COUNCIL ABOLITION

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 121, 16 February 1926, Page 7

COUNCIL ABOLITION

THE NEW SOUTH WALES CONTEST

MAY BE BROUGHT TO EARLY CRISIS

Sydney, February 15. The Upper House abolition contest may be brought to an early crisis as a result of the Hon. C. W. Oakes’s notice of motion. There was a feeling in political circles last week that the Premier (Mr. Lang) might change his tactics and leave the Bill till later in the year. During the week-end, however, Mr. Lang again reiterated that he had not departed from his original plan of bringing down the Abolition Bill at the end of the present session. He asserted that democracy, as represented by the great Labour movement, would triumph, and said there was only one thing that could defeat democracy and the Labour movement in the present crisis, and that was treachery. He added that when a vote is taken the Labour roll of honour will be shown. The State Governor has not yet been approached officially by the Premier or any member of the Ministry concerning a proposal to make additional appointments to the Legislative Council.— Press Assn.

[The text of Mr. Oakes’s notice of motion is as follows: “That, as Parliament has been specially summoned to pass the Legislative Council Abolition Bill, members of this House are of opinion that before such Bill is proceeded with, the electors should be given an opportunity of expressing their will by means of a referendum, and, until a referendum is taken, the Abolition Bill be not proceeded with.”]