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jHOW
r crisis
I AROSE '
; . ! > 'CANBERRA, -Thurs-
1 1 day. . — Presentation to
Parliament .of . two . sep-'
j , arate b u t identical
. . Bank Bills by, the- Fed-"
; i eral >' Government "'has
. - < precipitated the . .unique
- .political situation which
< now threatens to cause
'., a jgtmble "dissolution.
. , , ; i. EpUawing arc the
; ,i ! major events which led
Z to 5the - present : situa-|
', tioii: .
: ! ® T he Government
; . ; '.introduced .Bank .Bill
No. - 1 in 'March, 1950:
. j The measure repealed
Labor's -Bank National-
' ; isafion Act (already dc-
: ; | elared unconstitutional
: | by. the Priyy Council) .
The bill ' made provi-
! sion,/ however, to place''
; control of the Bank in,
I > a. board, freed from all 1
( Governmental , or . Par-!
; liamehtary control. ;
I I On June 21, 1950, , the <
: Senate; deleted the!
1 clause providing for ap-j
, poinxnent of the board, <
, Jand returned the mea-J
sure to the House of <
'..«! Representatives. There,
J next. day, the clause was «
'.reinserted.
- i ; Tim amended b i 1 1 <
; agaitv went to. the Sen- !
. ' , ate, btit Parliament, be- ;
fore <4he Senate could <
deal with the bill, ad- J
. I journed until October 4. <
. © When Parliament!
< , reassembled, the Gov-
; ernment presented Bank <
; f Bill No. 2, identical with
| Bill No. 1, to the House
t of Representat i v e s.<!
" | > It was "gagged" through
vithe Fpuse and sent it to < .
the Senate. |t .
s; . Meanwhile, the Sen- ; >
| ate again deleted the < !
; Bank 'Board .clause from
.Bill No. 1, and returned 1 >
'! ! the measure to ; the <
House of Representa-?
titves. It has remained'
; on the Notice Paper of ! I
i.the House ever since. |
. ' Protract . '
< . For some time Labor'!
used itk Senate majority
' to protract the debate '
: in that chamber - on < !
i Bank Bill No. 2. It had !
i only begun the second
reading stage of the de- 1 1 .
; bate when Parliament
: i |a d journed for the ; i .
, Christmas recess. !.
The second reading J 1
;! stage of Bank Bill No. 2'!
j . was completed last night.
. ! It was .then that the ',
J Labor Party used its !,
majority to '"have the ; >
bill referred to a Select !
Committee. ; <
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I '
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