CABINET DEFEAT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20007, 4 August 1939, Page 7

CABINET DEFEAT

NARROW MARGIN MR.STEVENS TO CARRY 0 REQUEST BY GOVERNOI ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE MOTION OF CENSURE (Eicc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.' (Reed. Aug. 4. 11.20 ami.) SYDNEY. Aug. 4. In the Legislative Assembly yeste; day afternoon the .Stevens Gover: ment was defeated Iby 43 votes to < on the motion of the former Minist: of Public Works, 'Mr. E. S. Spoonc recommending a new 'financial polk, which the (Premier, Mr. B. S. )' Stevens, treated as one of censure. Tl House immediately adjourned imf Tuesday to enable the Government t consider -the position. Ten United Australia Party member usually Government supporter crossed the floor, and also one Ind. pendent voted for the motion. The 'defeat of the Government w: cheered even in the galleries, whic were crowded out. A large crow outside also cheered. It was quit evident that the Premier ; is not politi cally popular in certain quarters. 'Mr. Stevens himself was nonplusse: ‘by the vital verdict, and left th Chamber dispiritedly.

The tenor of yesterday’s debate was acrimonious, several Government supporters -indulging in biting criticism of the Premier’s dictatorial methods. Mr. Stevens called on the Governor, Lord Wakehurst, last night and discussed the crisis. He tendered certain advice, but no decision was reached, and (Mr. Stevens decided to have a further interview with His Excellency to-day. However, the Premier suddenly changed his plans and saw the Governor again last night, when he tendered his Ministry’s resignation. This morning it was -reported that at the Governor's request Mr. Stevens will carry on for the next few days. The Sydney Morning Herald' says that the hostility between the leader of the Country Party, Mr. M. F. Bruxner, and' Mr. Spooner, militates against the latter’s chances of securing the leadership, and Mr. A. Mair, the Treasurer, is considered to have a reasonable chance, of defeating Mr. Spooner, t Members of the Ministry who were interviewed last night indicated 1 that the Government was then not without hope of carrying on, since four supporters were absent when the division was taken, two being ill and two travelling abroad. It was suggested that an attempt might be made to elect a new leader acceptable to both the United' Australia Party and the Country Party. The state of the parties in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly is as fellows: United. Australia Party, 35; Australian Labour Party, 28; United Country Party, 22; Industrial Labour Party, 4; Independent, 1. The defeat of the Government is the culmination of a dispute between Mr. Spooner, former ‘Minister of Public Works, and the Premier, which has been going on for some weeks. It originated ki the efforts of Mr. Stevens to restrict 'the activities of Mr. Spooner in connection with relief works and to transfer the control to a sub-commit-tee. A heated party meeting disclosed that Mr. Spooner‘had many supporters. It also revealed a threat by Mr. Spooner to challenge Mr. Stevens for the Premiership. Saved by Silent Bell There was a tense scene in the Legislative Assembly when the depu-ty-Latbour leader, Mr. J. M, Baddeley, asked for an inquiry into a statement alleged to have been made to a colleague ’by Mr. iSipooner, that the Budget and the finances of the State had been faked, which the Premier indignantly denied. The House was divided on Mr. Baddeley’s proposal, which was negatived by 32 votes to 29, but 'would 'have been carried except for the failure of the division bell to ring in a room in which four Labour members were gathered and were thus unaware of the division. This saved the Government from a vital defeat. Mr. Spooner resigned his portfolios. Four days later Mr. J. T. Lang, Leader of the Labour Opposition, launched a no-confidence motion, Which revived Mr. Spooner’s attack on the Premier for alleged Budget-faking, which the Premier duly repudiated. The no-confidence motion was defeated, Tax Manipulation Denied The next development was the moving Iby Mr. Spooner on Wednesday of a motion recommending a new financial policy for 1939-40 and the creation of a special trust account for the proceeds of the wages and special income taxes, which must foe used exclusively for the relief of unemployment. Mr. Spooner alleged that the taxation funds had been manipulated so as to make ’the deficit for 1938-39 appear smaller than it was. . ‘Mr. Stevens denied the -suggestion and announced that he had decided to regard Mr. .Spooner’s motion as one of direct 'censure on the Government.