AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 63, 11 September 1909, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

FEDERATION v. UNIFICATION.

In responding to the toast of the Federal and State Parliaments at a Mayoral banquet at Eaglehawk last week, the Federal Postmaster-General (Sir John Quick) said it was never intended that the Federation of the Australian colonies should be the thin edge of the wedge to the destruction of the States, and of the introduction of any system such as was now known as "unification." That there was some force, some reality, and some seriousness in the movement was indicated by the fact that so . late as Friday last in the" House of Representatives Mr. Bamford (Queensland Labour member) had given notice of a motion to take a referendum on the question as to whether unification should take the place of the Federal system. It appeared that some people, because they were quite satisfied that the Federal Parliament was willing to grant all th«j demands made upon it, and that the Federal Parliament was not x prepared to invade the domain of law reserved to the States, now wished to wipe out the State Parliaments altogether, and have 'a highly centralised form of government, in which the whole of the legislative powers of the Commonwealth should be vested in one Parliament and one Government, 'sitting in the Federal capital.

If such a form of government ever came, said Sir John, he had no hesitation in saying that a new movement — a more dangerous movement — would immediately be begun in favour of the destruction of our national life, and the substitution of the old system of a provincial form of government. Each of the two branches of the Government had their rights, and he" believed that the people would insist upon the Parliaments having their rights, as weli as the Federal Parliament having its rights. There was reason to rejoice at the harmonious relationships which had at last been established between the Federal Government and the States.