SEALED ANSWER

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1931, Page 7

SEALED ANSWER

PETITION TO GOVERNOR PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS PRAYER FOR INTERVENTION DEFIANCE OF PARLIAMENT NEW REGULATIONS ISSUED By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Rec. 8.35 p.m. Canberra, June 8. The Federal Ministry to-day gazetted fresh regulations giving members of the Waterside Workers’ Federation preference for waterside employment. Although it is not officially announced, it is understood the Senate’s petition to the Governor has been rejected by His Excellency, whose reply to the petition is contained in a sealed packet handed to the Federal Attorney-General (Mr. J. A. Brennan) to-day with a stipulation that it be not opened until the Senate meets on Wednesday. It is presumed the Senate will lose no time in disallowing the new regulations. Three times previously the Senate has rejected similar regulations. Sir George Pearce, Leader of the Opposition, recently moved in the Senate that a petition be sent to the Gov-ernor-General requesting him to refuse approval during the present session of any regulation being in substance the same as that already disallowed by the Senate.

■Sir George directed attention to the grave constitutional aspects involved by the Government’s defiance of Parliament and said that if the executive wrongly used its powers Parliament’s only redress was to address His Excellency to take the extreme step of refusing Supply, and so bring the Government to an end.

Sir George’s motion was agreed to by 17 votes to 7.