INSURANCE BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 155, 4 July 1938, Page 5

INSURANCE BILL.

AUSTRALIAN MEASURE

PENSIONS AND HEALTH.

•• A NATIONAL LANDMARK." •t-r.. m our n wtl forwpoaUent.i SYDXEY. Juno 29. The •■->,!,„.,• M„ n ,in ff Herald" ha. a «••>- been ~].[.,».,.,! t( , ••state iiitrrferen e ;ii ai;\ ~,„■,.,! , ir , s .,„„„ llit . re | ation .: «ii.-:i a ,M.||,.y could b,. *" l ' , '" 1 Lir '* ""t unfair to the •-'•:■.> M..rnii, a Herald" to descril* it .* '" .' C •••"Ur.iwm* upholder of "..--I !,,..." —till tl , |„, f,,,,,,,, 0|( this ="■ '' "' '■"' i<»irii;ilb.tii- world. i* i- t. !( -ief..re rather surprising to ni:.l me Herald" freeting the National Imuran,,. Bill „ith ,„ rdial ~,,,„„,_ all its „ ootl [mintii an<J urging its critic* to rcniemiier that it 1-. alter all. ...tily a tentative measure to :>e expanded and amended in the light of MiUe.|iicnt experience bv a (iove'rn-ni-.it an.xi.,,,,. al».ve everything else, to 1 :•••:!•...te the general well-being of the v !•...;,• ii.it';,,ii a t ~n,,.. Many Compliments. "I :.;- --'I eat measure of social welfare." .:•'; t.ie H. raid greetin.. the Xationa' editorials. ••.•on-titute* with it* f a r rea. -uiii- implication* the large-t and Hit*J compile piece of legislation ever passed tl.r. ugh the Federal Parliament jii a -little -tage." and it adds its owr congratulation* to the manv omt.'i-ni-iits pre-ented to Mr. I asev (as J-ederal treasurer, by all parties'in the Hoil«> tor the -Will and courage that lie has >ho\vn "in piloting the hill throu-di its many vicissitude*. - ' c

It admit* that the Government ha* been .-.-.milled to alter the bill suV itantially tliirinjr it* progress through Parlwnieiit. but it doe. not appear to rea.i-e that thw amount* to a eonfcsion by Mr. Ly, tli < and |,i- colleagues that They had not jtiven sufficient .are an,! rethought to the drafting of t.ie measure.

1 he "Herald" point* out that important n.nws-ion* demanded l.v the women or Australia have boon granted to them and that a Royal t/oininis-i,,,, is to examine the claims put forward by the B.M.A. for increased payments to doctors and by the dependent* of insured workers for an extension of medical benefits. Defeat in House. It think* that the friendly societies ha\e no need to fear State competition in the form that the bill has now .mvcii

it. and it hints broadly that Mr. Lyons may yet find it desirable to *dmit mutual life insurance societies into the national scheme—though the (ioverument's refusal to take this step led to its defeat in the House, and nearly precipitated a conflict between the Prime Minister and the Senate.

In general terms the "Herald" hold* that the Insurance Bill contains infinitely more good than evil. "All the objections from minority sections of the community cannot conceal the truth, that the biil provides for a mo;t generous provision of health benefits."'

It sees in the demand of the U.C.P. for the inclusion of small fanners under the scheme, a frank recognition of its great material value, and it reminds us that both the medical benefits and the pension* for aged persons, widows, orphans and dependents herein secured are more liberal than those supplied by the British insurance system on which our national insurance plan was confessedly based. Emphatic Approval. The "Herald" concludes its comments with a series of eulogistic remarks upon the principles introduced in the bill. It approves emphatically of the compulsory and contributory feature, wfiich "encourages thrift and stimrlates self respect," so that everyone may honestly accept the benefits offered, "not as a charity but as a right." '

In conclusion it reminds us that "more than half the people of Australia will be affected by the insurance scheme and will derive from it real ami constant assistance in their struggle for health, security and contentment," and it draws the obvious inference that the adoption of the bill will prove "a national landmark in the history of our social welfare and a momentous step forward in the progress of the nation." It may be granted at once that this is a fair summary of the meat-lire, regarded from the standpoint that this newspa|>er has adopted. But it must not be imagined that news|>aper comments in the city and State have been uniformly so laudatory.

Unemployment Factor, Many of the electors—including, of course, the great body of the workers — regard medical benefits as a small matter compared with insurance against unemployment, which Mr. Lyons specifically and definitely promised the people when he was engaged in his last election campaign. '•Truth," which can always be trusted to find a supply of strong language adequate for any topic or occasion, is bo indignant at the failure of Mr. Lyons to redeem his promises in this respect that it terms the National Insurance Bill (with unemployment carefully omitted), "one of the most despicable political tricks ever played on a long-suffering and heavily taxed Australian public."

Of course it is easy to say with Mr. Lyon* that unemployment will be handled next in a separate measure, but "Truth" holds that unemployment insurance should come first, and it has the Labour party and a considerable section of the other"political parties on its side. However, in spite of all its defects and limitations, our new national insurance system, even in its present imperfect form, seems likely to go some distance toward justifying"Mr. Lyons' claim that it represents "the greatest contribution to social welfare ever attempted in Australia."