The Dominion. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1913. THE AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1858, 18 September 1913, Page 6

The Dominion. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1913. THE AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL CRISIS.

There is evidently going to be a bitter struggle in the Australian Federal House _of Representatives 9ver the Bill which has been brought in by the Cook Government to amend the electoral law. Tho battle commenced on Wednesday last when Mr. Kelly moved for leave to introduce the measure. It is quite unusual to debate a Bill at this stage, but the Labour Opposition care very little for precedent at the present time. They want to obstruct business, and they are apparently determined to make the fullest use of overy opportunity to, do so. A discussion was started forthwith, and no fewer than eight hours were utterly wasted, one member frankly admitting th&t he was going to continue the same tactics at every stage the Bill has to pass through. The object of the Opposition is to prevent the Bill from getting through the House, or at anyrate to delay it as long as possible, hoping to keep the Bill from going to the Senate, and in this way to put off the inevitable conflict betweenthe two Houses which would probably end in a double dissolution. The Government would be quite ready to go to the country on the Electoral Bill, but the Senate may not be prepared to taKe the consequences of openly rejecting it.. They may endeavour to avert, or at least to delay, a trial of strength with the House by indefinitely postponing consideration of the measure. If the Labour party persists in obstructing the progress of the Bill in the House, the Government has a very effective weapon in the closure, and will no doubt make full use of it if forced to do so.

One of the most important matters dealt with ' in the Electoral Bill is the _ abolition of the gag on - press criticism which was put into operation by the Labour Government. In a cablegram which we publish in another column .it is stated that Mr. Kelly, in moving the second reading of the Bill, pointed out that the gag had been introduced for the purpose of intimidating t individual members of tho press by insisting on the signatures of the writers being attached to all newspaper articles and reports dealing jvith political matters during an election campaign. This law has proved a most •irksome interference with the newspapers in' the conduct of their business, besides being a very serious restrictira on the freedom of legitimate criticism. It is one_ of the peculiarities of modern political life that the attacks on the liberty of the press should come from those who make the most extreme claim for themselves as far as free speech and unfettered criticism are concerned. In the name of democracy such people would undermine the foundations on which true democracy rests; and in the name of freedom they would strangle liberty, The Cook Government promised the electors that« one of its first Acts would be' to repeal this tyrannical law, and it is now _ endeavouring to give effect to this promise. The Electoral Bill contains a number of other important provisions. An endeavour'is made to improve the state of the rolls and to stop duplicate voting and frauds by preventing rolls from being flooded with names on the eve of an election, and the provision in the existing law that elections shall be held on a Saturday is repealed. The system of voting by post is restored, and is to be applied to electors living beyond five miles of any divisional polling place, also to women who, on account of ill-health, are unable to vote, and to electors prevented from voting by serious illness or infirmity. This is the first policy measure of importance which the Cook Government has had an opportunity of bringing to the second reading stage, so much time having been wasted in censure motions and other fruitless discussions, and the Government seems determined- to make good use of the powers which the Standing Orders give to push the Bill through by keeping the debate within reasonable bounds. When asked on Friday last if there would bo an adjournment after the Minister's introductory speech, Mr. Cook replied in the negative, stating that the Bill had been circulated and the Government would go on with it. This indicates that a prolonged and bitter struggle will take place before the measure gets through tho House, and then it will bo interesting to see what tho Senate will do with it, for it will probably have a very important bearing 011 the general election on which both parties have their eyes fixed all the time well knowing that the present state of affairs cannot last very long.' Commenting on the Bill tho Melbourne Age states that "it is over-elaborate if it be intended to force an expeditious critical issue with the Labour Opposition, since it contains no fewer than 34 clauses many of which are highly technical. On the other hafid ifc is too laconic to be regarded as a comprehensive) measure of reform, bocausc it leaves .untouched many..

questions of great public importance." After the ljisfc election the state of the rolls .came in for very severe criticism, and the Labour party is notlikely to openly oppose the Bill in its entirety. Its policy will probably be to continue the game of obstruction and delay which has characterised its methods since the beginning of the session.