All States Feel Impact

Northern Advocate, 12 November 1947, Page 5

All States Feel Impact

Every state in Australia is now feeling the impact of .the .struggle against bank nationalisation, and it is apparent that the Victorian election result has had an immense stiffening effect on the Opposition.

The New South Wales Legislative Assembly last night rejected, by 42 votes to 32, a motion by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Treatt) for a state referendum to discover the views of the people on the banking plan.

Mr Treatt said that the motion was urgent, because of the economic effect of nationalisation on the state and because the inaction of the State Government had placed the House under suspicion. The Premier (Mr McGirr) said that Mr Treatt was “trifling with the House.” In Victoria the Liberal leader (Mr Hollway) sent a telegram to the Premiers of South Australia and Wes"

Australia stating that, in view of the reported determination of the Commonwealth Government to gag the committee stages of the bill, he suggested an immediate conference in Melbourne to discuss a concerted plan of opposition. In the Legislative Assembly of West Australia, the Premier (Mr McLarty) gave notice of motion, stating: “In the opinion of this House,’ the action of the Federal Government in proceeding with its proposals for nationalisation of banking without first conducting a referendum calls for the strongest protest from this Parliament on behalf of the people of this state. “The Federal Government can claim no mandate from the people for such proposals.-which are in no/sense necessary or desirable. “This House calls upon the Federal Government not to proceed with' the bill unless a referendum of the Australian people has been decided in the affirmative."