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The Dominion. SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1920. THE FEDERAL SESSION

The commanding feature thus far of the Australian Federal ..session which opened, a little over a week ago is the apparent dcterminatwii, of the Country Party to make its influence felt.' The censure motion proposed by Mr. Tudor on behalf of the Caucus Labour Party has been defeated, but it does'not follow of necessity that the Hughes Government' is securely established in power. According to the latest available particulars the strength of parties in the Federal House is as follows Nationalist? ; 33 Caucus Party 25 • Countnry " Party U .Independent , Oppositionist .... 1 The Government sacrificed one of its votes in electing a Speaker, so that on these figures it controls exactly half the remaining votes in the House. ■ The actual. position has been somewhat obscured hitherto by the uncertain attitude of ; a few, members who aire said to be in doubt whether to support the Government or the Country Party. , It has been; claimed; for the latter organisation that several, ostensible Rationalists are ready to vote'with' it "whenever they are wanted." On the other hand one or.two of its. own members arc said to hold that they would not he justified in seeking to' remove the present Ministers from the Treasury benches. The motion to reduce Supply of'which notice has been given by Mn. M'Wiu.iams, the leader of the Country Party,' distinctly'suggests that its members intend to take up an aggressive attitude in influencing the policy of the Government. The fate of the motion, if'it is pressed, will be" awaited with some: interest.

•On the whole the Country Party seems likely ,to exert a wholesome, influence,,on the course of Federal politics. ' At meetings held 'on the eve. of the session its members decided, to press for financial reforms and economies. An official report stated; amongst other things, that tjib immediate- return ,to cohsjitut-ipiial. 'ttotKod? of Pariininetitriry'- "controltoi public exi^ndilure-was felt to 1)0 absolutely essential to good government; iWhilo' memb«ra--wwe. quite -prepared -to" 1 allow for any mistakes or errors-of-judg-ment which Diipht liavo occurred (luriiif: wni- time, they felt determined '' ,a ' conditions were becoming more normar to uro all 'heir, influence and efforts,(o brinp'about 'the curtailment of unauthorised expenditure.- ;

The' Country .'.Party; also, ' passed the. following motion with reference to cost of living: —

That tho party / recognises that, the present' cost of living is 'cxeessive,- and that, the ooiijiimer ivin many eases pay-' ing prices for primary products- out or all-proportion -to'the amounts received by tho pr'oductMV The party is. of opinion that the' present system of 'di-fcribu-tion -is waUel'ul v hnd 'costly, and- largely responsible for the evil, and- consider:! that.'the' reimvlf lies ' in'-the encouragement, nnd extension ot the co-operative-spi'it. bMwcen consumers and prorVicers, and that tho co-operative ponjini; pyateui for primary products,' dealing direct .with .thc-consumers, should..bc .encouraged. • ... .

The motion i'to. reduco Supply is no' doubt/ intended- a;* ■ a pointedly expressed ■ demand for a policy of thrift'and economy, and-iir-the ox- ■ istinjr c'ireum'stariecs'of thfe Uomipon.woaltli .such ~i ,demand is In -every ■way warranted'.' s it'is.csflmntid that by the end of next June- the accumulated wa.r..ex_ne.uditure from loans and revenue will amount to nearly £^70,000.000.3 TheMvar';debt exceeds £300.000,000. and the. total -.r'blic debt of the Oominnrnrealth and Stritos exceeds '$700,000,000/ The' outlay o.n' war pensions-is .estimated to reach an amount this' year of Since, imo. Stab and IH?' 1 , 1 -. taxation in l th«r'oTmoiuvTaltfv l .l)>.t , .aJmost trohlnd Rich/Jwrdo.n's-" jmr>os.ed, the Federal Government-.' has been neCT?"'d-eV'en ; by moderate evit-. ies of )eadi.nfr the .way. in a public and 'pn vn te. rtrrmval of ' extrp.v.v. prance.' as' '*■ does for the. reversal of these conditions and foe Hi* ei'" , oura r 'emen' o.f nrofiiir+ivn entw-ivis". the Country Pf-tv is in a 'w:ition to render vnlunMr.;:nntional s"rvie.e.

•Jf they are content to concentrate on ecQnomy and. oil .a steady. of coristrnctivo ' progress, Mr... Hpghes arid his'colleagues ought t'o find.: no, insuperably, .obstacle to a working, understanding w't-h the Country Party. It'is evident, however, that a considerable change in method and outlook, morn particularly on the part of the I'cdf-rnJ Prime -Minister hiriiself, is demanded as a preliminary condition to such an agreement. If working harmony .is established tlie. .'.session is likely to witness important developments: .. A .tariff, designed to foster Australian industries lmlks large in the Government's _ plans so far as they have, been disclosed. Legislation is .promised also to amend the Federal Arbitration Act in the direction of eliminating delays in the treatment of industrial disnutos and to give effect to the principle of <i basic, wage. In view of the defeat of the referendum proposals. the Oovcrnment contemplates the introduction of legislation to' authorise' "the, summoning; of a convention reliresonting the- people and the' Parliaments of the Commonwealth and the States for the revision of the national Constitution." Legislation apart, it, .is proposed to set un > Commission to consider Mie whole incidence of Commonwealth taxation. In view of the opening .events of the session, however, it sw>ms evident that:the first and most esseii: ti.il problem by which Mn. Hroi'i'S is faced is that of =n shaping his administrative, and financial policy as to secure'.'a v.-orking' agreement with the Country-Party. ...

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19200306.2.14

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 138, 6 March 1920, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
855

The Dominion. SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1920. THE FEDERAL SESSION Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 138, 6 March 1920, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1920. THE FEDERAL SESSION Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 138, 6 March 1920, Page 6

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