FEDERAL SENATE

Grey River Argus, 27 March 1943, Page 2

FEDERAL SENATE

Blockading Bill TO GIVE YOUNG SERVICEMEN VOTES. CANBERRA, March 26. Six separate defeats of the Curtin Government in the Senate in a single day demonstrate clearly that control of "all Senath business has been taken out of the hands of the Government. This has precipitated a further, political controversy which is revolving chiefly around one division by which the Opposition forced the adjournment of the second reading of the Electoral Bill. The purpose of the .Bill is to extend the Federal franchise to all members of the Services over 18 years of age. By 17 votes to 15 the Senate passed a motion that the debate should be adjourned to April .29, at which date a Parliamentary sitting is most unlikely. In a statement, the Leader of the Senate Opposition (Senator McLeay) said the debate had been stopped because the Opposition did not think that so important a measure should be pushed through “in the dying hours of Parliament.” The Prime Minister (Mr Curtin), described the Senate’s action “as contemptuous treatment and abuse of the Parliamentary institution.” In the last war similar legislation had been passed as a matter of course.