COMMONWEALTH POLITICS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2342, 7 November 1908, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS

THE CAPITAL SITE. YASS-CANBERRA SITE CHOSEN BY SENATE. United Press Association. Copyright (Received Nov. 6, 9.55 p.m.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 6. The Senate balloting was conducted with a good deal of excitement, and resulted in the choice of the YassCanberra site. The first ballot was a tie, Yass and' Ttimut- each scoring 18 votes. This was ,tlie outcome of some secret engineering by the supporters of the Dalgety site. Knowing that a certain Victorian Senator intended to vote for T.umut with a view of afterwards transferring his vote to Yass, they combined to vote for Tumut so as to produce a tie. When the tie was announced, the Dalgety men claimed that the whole question was ended, but the President insisted that each of the six sites nominated must he balloted for. The final ballot re-sulted—-Yass-Canberra 19, Tumut 17. THE IRON BONUS BILL. ' United Press Association. Copyright (Received Nov. 6, 9.55 p.m.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 6. The Federal House has passed the Iron Bonus Bill. THE LABOR PARTY. WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FRO3I GOVERNMENT. United Press Copyright (Received Nov. G, 9.55 p.m.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 6. 31 r. Fisher announced that- the Labor party had decided to withdraw their support- from the (government. He gave no specific reason. In reply to 3!r. Deakin, 3lr. Fisher said that he had no motion to submit. The House adjourned.

THE LABOR LEADER’S EXPLA-

NATION

MELBOURNE, Nov. 6

Mr. Fisher, iii announcing the withdrawal of the Labor party’s support, said personal relations with the Government had been of the most friendly character. The party had always endeavored to co-operate with the Government in every possible way which they thought concerned the welfare of the Commonwealth. In a straightforward manner he had endeavored to the best of his ability to restrain any adverse criticism within reasonable bounds and to safeguard the interests of the country in Parliament, but when they could no longer do that they thought they were performing a public duty by telling the House the situation that had arisen. “We have,” he said, “felt the restraint that a large party like ours must feel in such difficult circumstances, ahd have realised that the time might arise when such action might be taken by one party or the other which would create a crisis.”

Mr. Deakin endorsed Mr. Fisher’s statements as to the relations between the two parties, and said that the Labor party were absolutely free from any obligation to the Government and were at liberty to take any course they thought fit. - The House adjourned till Tuesday. •Mr. Deakin’s colleagues scout the idea of taking any notice of Mi'. Fisher’s announcement.. It is understood that Mr. Fisher made overtures to some members of the Opposition. -There is some talk of reconstruction and a coalition coming out of the complications,