AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 871, 16 March 1917, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

And the Imperial Conference. "ORIME Minister ' Hughes should know his own -business best,, but it certainly does seem strange that, after moving, heaven and earth to postpone a general election., even going so far. as -to .engineer, and that'very cleverly, a majority of one x in the hostile Senate, he should now execute a volte face and have a, double ;diss.olution. Evidently the National Government "did not feel over safe about, the passing of its policy measures. .We may be sure there would .have been no dissolution had Mr. Hughes seen his way clear without one. For a general election, at the end of April or beginning of May, means that no; Australian delegate to the Im- ; perial Ooriferehce can leave for London until the middle of May at the ; earliest. That-the National Govern-ment-may have, a substantial majority as the result of the election every patriotic ,New 'Zealander must earnestly pray, For the victory of the Opposition would mean a triumph for Australian Red Fed. and I.W.W. parties, , and, probably, a still further dilution, of the Commonwealth's assistance to the Empire in its conduct of the war. - - * .---''"]'■ * ■ a ■"-" ' .'"•;».■ ; We are hopeful of a Nationalist ,ahd patriotic victory. ''The anti-conscrip-tion vote last November will not,necessarily be. followed by - a'..majority for the. Labour -Revolutionaries, who obey the dictates of the Political Labour League. ,There are signs, many and unniistakeable, that the people of Australia have conies to their senses, not only -on the war question, but oh : the equally momentous issue, whether Australia is to be ruled by-men who, if not openly allied to' the Anarchist element represented by the thugs and assassins of the 1.W.W., are at least quite willing to have their political "support. The recent by-election at the Barrier told its own most significant ' tale, and the malignant attack made upon Mr. Hughes and his "colleagues'.by the disgruntled* and "discredited creatures of the scheming-and utterly unpatriotic Caucus?' which pulls the strings.of Mr. Tudor and his ..fellow puppets, has caused a revulsion in public feeling 1 which ..will, we.believe, make itself felt at the coming elections. # * ■ *'■ ' * Meanwhile, what about the Imperial Conference P Will it be postponed -until the Australian delegates can arrive in London? It is difficult to the Conference can, come to any important and binding agreement concerning questions affecting the Commonwealth unless Australia be represented. And yet if the Conference -be further postponed -the delay will involve Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward remaining in London until the end of July, in which case they would not, of course, be able to be present at the" opening of the New Zealand Parliament at the end: of June. Parliament .must -meet about that time, otherwise there_would be no, "supply" to carry on with. .So far as we can see the session will commence at the usual time, and. Parliament, will simply have to go on with whatever business Ministers can put before the House until the absent Ministers are onoe again in their places. This has been done_ before, and although, of course, things may be somewhat awkward, both Ministers and members will have to make the bes.t of them.