AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL’S POSITION. COMMENT BY LONDON PAPER. LONDON, Dec. 29. The Daily Telegraph, in an editorial, says: “An issue, of great importance has been raised in New South Wales in which all parts of tlie Empire must feel concern. It is really whether a Government with a very small, and • possibly fleeting majority, may neutralise the' second' Chamber and make it impossible for it to carry out the function of revision which it was created. Any cabinet contemplating such a step ought to make it clear beyond all dispute, by reference to the constituencies, that it 'seeks a definite mandate for its action, other-wise-the process of government will soon be thrown into chaos. There is no such evidence. in this case, and we may be pardoned; for hoping that the Labour - Government will not after all go to extremes. Constitutions are delicate tilings, and should be modified gradually, if at all. It is in the interest of all parties to moihtain tho existing political institutions, and make them work smoothly. It concerns tlie wholo Empire that in. every part of the Empire the 'spirit rather than the tcrest of all parties .to maintain the served.”—A. and N.Z. cable.

COMING FEDERAL SESSION. IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME. ofS SYDNEY, Deep 11. ~ Now that the counting of the vot-’ ing in the election of both’ the Houses of the Federal Parliament has been completed, thoughts are turning to tho arduous session ahead. When the new House meets, the Ministerialists will bo in an overwhelming majority in both the House of Representatives and tho Senate. In the former Mr Bruce will have 37' Nationalists, an Independent Nation-' alist and .14 members of the Country Party to steer through the Government’s lengthy and important legislative programme in tho face of op-' position from 23 Labour members.! In the Senate the Government’s ma-l jority is even more decisive, fori against eight Labour members there! will bo arrayed 24 Nationalist and four Country Party Senatofs./ This' position is, of course, the result of the clean sweep the Ministerialists made at the poll, the Nationalists winning 18 and the Country Party four of the 22 Senate seats contested. The programme announced by the Prime Minister in his policy speech is now' being translated into bills which the. Government intends to pass - during the session, which commences. .on January 13. It will be a session of work. Though Mr _ Bruce lias promised not to use his majority m a , brutal fashion, the Government will j not countenance time-wasting tactics, | and the many bills will have to be i passed before Mr Bruce leaves for Hie I next Imperial Conference in London I in September. Among the first duties of the new; Parliament will bo the revision of the j new triff, which was postponed be-i cause of tlio sudden decision of tlio Government to go to tho country. Since tho new duties have net givens complete satisfaction, there is certain to be considerable debate when 1 they come up for ratification. Foremost on the Government s legislative programme will be measures to j consolidate Australia’s industrial position by f the elimination of ruinous) strikes. Tho bills to be introduced: during tlie early stages of the session. are designed: (1) To amend the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, giving) judges life tenure and extending their authority over industrial matters within the Federation jurisdiction; (2) to regulate trade unionism mainly by enforcement of the secret- ballot, thus giving unionists complete control, over their organisations; (3) to create a North. Australian Commission to develop part of the Northern Territory, . Western Australia and Queensland, above the 20th parallel; (4) to partition Central Australia, giving control over domestic and administrative matters to a council presided over, by a resident administrator; (5) to appropriate money -for the construction or the first section of the southern, part of the South North' railway; (6) to authorise a new loan for redemption and other purposes; (7) to amend the Commonwealth Bank Act to enable tho bank to assist workers and thos» ot small means to acquire their own homes; (8) to prevent duplication and overlapping of awards by Commonwealth and Stato industrial tribunals ; (9) to establish a scheme of national and social insurance, providing for old age, -invalidity, and sickness ; (10) to " irive effect to a scheme of child endowment recommended by Federal and State Arbitration judges, and endorsed by the State Governments; (11) to provide for unemployment insurances by co-operation with the States; (12) to give further assistance in regard to the marketing of our surplus primary products; . (13) to appropriate from Customs revenue derived'from motor imports £20,000,000, to be expended over a period of 10 yeai-s on road construction;. (14) to provide health legislation on lines recommended by a recent Royal Commission; (15) to give effect to plans for partitioning of Federal and State authority agreed upon by conferences with the State Premiers. The list of measures contains no outstanding Imperial question; but its naure is of immense importance to Australians. Identified with the bills are most of our -greatest problems, and though. Mr Bruce would be the last to claim that those problems would he solved by the enactment of the measures, they will certainly relieve much that has been hampering the country’s development. •