QUEENSLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18512, 24 March 1922, Page 10

QUEENSLAND

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ABOLISHED. LOYAL ASSENT TO BILL. (Fbom Oub Own Cobeespondent.) SYDNEY, March 16. The Queensland Legislative Council has ceased to exist. The State Premier (Mr Theodore) announced last week that the Governor had received advice that Royal assent had been given to the Legislative Council Abolition Bill, and that the necessary order had been passed by the Imperial authorities. Mr Theodore said: “This is the first occasion in the history of any State with sovereign powers where the abolition of the Upper House has taken place. No legal objection can now bo raised. The Council has been abolished from the time the assert was given to the Bill.” Continuing, Mr Theodore said that the Legislative Council, like the Upper House in other countries where such institutions existed, was the home of reactionary interests. For many j oars it had thwarted the will of the people uid had become a brake on democracy. T lore were few who would mourn its loss, and fewer still would hope for its resurrection. All opposition would be futile now. The Act to which the Royal assent nas been given provides that the Parliament of Queensland shall be constituted by Ins Majesty the King, the Legislative Assembly of Queensland m Parliament assembled Provision is made for the appointment of a Standing Revisory Committee. Before any Bill is presented to the Governor for the signification of his Majesty’s assent, such BUI shall be referred to the standing Revisory Committee, consisting of members of the Legislative Assembly appointed ov resolution. The Assembly Committee wUI take Bills into consideration with the object of ensuring that the provisions are a clear expression of the will and the intention pf Parliament, and that so far as they deal with existing legislation they deal with them clearly and effectively. The committee will report on Bills to the Legislative Assembly, and if deemed necessary make recommendations. The Assembly will take such reports and recommendations into consideration, and make any amend rnents in the Bills os may be deemed necessary. Failing a report within the fixed time, the Bills will be presented to the Governor for the signification and his Majesty’s assent thereto. The Sydney Morning Herald, commenting on the Queensland Government’s action, says: “Should it unfortunately happen that Labour is not defeated- in New South Wales on March 25 we may expect here attempts like those which were successful in Queensland to degrade and then destroy the House which is the real bulwark of popular right and political decency in the State.”