FEDERAL POLITICS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 48, 24 February 1917, Page 5

FEDERAL POLITICS

PROLONGING PARLIAMENT

THE PEIME MINISTER EXEEAINS,

{DSIIBD PRESS ASSOCIATION.— CDEIMGHI4 ' .'.' MELBOURNE, 23rd February. :- In the . Federal House, ' Mr. " Wm^ Hughes, explaining his motion asking- i. the Imperial Government to extend thes life of Parliament, said that there was i no precedent for the motion, but the circumstances of'the war were such as. to make precedents for all their actionsV impossible.. In addition, there was the; necessity for united action, "if we would, do our part iv preserving the -Empire."-' It was undesirable to disturb the peopleby an election. He instanced the facti" that Britain had postponed its -election.

Australia, he added, could not affordi to )je left out of the Imperial Confer-t ence. It had been said that Australia should not commit her delegates to any; definite policy. There would be no in- Z tevference with her powers of self-gov-i. ernment, and on matters relating to the successful prosecution of the war she already' was committed to use every ounce' ■ of her strength. In relation to tha peace' terms, while he would urge the ' utmost destruction of the military- power •'■ of Germany, he was not favourable .to--the humiliation df the German people by placing them beyond the pale of civilis^ ed nations. ■' ■

Mr. Tudor (Leader of the Labour Party) followed Mr. Hughes, and slash-! ingly attacked the Government. They debate was adjourned.

In the Senate a further warm discus-: sion on the Government policy took place, and the debate was adjourned' over the week-end.