 3 25th February, 1958. pleasure from her visit as her presence in Australia gives us. We remember with pride and thanksgiving the historic work of Her Majesty's late husband, the great King George VI., to which the Commonwealth and the world owe so much. We congratulate the British Empire Service League on the honour Her Majesty has paid it in consenting to open its important conference here in Canberra. Her Majesty's visit allows us to demonstrate once more our affectionate loyalty to Her Majesty The Queen and to our Royal Family. In addition to this, the visit of the Right Honourable Harold Macmillan, the Prime Minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, has evidenced and strengthened our practical unity with the United Kingdom. By their reception of Mr. Macmillan, Australians everywhere have expressed their appreciation of his visit-the first by a British Prime Minister in office-which was made too at a time when world conditions might reasonably have dictated a postponement. While our ties with the United Kingdom, and with the Commonwealth of Nations, have been strengthened, we have demonstrated further our neighbourly interest in Asian development. Last year, we were paid a most happy visit by His Excellency President Ngo Dinh Diem of the Repubhlic of Viet Nam. More recently, His Excellency Mr. Nobusuke Kishi, the Prime Minister of Japan came to Australia to repay the visit made to Japan by my Prime Minister-visits which have greatly assisted in restoring co-operative relations between the two countries. Delegations from this Parliament have recently visited India and Japan, and at this moment preparations are being made to receive a delegation from the Japanese Diet. My Government will continue the policy of friendly co-operation in Asia, and we may hope to receive many visits by distinguished citizens from Asian countries.