The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 1917. A SORRY SPECTACLE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3021, 7 March 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 1917. A SORRY SPECTACLE

In no part of the Empire is the political situation so uncdifying as inAustralia to-day.. Tho spectacle presented by the federal Parliamciit is a, sorry one indeed. Since the split in the Labour Party which led to the fusion of the Liberal Party' under Mr. Cook with the section of tho Labour Party which supports Me. Hughes, matters have gone from bad to worse, owing largely to the power which the Official Labour Party holds in tho Senate. In tho Upper House of the federal Parliament the Official Labour Party lias a majority over the combined Forces of tho parties constituting the National Government, and this majority .enables it. to block all Government measures after they have passed tho Lower Chamber. Tho crisis which has developed out of an impossible situation and led to the Government deciding on a double dissolution—thai, is a dissolution which compels 'the whole of the Lower House and half the members of the Senate to go to the country simultaneously—arose in this way. The Prime Minister, Mr. Hughes, in order that ho and certain of his colleagues might be able to take part in tho proposed Imperial Conference, and in order also to avoid the internal turmoil and disturbance involved in a general election throughout the Commonwealth, brought down a, proposition to extend the life of the present Federal Parliament. The actual proposal was set out as follows : —

"UiiMca.s ,y reason of t| lo existence 01 a M,ate ol war, and by reason'of the immediate mooting of an Imperial Contcreuce for the discussion of questions of paramount importance to (he Commonwealth and tho British Empire, it is imperatively necessary that the' forthcoming elections for both Houses of Rarliument of tho Commonwealth should be postponed. And whereas in the existing circumstances it can only be effected by an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, now, therefore, this House resolves that the Imperial Government be requested to provide by legislation for the extension of the duration of the prosent House of Representative until tho expiration of six months after the tinal declaration of peace, or until the Bth day of October, 1918, whichever is the shorter period, and for such provision in relation, of the torm of senators and 'the holding of Senate elections as will enable the next elections for the Senalo to be held (it tho same time as tho next general election for the House of Representatives, and consequential adjustments to be made regarding subsequent elections.

It should be explained that the position when this proposal was brought forward was that an election for half the members of tho Senate was clue in Juno of this year, while the House of Representatives would be automatically dissolved in October, of this year. Therefore, if matters progressed without alteration there would bo two Commonwealth elections this year. No one could deny that this was an undesirable state of affairs under existing conditions. The real question, therefore, arose whether the life of Parliament should be extended as proposed by Mil. Hugiiks, or whether the Senate election should be postponed until the election of the House of Representatives in October, when both could tako place at the same time. The Official Labour Tarty appear to have been willing to agree to the latter course, but they bitterly opposed the idea of going !.„ the Imperial Parliament in order to extend the life of.the existing Federal Parliament. Mr. Hughes in his speech in support of the resolution quoted earlier in this article said •

He admitted that if there was no war it would be a monstrous and improper thing to extend the life- of this Parliament another day beyond that; on which the.Senate was duo-to go to the country. Everybody knew that. But there was "a war. (Hear, hear.) There was an urgent need ot the people acting unitedly, rf the war finished before October, good, ft would be a great boon to humanity. (Hear, hear.) If it did not finish by October, their circumstances would be so grave that an election would be impossible. No man who had read that morning's paper could but have some doubt in his mind as to how they were going on at all. lie had never read a statement so disturbing. The question now beforo the House was not: whether this thing or that would bo better for ono party or the other. It was what was best for the country. (Ministerial cheers.)

In another passage he dealt more directly with the undesirableness of holding an election at the present time.

-Australia, lie said, was not now getting much more than -half the ir.si! for war service an they were getting a' t tlie same time Inst year. It was stated during the referendum that there was in voluntarism a virtue which if exercised would satisfy all the requirements of their circumstances. What influence was it that prevented that viitue from now being exercised? (Ministerial cheers.) Whatever it might be. certain it was that .'Hi election would not improve the situation, at any rate for the timo Vicing. It would mean eight or ten weeks of chaos, no recruitiPK and no attempt at united efl'ort. (Hear, hour.) ' for theso reasons nil election was most undesirable. (Hear, hear.) They inns! get men, and there was only one way opeu to them of getting them. And to n'aV<» a success of the only way open lo them everjonn of I limn should go out and endeavour lo do Ids pari. (Ministerial cheers.)

And now, in spite of this declaration, tho National Ministry has decided on a double dissolution. In spite of tho turmoil and chaos and the interference with recruiting which must inevitably result from the holding of an election at the present time, Mil. Hughes and his colleagues have decided to force tho issue. The decision is the more unexpected because it would seem that by some means the National Ministry had managed to secure a majority of one in the Senate for its extension proposal. Possibly that majority was a doubtful one, and tho hopelessness of getting the endorsement of the Senate forced Mn. Hughes to the conclusion that an appeal to the country was the only satisfactory way out of an impossible situation. It is more likely, however, that tho very grave objection raised by friend and foe alike to the calling in of the Imperial Parliament to set aside the Commonwealth Constitution has been tho deciding factor in influencing the Government. Tho position was vory well stated by the Melbourne Age, which, it may be said, in a general way supports tho Coalition Government:

In order properly to understand remarked the "Age," the gravity of the projected course of action and tho influence it must exert upon our national future, if carried into effect, it is essential to ronieinbcr that it involves an alteration of our Constitution by the Imperial Legislature affecting our autonomy. As things are at present the Australian people enjoy an absolutely exclusive authority to alter or to amend tlioir Constitution by means prescribed in and by thoir Constitution, and no external I'owor can alter it, except by force of arms, against the nation's will. Great Britain gave us this exclusive right and authority, and by virtue of the gift sho voluntarily surrendered for ever lier rights to interfere in our domestic political concerns. It clearly follows, therefore, that if the Federal Parliament decides to adopt tho policy proposed by tho Coalition Government to prolong its term of life, it can only do so at tho cost of restoring to tho Imperial Legislature its original authority to shapo and reshape tho Constitution and to direct continuously tho affairs of tho Australian people. Once abandoned l>y us and restored to 'Britain, how can. wo ever again acquire in its integrity tho cxclusivo right which, over since Federation, tins been our most cherished ami most jealously treasured national possession?

So presented if can be readily understood, that the National Government must have realised that if was on very dangerous ground, and the Liberal Party section of it especially must have felt that they would be imperilling the Party's whole political future were- they to persist with the proposed method of securing the desired extension of the life of the Parliament. Li any ease, the idea has now been abandoned, and thero is to be a general election. Needless to say, the Official Labour Party will do its utmost to make the conscription issue the only issue before the electors. They have the referendum figures as a guide, and they profess to be thoroughly satisfied that the National Government is doomed on these figures. It is a risky conclusion. The record of the Official Labour Party in recant times is not one to inspire confidence,' more especially in view of tho marked disinclination on the part of some of its branches to dissociate themselves from Lhe'l.VV.W. with its criminal methods. Onething seems certain, however, that Australia is faced with the prospect of a further period of uncdifying political turmoil and bickering; the time and energy which should be devoted to the prosecution of the war being diverted to the boosting of personal and party ends.