LABOUR ASSAILED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 2, 30 November 1944, Page 5

LABOUR ASSAILED

attack in australia censure motion; fails ,(N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.) CANBERRA, Nov. 29. Alleging that the authority of the law was being undermined by the Labour Federal Government, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Menzies) introduced his censure motion in the House of Represen-

tatives today. ".Industrially, we are passing rapidly into a state of anarchy, and the Government has had no policy except one of whining protest and feeble but strictly veibal indignation," he declared. The motion was defeated by 40 votes to 21. Mr Menzies, who moved his censure motion on five grounds, directed an important part of his attack against the Minister of Information (Mr Calwell), severely castigating him for the remarks made about the Judiciary in Parliament last week.

The Minister's defamatory attack on Mr Justice Rich and Mr Justice Starke of the High Court had been contemptible, particularly as it was made under cover of privilege, he said. It was the. essence of responsible government that Cabinet Ministers speaking in the House were spokesmen for the Government. The whole Government, therefore, must take the responsibility for what Mr Calwell had said in the House. Mr Menzies also charged the Government with attempting to put the coal tribunals beyond the control of the High Court, with interference in the discretionary powers of the Maritime Industries Commission, and with failure to enforce the law against wartime strikers. In a general denial of Mr Menzies allegations, the Acting-Prime Minister (Mr Forde) declared that it was "absolutely fantastic" to say that the Government had attacked the High Court.

An interjection of "hear, hear," by Mr Calwell was followed by .continued laughter from the Opposition benches. The Speaker said he would remove the Deputy-Leader of the Opposition (Mr Harrison) unless order were maintained.

Mr Fordq said the Government had implicit confidence in the High Court. Mr Menzies, he added, had failed to substantiate the charge that the Government had not enforced the law against wartime strikers. There had been stoppages in the coal industry, but in the last three years the coal production had amounted to 35,360.000 tons, compared with 30,316,000 tons for the previous three years, when the Menzies Government was in office.