AUSTRALIAN CENSORSHIP

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 September 1944, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN CENSORSHIP

UPROAR IN PARLIAMENT

(Rec. 1.20 p.m.) CANBERRA, September 14. Amid Parliamentary uproar, Mr Abbott (Opposition) said that Nazi methods were being used in the Australian communications censorship, and in compiling dossiers on citizens. Mr Abbott was moving that reports of the recent judicial inquiries into censorship by Sir William Webb and Justice Clyne be printed. The debate was the noisiest of the present session. The motion for the printing of re----ports was talked out. :• * ri Mr Abbott said that Mr Webb's re*port that there was no snooping by internal mail and telephone censorsi was unsatisfactory. The Government--should order a fresh investigation-' either by a Parliamentary Commit- ■ tee or by a Royal Commission under a Justice of the High Court. Mr Curtin answered that he had no intention of ordering a new censorship inquiry. He said a member of the Parliamentary Censorship Committee had released to the Press a copy of a secret War Cabinet document.

Mr Abbott: “I neither deny nor affirm that I gave the information io newspapers.” Mr Curtin: "I think it would be a good thing if, although you had been a Cabinet Minister, you should never nold Cabinet rank again.” Mr Abbott: “If the price of being a Cabinet Minister is to sacrifice the liberty of the individual and freedom of Australian people, 1 am willing to forego Cabinet rank.” The debate lapsed.