WANTS FULL POWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 922, 15 March 1930, Page 9

WANTS FULL POWER

SCULLIN SEEKS CHANGE IN FEDERAL RULE ECONOMY PLEA MADE United P.A. — By' Telegraph—Copyright CANBERRA, Friday. The Prime Minister, Mr. J. H. Scullin, today outlined, the Federal Government's referendum proposals in tne House of Representatives when moving the second reading of the Constitution Alteration Bill. One of the main objects of the measure, said Mr. Seullin, is to save the enormous cost of an appeal to the people every time a proposal to after the Constitution is made. The Parliaments of Britain, South Africa and New Zealand were invested wLh complete powers which the Commonwealth required untrammelled by' “State rights” and jealousies. He instanced the coalmining industry, in which the Commonwealth had no power of control, although SO per cent, of the best coal was locked up in one State —New South Wales. No other Parliament in the Empire was so handicapped by constitutional limitations. The result was that matters which should be decided by the Commonwealth Parliament itsc-if became judical questions for the High Court* A London message says “The Times” describes as a fundamental, almost revolutionary change, Mr. Seullin’s proposal to take the right of veto from the people and give Parliament authority to make any constitutional changes it pleases. The paper remarks that Mr. Seullin says the result will be to make the Constitution more flexible, hut, it asks, are the electors, who have shown themselves to be so ready to exercise their right of veto, likely to be persuaded to surrender It once and for all?