COMMONWEALTH POLITICS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2298, 17 September 1908, Page 3

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS

THE VICTORIAN ASSEMBLY. A CENSURE MOTION. United Press Association, Copybight MELBOURNE, Sept. 16. In the State Assembly, Mr. Elmslie, ", in moving his consuro motion, charged the Hon. G. Swinburne, Minister of Water Supply, when ho tabled the ■papers connected with the tenders to the House, with having suppressed some and substituted others. He ako complained: that a particular firm was specially favored over contracts. Mr. Swinburno defended the Government, and denied the charges. The Government is assured of a substantial majority. , LABOR MEMBER’S DENUNCIATION. THE MOTION DEFEATED. United Press Association. Copyright (Received Sept. 16, 11.5 p.m.) MELBOURNE, Sept. 16: In the debate on the censure motion, Mr. Anstez, a prominent Labor member, said that to-day in Victoria they could not buy anything from any part of the world without every penny of expenditure of the State passing through the hands of the Minister of Water Supply, or his relations, or men who had been his employees and associates-. They constituted in the State an industrial and financial ring and had the expenditure of public money completely under their control. Of all Ministers of the Crown tho Minister of Water Supply was the most untruthful and the most unreliable. He was regarded as a tainted person even by his associates in.the business world and as an unfair competitor. Hon. Mr. Swinburne: You're a cad. You’re a liar. , The Speaker ordered l the Ministerto withdraw the remark, and he did so. , .■';,■' ; : The ceiisure motion was rejected bv 22. The division was purely on party lines, the motion being supported by the Labor members solely.