BROKEN YEAR.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20484, 10 December 1934, Page 5

BROKEN YEAR.

Mr Lyons to Attend Jubilee Celebrations. EARLY AUSTRALIAN SESSION. SYDNEY, December 1. Though Mr. Lyons has. certainly not yet recovered from his recent sudden illness, lie lias taken up the reins again at Canberra, helping to get things into order lor the coining sessions. This week-end he goes down to Melbourne to attend the Centenary Eucharistic Congress. From Melbourne he will go to Brisbane, to be present at the departure of the Duke of Gloucester from Australia, and lie will also have the pleasure of witnessing the dispatch of the first oversea air liner carrying mails from Australia to London. He intends to get back to Canberra in time for the conclusion of the present session of Parliament about December 14. There seems to be very little time left to handle the two most urgent matters now confronting Parliament —unemployment relief, and the rehabilitation of our primary producers. However, a start has been made in both these directions, and no doubt there will be a vigorous attempt to expedite measures when Parliament meets again early next year. Under ordinary circumstances, the next session would probably open in May or June. But next year the Prime Minister will be absent from Australia, and Parliament must make its plans accordingly. Jubilee Celebrations. Mr. Lyons is leaving about the middle of March to represent Australia at the silver jubilee celebrations to be held in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the King’s accession, and he is not likelv to be back before September. As a number of Dominion statesmen will be in London at tlie time, it is likely that the Imperial authorities will take the opportunity to discuss with them such matters of general interest as Foreign policy, Empire defence, and the working of the Ottawa Aereenient. so that Mr. Lyons cannot be expected to cut his visit

short. there are obvious oDjections to proceeding with Parliamentary business throughout the period of his absence, and if, only to free the Prime Minister from needless anxiety, Parliament will almost, certainly go into recess either before his departure or very shortly after it. A further reason for a prolonged Parliamentary recess is that Mr. Menzies. the new Attorney-General has to go to London to plead a case before the Privy Council about the end of April. He will probablv travel Home by the same boat as Mr.* Lyons, and as Mr. Mcnries is almost certain to be selected as deputyLcader of the L T nited Australian party, the absence of the two controllers would possibly render the political machine unworkable. There is the further fact that Mr. Scullin, Leader of the Opposition, may he invited by the Commonwealth Government to go to London as one of Australia’s eight Parliamentary representatives to attend the King's Jubilee; or lie may be invited by the Empire Parliamentary Association—the delegation to include all the leaders of the Opposition in Australian Parliaments, The prospect of attempting to “carry on” without Mr. Lyons or Mr. Menzies, or Mr. Scullin is hardly an appealing one, and the simplest way out of tlie difli-. eulty is to let Parliament “mark time” for a season next year. In view' of all these things, public. ..flairs are to be expedited at Canberra as rapidlv as possible after the Christmas holidays. There will be Cabinet meetings early in January, followed by a Premiers’ Conference to arrange finance between the States and the Federal Government. Then Parliament will reopen early in February, and an effort will be made to dispose of the new tariff schedule and other pressing business before Mr. Lyons leaves for England on March 19. Possibly Parliament may sit for a few days after the Prime Minister’s departure, but the Budget is to bo deferred to a special session which will start after Mr. Lyons’ return in September, and may last till next Christmas. But it may be found more convenient to leave all matters of public finance to the early months of the new financial year (1935-6). It is unfortunate that the Commonwealth’s affairs should be held up in this fashion so long, but in view of the jubilee celebrations and the compulsory absence of Mr. Lyons the delay seems inevitable^