SOUGHT A PORTFOLIO

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 83, 4 October 1941, Page 10

SOUGHT A PORTFOLIO

PRICE OF SUPPORT

FADDEN'S CHARGE AGAINST

COLES

CANBERRA, October 3,

On the defeat of the Government, the House adjourned. Mr. Fadden was the first to congratulate Mr. Curtin »nd leading members of the Opposition, who obviously appreciated his gesture. Mr. Coles startled the House when he announced his intention to vote with Labour in order to obtain a stable

Government. He admitted that he had very little objection to the Budget. He regarded Mr. Curtin's amendment not as a censure of the Ministry, but against the impossible position in which the Ministry found itself. The Government had shown that it did not have the numbers necessary for proper control of the war effort. The public were demanding that the House should be cleaned up."

The Minister of the Army, Mr. Spender, interjected: "You are the biggest place-seeker here."

Mr. Coles said the Government's position had been degraded since it deposed Mr. Menzies and became associated with the secret fund scandal. He had no fault to find with Mr. Fadden, whose ability was unquestioned. Nevertheless, it was impossible to expect responsible Government with the Opposition practically as strong as the combined Government parties.

Uproar followed an interjection by Mr. Fadden that Mr. Coles, had demanded a seat in Cabinet as the price of his support.

Mr. Coles replied: "That is a lie."