Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 6656x8704 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

A COALITION CONUNDRUM .
'Liberal' writes: — 'In the course of his
policy speech at Ktrathalbyn, the Premier
of the Coalition Cabinet, dealt with the
question of disfranchising Germans at
some length. He made it quite plain that
the State Liberal Party, which - vojed
against the Verran BUI last cession, isetill
opposed to any interference with the voter
of enemy origin though he did with pious
horror declare: — 'God help us from sink
ing to the level of the Hun, either in heart
or mind,' a remark which will certainly
not please the local Huns. Mr. Blundell,
Acting-Leader of the Nationalists, and a
member of the Government, had quite a
different nolicy to declare a few days
later on the above , question. It will be
remembered that in the division list pub
lished by the 'Mail' when the Verran
Bill was defeated, the extraordinary spec
tacle was disclosed of a Ministry being
divided on a question involving tne altera
tion of the Constitution. Messrs.
Blundell and Jackson voted for the Bill,
and Mr. Peake. and Sir Hicbard Butler
against it! Mr. Blundell, as the mouth
piece of the Nationalist Party in the
Coalition, announced that his half of the
Government and his party still advocate
disfranchising persons of enemy origin in
spite of the Premier's policy _ announce
ment! On the equally fundamental Con-,
stitutional question of the initiative and
referendum — the foremost plank of the
Labour Party, Federal and. State— tiiere
is also a cleavage. Mr. Blundell and hie
half of the Ministry and Coalition Party
declare in favour of it, the Premier and J
his following, also the Liberal Union, ]
State and Federal, being uncompromis- {
.fflgly against it! Surely electors on two i
such vital Constitutional subjects have a j
right to ask under which flag the Govern- »
meat is sailing? In other words it is per- j
miesible for a -.ministry to treat non
essential and minor questions as 'open,'
but it must be without precedent for a
Government to go to the country and ap
peal to electors for a vote of confidence
and be divided on matters that affect
constitutional alterations, and are there
fore fundamental.'
$