Opposition Try For Federal Intervention

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1947, Page 5

Opposition Try For Federal Intervention

CANBERRA, May 2. The Leader of the Opposition in the Federal House, Mr R. G. Menzies, made a speech on the Victorian engineering strike, which brought about a bitter debate in the House of Representatives, which continued until the House adjourned. He urged that the Federal Government should intervene in the strike to provide transport to meet the Victorian emergency and to protect men who had volunteered to man vehicles. He said the Government might soon have to choose between anarchy and direct action. The Government seemed to regard the dispute as merely a Melbourne affair. The hold-up' of production in Victorian factories was affecting other States. If the transport of people to work by normal means was to be prohibited by a lawless minority, the Federal Government must provide transport. It must organise transport, call for volunteers- to man vehicles, and give protection to volunteers. If the Government did not recruit men and special constables, the only alternative, and one which he would deplore was that citizens would organise into irregular bands. "I have a violent objection to anything that looks like a private army, but a force should be organised by the Government”, he concluded. The Minister of Transport, Mr Ward, accused Mi’ Menzies of trying to influence to-morrow’s voting in the New South Wales election. He said the Labour Party had been exerting all efforts to find a solution, but Mr Menzies did not want one until the New South Wales and Queensland elections were over. The easiest way to cause strife and bloodshed was Mr Menzies’ suggestion, that the community should be organised into irregular armies. It was an invitation to the workers to prepare to recist any attempt that might be made against them. Mr Ward said Mr Menzies wanted a repetition of the days when workers were shot on the Melbourne waterfront.. The Minister of Information. Mr Calwell, said Mr Menzies’ speech was the wildest and most provocative made in Parliament for years.