PARLIAMENTARY STORM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19398, 9 August 1937, Page 12

PARLIAMENTARY STORM

CANBERRA INTERLUDE HOURS OF TENSION LABOUR COTERIE CHUCKED CANBERRA, June 2:;. The peaceful period through which the House oi Representatives passed after the session nad been ceremoniously opened by the GovernorGeneral, Lord Cowrie, was only tiie deceptive calm that precedes the strong. The storm, which came out of nothing, broke last night, and at limes became a hurricane. It had not blown itselt out to-night. The first cloud appeared on the horizon when Mr. Ward spoke at every opportunity during the committee debate on the Supply Bill. When Mr. Baker and Mr. James started to follow his lead, it was soon apparent that there was trouble ahead. Before the night was over, only a battered remnant of the crew was still on deck, and many of them had lost interest in happenings about them. They were rolled in blankets and scattered about the Chamber as though they had been tossed there by the storm., or drooping limply over benches, exhausted. Meteorologists who attribute all storms to a depression moving across somewhere or other would have attributed this storm to a depression moving across the Labour Party room depression among a number ot members that they had to return to Canberra on Monday, instead of Tuesday. It developed into a fury of wind. Stonewalling Supply The Government helmsman was content to ride out the hurricane, ana when there was comparative calm this afternoon he was able to taite measures that made it certain tha. the Parliamentary ship would reacn port safely, probably to-morrow night. Actually what happened was that a small " coterie of Labour men. against the advice of their leaders, decided to stonewall to prevent the passage of Supply. In the "allnighter" that followed there were long periods of anger and bitterness, in which statements were made that will not be soon forgotten by either side. It was 8 a.m. when the House rose, • to resume at 2 p.m. for another period of disorder and antagonism. It was only when the Government decided to impose the guillotine that some sort of order was restored and the House was able to make some progress with its business. It was a jaded, ill-tempered, and touchy House that met to-night.