CENSURE MOTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 September 1941, Page 5

CENSURE MOTION

MOVED BV FEDERAL LABOUR LEADER WRONG USE OF FUND ALLEGED PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT CHALLENGED. PAYMENTS TO UNION OFFICIALS AND OTHERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) CANBERRA, September 24. Sensational happenings occurred in the House of Representatives today when the Prime Minister, Mr Fadden, made a statement in regard to the alleged misuse of a secret Government fund, in the course of which he said that payments amounting to £3OO were made early in March to the president of the Australian Coal Miners’ Federation, Ah' G. IT, Nelson. immediately Mr Fadden had finished his speech, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Curtin, launched what members termed a censure amendment—- “ That this House disapproves the wrong use of the fund established in 1940 for a special purpose.” Mr Fadden revealed that Mr Nelson and anothei’ miner’s official whose identity was uncertain called on the Federal Attorney-General, Mr Hughes, in Sydney, following a certain coal strike and gave an assurance that the miners would give continuous production during the war. They pointed out that it was essential that every miners’ lodge should be visited so that industrial peace during the war could be widely and effectively advocated. However, the attitude of the extremists would make it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain funds from their union. They suggested that the Attorney-General, in view of the special circumstances, should make the necessary funds available. The Attorney-General, who was immediately sympathetic, referred the request to Mr Fadden, who in turn approved that a payment might be made to Mr Nelson. Thereafter three separate cash payments of £lOO each were authorised and duly made by the deputy-Crown Solicitor. The Assistant Commonwealth Publicity Officer, Mr J. Winkler, gave receipts in the following form: “Received from the Australian Democratic Front the sum of £lOO for special expenditure in connection with the coal industry.” PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. Mr Fadden further revealed that on Monday last certain miners’ officials, not including Mr Nelson, had visited Canberra and informed him that visits had been made to the miners’ lodges by union officials, but that all travelling and other expenses had been paid out of union funds and not out of the special Commonwealth fund. Mr Fadden proceeded to tell the House about the special fund “for security purposes,” which dated from 1916, when the Commonwealth was engaged in the last war. The staff consisted of a couple of detectives lent by one State, and its accounts were subjected to Government audit. The fund evei’ since had been retained in order to provide the means of continually inquiring into the growth of anticonstitutional bodies and in order to employ persons of special qualifications to secure the requisite information in regard to subversive activities, as well as to embark in counter-propa-ganda by publicity mediums. Last year Mr Hughes received Cabinet approval for the reorganisation of the secret fund and for the expenditure of £3OOO a year through the “Australian Democratic Front.” This was the body that made the payments to Mr Nelson. TOTAL EXPENDITURE. Mr Fadden said that right up to the present time the Commonwealth had made payments from this confidential fund toward the expenses of the Australian Democratic Front, the total advances to September 13 being £4BlB, of which salaries amounted to £1663. No payments whatever had been made to any other association, trade union, or civil organisation. There was not a scrap of justification, added Mr Fadden, for the insinuation that there was improper use of public funds. The Opposition Leader rose immediately, and to Mr Fadden’s motion that his statement be printed, Mr Curtin moved his amendment. He condemned what he called the Government’s misuse of public funds and declared that while the Labour Party did not object to the use of funds for the maintenance of an intelligence department, Labour did object to the use of Government money to the tune of £4BOO in one year on the Australian Democratic Front and to the purposes to which it was put by that body. This very organisation —the Democratic Front —had in one of Us pamphlets gravely libelled another Government department, namely, the Post Office, by saying that Communists there were waiting for a revolution, when they would sever communications. One man on the Australian Democratic Front, indeed, was a labour rat, and the remainder were political stooges. Of nine pamphlets issued by them five were speeches by Mr Hughes. Mr Curtin said that the officers of the Ministers’ Federation had told him that whatever money was received went into the union funds, and they were able to produce receipts and vouchers of their tour of the miners’ lodges in an effort to promote industrial peace. The debate is unfinished.