Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

ALP
man
called
'Com'
The DLP Leader in
the Senate, Senator Gair
(Qld), alleged last night
that the ALP nominee
for the Capricornia by
election, was a "Com.
candidate".
Senator Gair made the
remark as an interjection
during a speech by the
Leader of the Opposition.
Senator Murphy, in the Rud
get debate in the Senate.
^ The ALP candidate is Dr
N. Everingham.
-*' Senator Murphy was op
posing a DLP amendment
to withdraw the Budget and
have it re-drafted to include
pension increases and to
eliminate postal increases.
He said if the DLP was
genuine, it would bring
about a situation where the
Holt Government could be
changed. k
"They talk about amend
ing the Budget to force the
Government to an elec
tion", Senator Murphy
said.
"Yet. in Capricornia. they
are saying 'put the govern
nient back'."
Senator Gair: We arc
warning the people about
your Com. candidate.
Senator Murphy: What
did you say?
Senator Gair: You heard
what I said.
Senator Murphy asked
the Acting President. Sena
tor Laught (Lib, SA), to
order Senator Gair to with
draw the remark.
"It was the most dis
graceful and offensive re
flection on this man", Sena
tor Murphy said.
Acting President's
ruling
Senator Laught ruled that
he could only rule the re
mark offensive if it referred
to a member of the Federal
or State Parliaments and the
remark did not refer to any
one in this category.
Senator Murphy: I chaj
lenge him, then, to make it
outside the chamber - he
would not dare.
Senator Gair: I don't
think there is any necessity
to withdraw this remark as
I have not reflected on any
Member of the Parliament.
"What 1 said was that the
ALP candidate was Commu
nist by implication".
Senator O'Byrnc (Lab.
Tasl: That is a dirtv lie.
Senator Gair: He has
been known to have ad
dressed meetings of the
Communists.
Senator Murphy then ap
pealed to Senator Gair 'in
fairness" to withdraw his re
mark, or make it outside the
House. .
"If he does this we will
not take the matter any
further, but we believe this
would be the best course m
fairness and decenc/,
Senator Murphy said.
Senator Gair did not
fp'y- <_ j
Speaking later on the ad
journment debate, Senator
Murphy, said Dr Evering
hfcro was an honest man of
great moral integrity. "He
& a Labor man through and
through. We are proud to
v bpe him as our candidate
to Capricornia".
In the House of Repre
Mntatives adjournment de
bnte, Mr Hughes (Lib,
NSW) said Dr Everingham
had been falsely represented
.fi supporting ALP policy.
Mr Hughes produced
documents which he said
were copies o.f the Commu
nist Party's annual confer
ence papers and comments
made on them bv Dr Ever
ingham in a Communist
Party publication.
Dr Everingham had ad
vocated the acievement of
a united Labor movement
_-^rWr^Communists, though
"Tr2r|LP policy strictly en
SJ&ined party members not
--fa co-operate with the Com
munist Party and to destroy
the influence of commu
nism.
AND Liberal* condcnin
McMahon. - Page 3.
$