STORMY SESSION EXPECTED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22490, 27 January 1943, Page 5

STORMY SESSION EXPECTED

Federal Parliament Controversial Measures To Be Submitted By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (7 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 26. What may be the last session in the life of the present Australian Federal Parliament will open at Canberra to-morrow. The session is expected to prove a stormy one and continue for at least two months. The most important of the Bills to be submitted is that to extend the area of militia service within the Southwest Pacific, while other controversial measures include: (1) A Bill to impose drastic supplementary taxes expected to include a wages tax, to contribute toward the estimated deficit of £70,000,000 in the current financial year, (2) A revised repatriation scheme to provide for servicemen and their dependants. (3) Social service measures to cost £30,000,000 in the first year. (4) The Mortgage Bank Bill introduced in October and held over for examination by a Parliamentary Committee. Before the end of the session the Government expects to know whether all States will accept the Powers Bill agreed to at the recent Constitutional Convention. If any State, which is improbable, rejects the Bill before the session .ends further contentious legislation authorising a nation-wide referendum may be introduced. The possibility of an earl • election has been heightened by the widening breach between the Government and the Opposition, and the coming session is politically a crucial one for all parties. Press Comment “Although the war should have pride of place in the discussions, party interests and political controversies may predominate," writes the political correspondent of the “Sydney Daily Telegraph." “The Government will be obsessed with the need for windowdressing, knowing that this may be its last chance to make a brave show in Parliament. It will be eager to put through its social legislation, which will provide an opportunity for promising even better social benefits if Labour remains in office. The Government will also seek the support of the fighting services by new repatriation legislation and of the rural community by setting up a mortgage bank. The Opposition will lie doing its share of window-dressing. It will oppose the Government’s social legislation, and it is certain to attack the Government for its manpower control. It is likely also to attack the Government for enforcing conscription only for the SouthWest Pacific instead of for all war theatres.”

From any one of these differences may come provocation for an early election, which a large section of the public icgfuds as undesirable, believing it would interfere with the’ country's war effort. The parliamentary term does not normally expire until the end Ul< ’ ;Y ear Mr Curtin is anxious Unit if practicable Parliament shall sec out. its term so that Ministers will not be distracted from administration bv politics. But the Canberra correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald" declares that “the coming sittings will find it easier than winking to produce a sort of crisiß that- only an election