Wants Suspension Of Some Members Of Parliament

Chronicle (Levin), 30 April 1948, Page 5

Wants Suspension Of Some Members Of Parliament

" Received Th'lt'fsdav, 7.50 p.m. CANBERRA, April 29. The Indepeiulent member for Nortliem Territorv, Mr. MacAlister Biam, has written Mr. Chifley making a series of charges against the AttorneyGeneral, Dr. Evatt, and t-peaker of'.ttie House of Representatives, and askmg for their suspension from Parliament. He has requeste'd the appointnient or a panel of Judges of tlie High Coiiri, to e.vamine the cha-rges.' Desc ribing Dr. Evatt as "my niortai enemy, " Mr. Blain asked that Judges, not the Attoruev-General, should draft the terms of reference for the inquiry "to avoid the chicanery which has taken place in respect of othef inquiries with which Dr. Evatt has bee'I associated, " Mr. Blain 's letter states that after his return from Malavn^where he was a prisoner of war, hedrafted a question dealing with alleged al^rat ,nto Dr. Evatt 's house when the Nation al Securitv Regulations forbade bnilding operatious valued at over £25, Dr. Evatt liad begged him to wirhd'&'Y as he was about to go overseas t.i represent Australia at the United Nations Conference, Mr. Blain said h j with* held the question which wrs later ruled out of order by the Fpeiker. Following this and other incidents, "thrents were made that if I did not

cease to ask awkward questions, sU-ps would be taken to expose certa.j acts of mv own, allegedly liighly dis:redi> able to myself while a piusone1 of wer. I heard the name of the Attor.Lf-v oGneral associated with these tligea^s. • ' Mr. Blain then outlines inciienrs of October 9, 1947, when the Labour members, Messrs. Rosevear and Midcahy, accnsed him by interje *t.I m m the House of Representatives, of hi v* ing shown his Parliamentary goil pass to the Japanese to obtain prafe.'uitiftJ treatment. He claims that th mgli t.lie committee report exonerated hi n, Mr. Chifley deliberately prevented a Qt!>ate in order to shield Mr. Mul •■ahy.