BUSY TIME AHEAD

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 962, 3 May 1930, Page 11

BUSY TIME AHEAD

SCULLIN MAPS PLANS FOR FULL YEAR WORK OF PARLIAMENT MELBOURNE, April 25. The Prime Minister. Mr. Scullin, discussing the work which is before the Federal Parliament, said his time is mapped out for about a year. The House of Representatives will sit continuously until about the end of September, except for an adjournment of three or four weeks in July, to enable all members to take part in the referendum campaign for the granting of added Federal powers. Mr. Scullin will not remain until Parliament rises, but will leave early in August. In all probability, the Treasurer, Mr. Theodore, will lead the House in his absence. It is not yet known whether Mr. Theodore will be able to bring down the Federal Budget before the July session. The probabilities are that he will not. This Budget, it is already known, will provide for £500,000 reduction in defence expenditure, and heavy cuts in all other departments. When Mr. Theodore’s Budget is introduced there will be a general discussion on the first item. Then the j Budget will be set aside to enable ! other business to be transacted. It will i probably go through the committee j stages after Mr. Scullin has left for Europe. I In the event of any of the three Constitutional referendums being carried, Mr. Scullin was asked whether he would put them into effect before leaving in August. He replied that such a mass of detailed work would be involved that he had little hope of putting the altered Constitution into operation before the 1931 session, which would open about March. Mr. Scullin hopes to be back in Australia from the Imperial Conference about the third week in January.