Precedents Broken In Menzies Cabinet

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1949, Page 5

Precedents Broken In Menzies Cabinet

CANBERRA, Mon. (1 p.m.) —The Prime Minister-elect (Mr Menzies) last night announced his Liberal-Country Party coalition Cabinet.

The Cabinet will be sworn ii

Of the 19 members, 14 are from the Liberal Party and five from the Country Party. New South Wales and Victoria are each represented by six Ministers, Queensland by four, South Australia by two and Tasmania by one. The appointment of Mr R. G. Casey as Minister of Supply and Development and Works and Housing means that he will be in charge of the huge scheme of national development foreshadowed in the joint policy speech of Messrs Menzies and Fadden. To finance the scheme loans amounting to £250,000,000 will be raised over five years.

FIRST WOMAN Federal precedents have been broken by the appointment of a woman Dame Enid Lyons—as a Federal Minister. To Senator Spicer as Attorney-Gen-eral will fall the early task of drafting legislation to outlaw the Communist Party and debar Communists from employment under the Crown, and office in trade unions-

He is one of the six lawyers in the Cabinet, the other five being Messrs Menzies, Holt, Spender and Beale and Senator O’Sullivan.

Senator George McLeay, as Minister of Fuel and Shipping, will have the job of getting supplies of petrol and ending rationing as soon as possible. The Government intends making important changes in the departments of External Affairs and External Territories, in which Mr Spender has replaced Dr Evatt and Mr Ward respectively.

CLOSE EXAMINATION An early’task for Mr Beale will be to report to Cabinet on reorganisation of the Department of Information, which was vigorously attacked by the Opposition during the past session. * Significance is attached to Mr Menzies’ statement: “It will be observed that the names of the departments are unaltered. “This does not mean that we propose to retain the present departmental organisation. “AH changes nevertheless, must be preceded. by close internal examination of the departments, and consultation with appropriate officers. “To give one illustration, it is proposed to establish a Department of National Development under Mr Casey, which may include some elements now in other departments.” Four names are suggested to fill recreated posts of parliamentary undersecretary. They are Messrs Paul Hasluck (West Australia), H. B. S. Gullet and J. B. Howse (Victoria) and V. J. Falkinder {Tasmania). Senator O’Sullivan will be Government leader in the Senate. The average age of Mr Menzies’ Cabinet is 59 years. At 69 Sir Earle, Page is the oldest , minister and at 41 Mr Holt is the yo&ngest.

SIX NEWCOMERS Only six of the new Ministers have not held. Cabinet rank before.. • “Mr Menzies’ Cabinet is well balanced and. experienced and contains some first-class , administrators,”... says the Sydney Daily Telegraph. “His combination of relevant departments under one Minister is a sound move, which should tend to increased integration and efficiency. “He has linked portfolios like the Army and Navy, External Affairs and External Territories, Supply and Development and Works and Housing. WELL BALANCED. “Mr Menzies has successfully carried out the first and one of the most delicate of his responsibilities by selecting an able, well-balanced team with due regard to the various interests involved,” says the Sydney Morning Herald. . , . . “He has shown sound judgment by hot taking the responsibility of a department himself.' . “He has wisely treated the junior partner of the Coalition with consider-

by the Governor General today. able generosity, for not only is the Country Party to receive one quarter of the portfolios, but, they rank high in Cabinet seniority.

“The Prime Minister clearly foreshadows further changes and consolidations.”