MINISTER’S ATTACK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21978, 23 March 1946, Page 6

MINISTER’S ATTACK

PRESS CHANGE OF MIND DIVORCE EVIDENCE BILL (10 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 23. An interesting exchange took place in the State Legislative Assembly when the Minister of Justice, Mr. R. R. Downing, speaking on the second reading of the Obscene Publications Bill, attacked the Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun for changing thenopinions on the publication of divorce evidence. Twenty-two years ago, the Minister complained, the papers had attacked an unfulfilled Government proposal to ban reports of divorce cases. To-day they were attacking the Government for failing to write this ban into the bill. , : In a half-hour speech he quoted leaders from both papers, dated 1924. Replying for the Opposition, Sir Norman Kater said he was glad the newspapers had changed their minds m the last 22 years and that, anyvay, the Government seemed to have charged its mind on the issue in 12 months it had spent in chewing over the bill. England had also changed its mind between the time of the Scott judgment, 1913 (recommending publication) and the-1926 Act now in force banning publication. In Victoria and South Australia the English legislation was in force.

The Sun comments: “Mr. Downing has no doubt left off the coat he was wearing in 1924."