CENSUS MOTION

Grey River Argus, 21 February 1947, Page 5

CENSUS MOTION

FEDERAL HOUSE Strikes and Appointments CONDENMED BY OPPOSITION LEADER (Rec. 9.15). CANBERRA, Feb. 20. Mr C'hifley, Prime Minister, told the House of Representatives to-day that he was- completely unable to enforce the law against one million workers affected by the decision of the Australasian Council of Trade Unions to strike on. May 1 next. Branding the strike decisions as foolish, -Mr. C'hifley expressed regret that Australian trades unionists should allow themselves to be led into decisions and resolutions on industrial matters which “can only finally lead to industrial and economic chaos.” He was replying to a bitter fourpoint attack by Mr. R. G. Menzies (Opposition leader) who was speaking to a censure motion he moved. Mr. Menzies first attacked the appointment to Government positions of defeated Labour members, Messrs Breen, Frost, Martens, Mountjoy, and Wilson. “Each appointment represents provision by the Goverment of a pension to an ex-member out of public moneys and is nothing more,” said Mr. Menzies. He said his objection to Hon. Mr. W. J. McKell s appointment as Governor-General was not that Mr. McKell was a Labour man or an Australian, but that he was at the moment of the announcement of his appointment, Premier of an Australian State,- and actively engaged as a partisan leader in Australian political affairs. He said that the industrial strikes during the past year had been almost entirely political, as for example, against wage pegging. Particularly in the Communist-controll-ed unions, the strikes revealed a desire to control general and commercial and social policy and activelv through industrial action. There had been organised attempts to terrorise the Arbitration Court, and so destroy its independence and value.

Mr. Chifley said that he did not. believed that coercive action would succeed on a million men. He accepted the full responsibility for the appointment of Mr. McKelL and Ire offered no apology.