FEDERAL BUDGET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 October 1941, Page 5

FEDERAL BUDGET

LABOUR PARTY ATTACK AMENDMENT TO BE MOVED. DEMAND FOR EQUALITY OF SACRIFICE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright I CANBERRA. September 30. The Federal Labour caucus after a brief discussion tonight decided to launch the following amendment to the Budget, the debate on which begins tomorrow:— “While agreeing that expenditure requisite for the maximum prosecution of the war should be provided by Parliament, this committee is opposed to the unjust methods prescribed by the Budget and declares that they are contrary to true equality of sacrifice, and directs that the Budget should be recast to ensure a more equitable distribution of the national burden.” ’ ATTACK LAUNCHED CENSURE DEBATE OPENED. FATE OF THE GOVERNMENT AT STAKE. ißv Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) CANBERRA, October 1. In an atmosphere of tension, the Opposition leader, Mr Curtin, launched Labour’s amendment to the Budget Bill in (the House o' Representatives today. He attacked the Budget severely and criticised the Government’s treatment of soldiers and their dependants and also the low wage-earners. Mr Curtin expressed the hope at the outset that whatever he intended to say or took place in Parliament this week should in no way affect the complete unanimity of the Australian people in the prosecution of the Avar. The Prime Minister, Mr Fadden, announced before the House met that hi: intended to treat the Opposition's amendment as a motion of censure and ask for an adjournment. In the course of his attack, Mr Curtin declared that any budget that gave (he soldiers less than the basic wage should not in principle be accepted., and he also advocated increasing the old age pensions to 22s 6d a week. He said that Labour would be ready to incur the extra expenditure of £7,000,000 which these two things would require by revision of the taxation methods. Moreover, the Government was playing the game low down in asking persons with an income of £l5O a year to pay a tax of £4. Mr Curtin expressed an objection to the compulsory loans, mainly on the ground that they would be the forerunner of another principle —compulsory service overseas. The chairman of the committee ruled Mr Curtin’s amendment out of order, after which he accepted a substitute amendment for a reduction in the first item of the Budget by £l. Mr Fadden then secured an adjournment of the debate and the House rose till tomorrow. MR CURTIN EXPLAINS CRITICISM OF CREDIT PLAN. THIRD PARTY ALLOWED TO MAKE PROFIT. (Received This, Day, 9.20 a.m.) CANBERRA, This Day. , The Leader of the Opposition, Mr J. W. Curtin, said fighting men had a first claim upon the country and their families had a first right upon special privileges which the country could afford in war time. Labour indeed had a fundamental objection to the Budget,, because it proposed that the national credit should be created by the Commonwealth Bank in such a way that a third -party would be permitted to make a profit. Labour submitted that there was nothing in respect _ of national credit which required doing which the Commonwealth Bank itself was not entirely competent to do.