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HOBART: THURS., MARCH 5, 1914.
THE MINISTRY AND PARLIAMENT.
The announcement that Parliament is
to meet on the 28th inst. for the trans-
action of business is accompanied by a
remark of the Premier's that he does
not know what the Labour Party has
to bring forward. AH we can say upon
that is "the more's the pity." 'Tov it is
a very open secret that nothing can be
brought forward by either side, with
any prospect of transaction of business"
following, except- by the other side's
consent. Moreover, that acquiescence
must be arranged for and demonstrated
before any business programme is reached,
or Mr Earle i will evidently never
reach the stage when he can move that
"vote of no-confidence" the Labour
Caucus is to discuss and prepare. Presumably
the Labour Party has lost confidence
in the Government because Min-
isters have signified their intention of
carrying out the law in the interests of
preserving innocent people's lives, instead
of conserving the life of a murderer
condemned after conviction for as
fiendish a crime as it is possible to conceive.
If that is the attitude of the
Opposition towards the protection of
women and girls and it is they and
their sponsors who have raised the issue
and not ive-it may be desirable that
Parliament should give them full opportunity
of putting it in plain words and
concrete form before the public. But how
is such a stage ever to be reached in
the present balance of parties? What
is the position of affairs plain as a
pikestaff to everybody? Is it not that
the Government will have to meet the
House without a Speaker ? What is the
use of affecting to suppose there is any
other possible course to Cakes The
Hon. J. W. Evans has never concealed
the fact that he is a good Liberal ; therefore
we need not conceal our belief that
when the time comes he will do what
any supporter of the Liberal Ministry
would do.- That makes parties equal on
the floor of the House. Whence comes
the Speaker in such an emergency?
Can Mr. Earle seduced another Liberal
into giving him the opportunity of put- a
ting the Liberals ouC? Is it not absurd,
therefore, to pretend to ignore the
position, which is, that the meeting of
Parliament must be immediately followed
by a, Dissolution, unless "business"
/
is done as a result of a previous Conference
and agreement? Then, what is it
that prevents such an arrangement with
the object of ensuring that the next
General Election, so soon to be upon us,
shall not be as barren of result as the
last two? People have been writing
and talking in the air a great deal anent
I the complete change of the electoral
system, and as a question to come up
later on it has its interest. But the
question for this moment and next week
is not a general change of that nature
necessitating a Commission to recast
constituencies, which would take time.
The bore point worth discussing is
whether by arrangement between the
parties another member can Tra given to
the House, to make an equal balance of
two parties., impracticable, in the next
Parliament. Of course, the House once
sitting to effect such a settlement of
the political problem, it might also be
able by force of the same arrangement to
transact business that was urgent and
desired by both parties. But obviously
that stage of affairs cannot be reached
without conference beforehand and some
(solution of the Speakership problem.
The Ministry cannot possibly unless it
is bent on suicide meet Parliament
with a Speaker. Will the Opposition,
since they have profited by the Denison
by-election to replace the late Liberal
occupant of the Speaker's chair by a
member of their own colour-will they,
in these awkward circumstances, he prepared
to assist the cause of good government
by providing a Speaker? What
is their objection to such a solution if
the only object is to arrange in a bona
fide way, that the Election immediately
to follow, shall give one Party or the
other a majority instead of inviting
another deadlock?' For this reason,
and because common-sense, seems to
point that way, we say "the more's the
pity Mr. Solomon has not asked Mr.
Earle whether the suggestions of conference,
and of-amending the Electoral
Act by mutual arrangement, have or
have not his support. Matters have
been obscured by baseless rumours as to
Mr. Solomon's desiring a mere amendment
of the law as to by-elections, in
order that he might appoint himself to
a judgeship which is not vacant, and,
also appoint himself Solicitor-dcnornit!
Since Mr. Solomon has wisely decided to-
stick to politics and is advertising for a
Solicitor-General both these shrewd suggestions
may be dismissed with every
confidence. But that being so, why
should not the Premier be willing to
meet Mr Earle and try to save the
country the expense and trouble of a
fruitless result in the next Election?
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