ANGRY CLASH IN FEDERAL HOUSE

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27445, 3 September 1954, Page 11

ANGRY CLASH IN FEDERAL HOUSE

Questions On Security Service CANBERRA, September 2. The Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) last night told Mr E. J. Ward (Labour, New South Wales) that he was not fit to be in the. House of Representatives. * He said that every time Mr Ward spoke about the Australian Security Service or the Royal Commission on Espionage he “faithfully followed the line laid down by the Communist Party.’’ In a rowdy scene in the House, Mr Ward challenged Mr Menzies to reveal anything detrimental against him. He accused Mr Menzies of wanting tq “set up a kind of Gestapo.*’ Mr Menzies and Mr Ward spoke in an almost continuous uproar. The clash was a sequel to a scene during the afternoon, when Mr Ward asked questions about telephone-tap-ping by the Security Service. Later Mr Ward reverted to the subject on a motion to adjourn the House. Mr Ward attacked Mr Menzies for allegedly 1 having evaded questions on the Security Service. x He said Mr Menzies had repeatedly said he did not intend to discuss the Royal Comniission, but had used this as an excuse to avoid answering questions on Government administration. By innuendo, Mr Menzies had inferred there was something in the Petrov papers to the detriment of Dr. Evatt. Mr Ward said: “If he has any information that any member of this Parliament is not fit to remain a member of Parliament it is his duty, as leader of the Government, to reveal the facts to the Australian people. Why doesn’t the gutless leader of the Government tell the people what he knows?” “Singularly Indecent Speech** Mr Menzies, replying, said that Mr Ward’s speech was. “even for the member for East Sydney, a singularly indecent speech.” He said Mr Ward had reduced Parliamentary life to the lowest possible level. He said the Security Service was established by a government of which Mr Ward was a member and the'instructions to it were the same as

they were then. Mr Menzies said: “If I am going to be asked what the Security Service does, then I must ask Mr Ward to tell me what the Communist spies are doing. Not white I am here will I have counter-espionage exposed to the public while espionage goes on in secret.**