PAY OF AUSTRALIAN POLITICIANS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20997, 27 October 1933, Page 11

PAY OF AUSTRALIAN POLITICIANS

ACTION DEFENDED IN HOUSE i NEWSPAPER FOUND GUILTY OF CONTEMPT (Received October 26, 11.55 p.m.) CANBERRA, October 26. In the House of Representatives to-day Mr Bernard Corser, on a question of privilege, attacked the Sydney "Sunday Sun" for its criticism of the action of members of Parliament in increasing their own salaries. He declared that the comment was malicious and unscrupulous, and asked the House to declare the printer and publisher guilty of contempt. Mr J. A. Lyons (Prime Minister) defended the Government's action in increasing salaries, and deprecated the action of newspapers _in all states in engendering suspicion in the public mind reflecting on the integrity of members, and attemping to destroy public confidence in its elected representatives. He repudiated the suggestion that salaries vere raised by back door methods, and said the hole thing had been done in the 1 o ht of day. It was distinct from the Budget because it involved no matter of policy. He felt that members of, Parliament were entitled to a partial restoration of the salary cuts which they had voluntarily imposed on themselves during the depression, just as other sections of the community had been thus favoured. Mr Corser's motion was carried unanimously. A copy of this will be sent to the "Sunday Sun." INCREASE APPROVED BY | SENATE I CANBERRA, October 26. In the early hours of this morning', the Senate, by 19 votes to nine, passed the measure increasing the salaries of members of the Federal House of Representatives by £75 a year.