Banking Bill Fight Starts In Australia

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1947, Page 7

Banking Bill Fight Starts In Australia

(Rec. 11.45 a.m.) CANBERRA, This Day.

The Opposition today will take th unusual course of forcing a debate on whether the Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, should be given leave to introduce the Bill to nationalise the private trading banks; The Government is expected to gag the debate and by using its superior numbers to clear the way for Mr Chifley to introduce and explain the Bill tonight.

Mr Chifley has given notice that he would introduce the Bill today and move the suspension of standing orders to. allow the second reading to be proceeded with immediately. The •Bill, originally designed as a short, simple measure, has grown into one of the longest measures ever to be presented to the House. The first shot in what is expected to be the most bitter debate for many years was fired yesterday by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Menzies. He moved that the vote for the Department of the Interior be reduced by £1 as an instruction to the Government to hold a referendum on the banking Bill. The motion was defeated.

Mr Menzies said that without a referendum on the banking Bill there could be no real upholding of democratic government. The case for a referendum was not merely that of'members Of the Opposition but of the people. Mr Menzies said the Prime Minister did not pretend that he had th.e authority of the people to destroy the trading banks. Millions of people were saying they should be consulted and the best and cheapest way of doing this, would be by a referendum. He was. puzzled at the dogged persistence -of the- -Prime . Minister in going ’ ahead’ with these proposals when he knew that public opinion was against him.