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ELECTION CHANCE
Labor Determined
on Banking Bill
From "The Age- Special Representative
CANBERRA, Tuesday. — The possibility of a double dissolu
tion of the Federal Parliament flared up again following events
m Canberra today.
This morning -the
Leader of the. Opposi
tion (Mr. Chifley). in
an outspoken speech to
caucus executive,
warned his party to be
prepared for an elec
tion on banking.
He claimed such an election
could not occur before the
tfucumn and that time was
running in Labor's favor.
' On the other hand the Go
vernment is seeking an im
mediate debate of one of its
two identical Banking Bills
m the Senate so it may re
quest an early double disso
lution on the Opposition s
failure to pass the measure.
Mr. Chifley told the 13 other
members of the executive there
could be no "Labor retreat" on
the Banking Bill.
He called, on the executive
and the party to give their
whole-hearted approval to last
week's reaffirmation of the
Federal executive of the AX.P.
to fight the clauses of the
Banking BUI which propose to
re-establish control of the
Commonwealth Bank by a
board.
Labor. Mr. Chifley said, had
pioneered all major banking
reform in Australia's political
history, in addition to having
established the Commonwealth
Bank.
The party was not prepared
at -this or any other time to
back down on the banking
issues now before Parliament.
The Opposition should fight
the issue of the reconstitution
of a Bank Board to. a double
dissolution if necessary.
Resolved
Executive members after to
days meeting said tne party
was .firmly resolved to fight
banking to the logical conclu
sion. V «: r' -1
There was no possibility, of
a split . within the party as
had happened over the anti-
Red bill.
Senior- executive members,
including the Leader of the
Opposition in the Senate
(Senator Ashley), the Deputy
Leader (Senator McKenna)
and Mr. E. J. Ward today gave
Mr. Chifley their full backing.
The executive, as a result of
today s discussions, will recom
mend to caucus tomorrow
morning that the Senate Op
position majority be instructed
to oppose the bill by all means
possible.
Committee
The course most favored at
the moment is to refer the Bill
to a Senate select committee
for examination and report-
Such a move would be in
accord with Mr. Chifley's re
ported statement to the execu
tive today that "Time is on our
side."
The tactical struggle de
veloping -vill centre an the
fate of the two banking
bills.
One of these is the bill the
Government introduced In the
sittings, earlier in the year.
The Senate allowed this bill
to remain on the notice paper
when Parliament adjourned
last June.
A fortnight ago it sent this
bill to the House. of Represen
tatives,. ' deleting - .the clauses
Wi.k'.ft . appointed a bank
board.
. This bill is now at the bot
tom of the notice paper for the
House of Representatives.
Second Bill
When the present sittings of
Parliament began, the Govern
ment introduced a second
Banking Bll, identical with the
first.
This was guillotined through
the Lower House, and is now
before the Senate:
Labor tactics will be to pre
vent, this bill being debated.
Today its Senate majority
was used te -this end. when
the Opposition took the busi
ness out of the hands of the
Government.
The Leader of 'the Govern
ment (Senator OSullivan)
sought to have the Bank Bill
given precedence over the Con
stitution (Alteration) Prices
Bill introduced by the Deputy
Leader of the Opposition
(Senator McKenna).
His motion that Standing
Orders be suspended to enable
this was negatived on a party
division by 31 votes to 22
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PERSONALITIES who met yesterday at a conference between the combined unions and the A.C.T.U. Left:— The Federal President of the A.F.U.L.E, (Mr. Harrison M.P.) with the State Secretary of the A.F.U.L.E. (Mr. F. Carey). Centre: — The President of the A.C.T.U. and chairman of the conference (Mr. A. Monk). Right: — N.S.W. Secretary of the A.R.U. (Mr. J. A. Ferguson, M.L.C.). Help
PERSONALITIES who met yesterday at a conference between the combined
unions and the A.C.T.U. Left:— The Federal President of the A.F.U.L.E, (Mr.
Harrison M.P.) with the State Secretary of the A.F.U.L.E. (Mr. F. Carey).
Centre: — The President of the A.C.T.U. and chairman of the conference (Mr.
A. Monk). Right: — N.S.W. Secretary of the A.R.U. (Mr. J. A. Ferguson, M.L.C.).
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