AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17666, 19 January 1923, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

PROPOSED COALITION MINISTRY

COUNTSY PAETY'S TEEMS. (=t CA3L3—SXE3S AS c -O':t\Tro"f—CO?r?.lGET.; (AUSTRALIA* ASD X.Z. CAEL-S ASSOCIATES.) MELBOURNE, January IS. After the conference of National and Country parties' delegates it \va3 ascertained that, although the latter will not consent to a Ministry under Mr Hughes, they are hopeful of an agreement being reached for the formation of a strong anti-Labour Ministry under some other leader. The conference meets again to-day. At a meeting of the Country Party it was decided that delegates to the conference should not urge the granting of portfolios to the Country Party, but, if members of the Party were to take office in any composite Ministry, Dr. Earle Page mu3t be Prime Minister. It was also decided, should Dr. Earle Pago not be Prime Minister, members of the Party would not accept portfolios in another Ministry, but would be prepared to support a Cabinet led by the present Treasurer, Mr S. M. Bruce. Later. The conference between'the Nationalists and the Country Party seeking to arrange a working basis, was resumed to-day, and ended without any decision being i cached. It will resume tomorrow. The crux of the position is that theNationalists desire a coalition, while the Country Party want a, working agreement. It is stated that Mr Hughes announced that he was prepared to stand down from the- leadership in order to permit the anti-Labour forces to govern the country, but only on condition that a Coalition was formed. It is understood that the Country Party is unlikely to agree to this. Mr S. Bruce, Federal Treasurer, is prominently mentioned in connexion with tho leadership. THE SENATE SEATS.

BRISBANE, January 18.

Mr M. Bead and Mr W. G. Thompson, Nationalists, have been elected to the third and fourth Senate seats, thus giving all four Queensland vacancies to Nationalists.