FEDERAL POLITICS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 47, 23 February 1917, Page 7

FEDERAL POLITICS

PARLIAMENT REAS-

SEMBLES

PROLONGATION OF LIFE TO BE

ASKED FOR

POLICY OF NEW GOVERNMENT.

' (UNITED' PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.) MELBOURNE, 22nd February. Tlife Federal Parliament has reassembled. *'

Mr. W. M. Hughes (the Prime: Minister) gave notice of motion seeking permission to present a petition to. the Imperial Governmjent asking for the prolongation of the life of Parliament for six months after peace is declared, or until Bth October, 1918. He then outlined the policy of the new Govternment. It stood, he said, for t)he development of an Australian national spirit by the foundation of Imperial ideals, to develop the policy of the latjb Government, • maintain an entirely

" white Australia" policy, and create the machinery for the expeditious s!ettlement of industrial disputes. -■ There would be no alteration in the tariff just now.

Regarding the conscription issue, it would abide by the decision of the people. It was impossible to see what the; future had in store, but the electors alone could reverse the piievious decision. The Government intended fully to carry out its duty in regard.to the repatriation of soldiers. The Commonwealth had already incurred a debt in connection with the war of £131,000,000, and its obligations for the calendar year, of war aione, would not fall far short of £70,000,000, while for other purposes than war, including repatriation and land settlement for soldiers, the financing of the 1917-18 wlreat crop, another £70,000,000 would be ' required. ' The probability of floating loans in Britain, other than war loans, was remote. The Government's 'financial policy, therefore, would be such as circumstances imperativfely demanded. It would be- sound finance, but not by the odious economy of reducing the wages of the working . classes, or _by methods of forcing men to enlist. ■ .

He regretted that the Official Labour Party had not joined tlie National Government. The reason was obvious. The Official Labour Party was no longer master of its own actions. Dealing with the Senate's, attitude, Mr. Hughes declared that his resolution not only outlined the present position of tho parties in Parliament, so far as it affected the Imperial Conference, but provided, the only means whereby Australia, could effectively lie represented there. The responsibility for maintaining such an attitude as would prevent that effective representation must rest on the shoulders of the majority of .the Senate.

Mr. Hughes said the ■ Government, hoped to arrange with the States, to avoid dual taxation of the same asset.