STATE ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26596, 20 October 1947, Page 5

STATE ELECTION

BANK ISSUE IGNORED - PREMIER CONDEMNS COUNCIL Rec. 11.25 p.m. MELBOURNE, Oct. 18. The Premier, Mr J. Cain, practically ignored the bank nationalisation issue in his policy speech at Northcote. His clash with the Legislative Council was a major issue of the State election, he said. “ The opponents of the Labour Government have had to find some excuse for the high-handed and unreasonable attitude of the Legislative Council in refusing Supply. Hence, an issue has been made of the Commonwealth’s banking proposals. This matter is one over which a State Parliament has no control. Any decision by a State Parliament can in no way influence or control the Federal Parliament,” Mr Cain said.

One of the first actions of the reelected Labour Government would be to prepare legislation to widen the franchise of the Legislative Council. The Council should not have the power to set at defiance the will of the people’s house, the Legislative Assembly, and cause an election every time the undemocratically-elected Council bowed to the dictates of powerful vested interests outside Parliament.

The Toronto Globe and Mail reports that Lord Beaverbrook, who has bought a home in Fredericton, New Brunswick, proposes to spend most of his time there and in the Bahamas, taking only periodic trips to England to maintain contact with his newspaper interests, states a New York message. Lord Beaverbrook, who is aged 68, is quoted as saying, “ I’m too old to. spend any more severe winters in this country or England. I'm retired now and young Max (his son, Max Aitken) is taking over.”