AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1918, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

THE. CENSURE DEBATE. I.AHORITES AND GERMAN COLONIES Australian-N.Z. Cable Association. -Melbourne, Jan. IS. A feature of the censure debate was the unwillingness of the Labor Party to co-operate with the Government in any declared war policy, owing to the intlu- _ ence of an outside organisation against a union. '' The general character of the Opposition speeches was that a. Government that violates its pledge to the people cannot again be trusted, but the Labor Party neither provides an alternative to the Ministerial war policy nor makes It clear whether it will support the Government in any branch of war effort. The fact that New Zealand soldiers are given furlough at home and that Australians are denied a similar privilege caused heated argument. One member considered that having defeated the ief forendum the Opposition was under an a obligation to Had the means to emible . such leave to .bo permitted. The' vote e would affect Australia's position when . peace terms were discussed. t The query: "What about German , colonies V" brought ejaculations from f Labor members: "They are no good to , us. No annexations; 110 indemnities: no cheap Imperialism." LABOR WILL NOT JOIN COALITION. Melbourne, Jan. 18. At a meeting of the Labor Party it was decided not to amalgamate with I the existing National Party. f AN UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT. Received Jan. 18, 9.10 p.m. Melbourne, Jan. 18. There was an unexpected political development, several Ministerialists conferring for the purpose of framing an i amendment to Mr. Tudor'a censure mos tion, with the object of forming a na- ' tional government. CENSURE MOTION LOST. Received Jan. 10, 12.35 a.m. Melbourne, Jan. 18. The censure motion was rejected by 43 to 19. The coalition amendment wis abandoned.