SOCIAL SECURITY

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1944, Page 3

SOCIAL SECURITY

Without Wage Tax AUSTRALIAN BILL GOING INTO LAW.

1 CANBERRA, Feb. 24. The Government’s Unemployment and Sickness Benefits Bill has passed the Commonwealth Senate in its original form. In a surprise move, the Government secured the recom-; mittal of the Bill by a majority of two because of the absence of two Op-1 position Senators. The Bill has still i to pass the House of Representatives, ( but the Government has a large i majority 1 there. I Committal of the Bill enabled the 1 Government to nullify last week’s attempts by the Senate Opposition I to emasculate the Bill by making the scheme compulsory. Last Friday a vital clause in the Bill providing that the costs of the Bill should be paid from the National Welfare Fund was defeated by the Senate Opposition. The Senate Opposition insisted that all wage-earners should be compelled to contribute to the scheme, j After the Bill had been passed by the ■ Senate in its new submission the Government moved for the reinsertion of i the clause previously deleted by the Opposition. This was also carried, • and the scheme will not be non-con- I tribu tory.