AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19505, 13 June 1925, Page 17

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT. THE SESSIONAL PROGRAMME. AN EYE TO THE FUTURE. (From Ou.r Own Correspondent.} SYDNEY, Juno 5. The Federal Parliament will open for its session next Wednesday, and probably upon the Government’s legislative achievements during tho next few months will depend the fate of the Coalition at present in power at tho Federal elections early next year. Many profess to see in Labour's success at last Saturday's New South Wales elections the writing on the wall for Mr Bruce and hie colleagues. Consequently it is to bo presunud lhat tho forthcoming session will include some items of a window-dressing nature. One of those will be legislation providing for reduction of income taxation, and, if possible, the complete withdrawal of the commonwealth from this field. Seeing lhat it is tho avowed policy of tho Commonwealth Government to evacuate the field of direct income taxation in favour of the States whose present capitation grants from the commonwealth would cease automatically, opinions have been expressed that the advent of a Labour Government in Now South Wales would accelerate the Federal Government s decision. Tho principal proposals, apart from Hie question of taxation, arc a revision of the tariff to give effective protection to n feuimportant industries, drastic amendments of the arbitraion laws, delimiting tho functions of the Federal Court, and equipping it with power to enforce the observance of awards, the ratification of the sugar embargo, a larger subsidy lo the States for the purpose of constructing developmental roads, a scheme for the creation of a commission to direct tho development of Northern Australia, plans for the reorganisation of the Institute of Science and Industry, the ratification of tho new migration agreement, a special financial provision for Western Australia, and (lie construction of portion of the north-south railway line. Opposition will come to several subjects on which will be based motions of censure. These include the projected sale of tho Commomvfaith Shipping Uiiu*, and iho <iccision to have two cruisers built in Scotland. It is computed ut the end of June the revenue account will show a surplus of about £3,500,010, and it is possible that against the demand for reduced taxation the Government might wish to earmark for the redemption and conversion of £66,000,000 of loans maturing in December a gicat proportion of the available surplus.