Senate
8 May 1945

17th Parliament · 3rd Session

  1. Senate
  2. 17th Parliament
  3. 1945

The President (Senator. the Hon. Gordon Brown) took the chair at: 3 p.m., and read prayers.

page 1426

DEATH OF THE HONORABLE THOMAS JOSEPH COLLINS

The PRESIDENT:

– I have received from Mrs.R. Collins a letter of thanks and appreciation for the resolution of sympathy passed by the Senate on the occasion of the death of the Honorable Thomas Joseph Collins.

page 1426

WAR IN EUROPE

V-E Day: Official. Announcements

Senator KEANE:
Minister for Trade and Customs · Victoria · ALP

– by leave - I inform the Senate that advice has been received that the surrender of all German forces in Europe to the Allied Expeditionary Force and the Soviet High Command was signed at 2.41 a.m. Central European time on Monday the 7th May, 1945, by representatives of the German High Command and General Eisenhower and General Susloterov. The surrender will he effective as from midnight Central European time on Tuesday the8th May, 1045. At the equivalent of 11 p.m. Australian eastern standard time to-night, a full announcement will be made simultaneously in the capital cities of the United Nations.

So that the people of Australia may hear the broadcast by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Churchill, at that hour, it is proposed’ to delay slightly the announcement in this chamber. I propose asking you, Mr. President, to suspend the sitting of the Senate at a suitable time to-night so that honorable senators may hear Mr. Churchill’s statement. The bells will then be rung to summon honorable senators to hear an announcement by the Leader of the Senate (Senator Keane) on behalf of the Commonwealth Government and speeches by the Acting Leader of the Opposition (Senator Leckie) and Senator Gibson on behalf of the Australian Country party.

page 1426

BROADCASTING COMMITTEE

Senator AMOUR:
NEW SOUTH WALES

– As Chairman, I present the seventh report of the Broadcasting Committee.

Ordered tobe printed.

page 1426

AUSTRALIAN ARMY

Equipment

Senator KEANE:
Minister for Trade and Customs · Victoria · ALP

. -I lay on the table the following paper. -

War - South-West Pacific - Report to the Prime Minister by the Acting Minister for the Army (SenatorFraser) on his visit to Operational Areas (5th-10th April, 1945)- and move -

That the paper be printed.

Debate (on motion by Senator Pom.) adjourned.

page 1426

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Motion (bySenator Leckie) - by leave - agreed to -

That leave of absence for one month be granted to Senator James McLachlan on account of ill health.

page 1426

ILLNESS OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Re-allocation of Ministerial Duties.

Senator KEANE:
Minister for Trade and Customs · Victoria · ALP

– by leave - I inform the Senate that, owing to the illness of the Prime Minister (Mr. Curtin), and in the absence from Australia of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Forde), the Treasurer (Mr. Chifley) will act as Prime Minister.

During the absence from Australia of the Minister for External Affairs (Dr. Evatt), the Minister for the Navy, Minister for Munitions, and Minister for Aircraft Production (Mr. Makin) will act as Minister for External Affairs.

During the Prime Minister’s absence from duty, the Vice-President of the Executive Council (Mr. Beasley) will act as Minister for Defence, in addition to acting as Attorney-General.

page 1426

QUESTION

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Appointments

Senator BRAND:
VICTORIA

– Will the Minister for Social Services take steps to rescind the recent permanent appointment of six non-returned soldiers to his department, and will he guarantee that no permanent appointments will be made until the bill now before Parliament for the rehabilitation of ex-service personnel becomes operative ?

Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– If the honorable senator will give to me the names of the six persons to whom he refers, I shall have inquiries made into the matter.

page 1427

BAERAMI SHALE OIL PROPOSAL

Report of Public Works Committee

Senator LAMP:
TASMANIA

-I present the report of Public Works Committee, together with minutes of evidence, relating to the following subject: -

Baerami Shale Oil Proposal

Ordered to be printed.

page 1427

QUESTION

BROADCASTING

News Services - Perth Studio

Senator LECKIE:
VICTORIA

– Is the PostmasterGeneral prepared to make a statement to the Senate covering his reasons for refusing to supply land line facilities to B class broadcasting stations for an independent news service?

Senator CAMERON:
Postmaster-General · VICTORIA · ALP

– Yes ; I am pre pared to make a statement. (Senator GIBSON.- I ask the PostmasterGeneral if the Government proposes to restrict competition between the Australian Broadcasting Commission and commercial broadcasting stations with respectto the broadcasting of news services ?

Senator CAMERON:

– All that the commercial stations have been asked to do up to the present is to agree to the provisions of an agreement which was entered into between them and the Government in February, 1942, being extended until after the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific.

Later:

Senator CAMERON:
ALP

-On the 26th April, Senator Tangney asked me the following question: -

Will the Postmaster-General ask the Australian Broadcasting Commission to consider postponing the building of its new studio in Perth until such time as the acute shortage of homes and hospital accommodation in that city has been alleviated, so that the equipment and man-power necessary to complete the Perth Hospital may be made available for that purpose?

The answer to the honorable senator’s question is as follows: -

The question of the erection of new studios at Perth has been given further consideration and, in view of the difficulties associated with labour and material’s generally, the Australian Broadcasting Commission has arranged to terminate its building operations inthat city for the present.

page 1427

QUESTION

SUPERPHOSPHATE

Senator HERBERT HAYS:
TASMANIA

-Is the Minister representing the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture in a position to say when increased supplies of superphosphate will he available, in order that encouragement may be given to primary producers to increase production?

SenatorFRASER- I am not yet in a position to do so, but I shall obtain the information soughtby the honorable senator, and convey it to him.

page 1427

QUESTION

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Subsidies

Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– On the 1st March, Senator James McLachlan asked a number of questions, upon notice, with regard to subsidies paid to primary industries, and I replied that the information would be obtained. The Minister for Commerce and Agriculture has supplied the information to the honorable senator by letter. The questions and answers which, with the consent of the Senate, I shall incorporate in Hansard are as follows: -

Questions 1 and 2. - What was the number of primary industries subsidized before 3rd September, 1939? What were they, andthe cost?

Answer. - During the financial year 1938-39 the following amounts were paid as grants ‘to primary industries by the Commonwealth: -

In addition primary producers were assisted by an artificial manure subsidy amounting to £206,020, by farmers’ debt adjustment payments amounting to £2,000,000 and payments for the control of cattle tick amounting to £69,450.

Questions 3 and 4. - What isthe number of subsidies to primary production at the present time? What are they, and the cost?

Answer. - Subsidies to primary production at the present time and the estimated annual cost -

Questions 5 and 6. - Was there any increase in the weight of butter fat following the subsidy to the dairying industry? If so, what was the increase?

Answer. - No increase in butter-fat production has taken place since the subsidy was applied to the dairying industry. This position can be directly attributed to the continuous adverse seasons. There is no doubt that under prevailing conditions, production would have been lower had it not been for the payment of the subsidy.

page 1428

QUESTION

COUNTRY TELEPHONE SERVICES

Senator HERBERT HAYS:

– Is the Postmaster-General in a position to indicate when it will be possible to make available supplies of telephones to overcome the acute shortage in country dis tricts in respect of which large numbers of applications are awaiting attention?

Senator CAMERON:
ALP

– At the earliest opportunity I shall make a statement as to what has been done up to the present to afford relief in country districts in this direction.

page 1428

QUESTION

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Admission of Argentina

Senator FOLL:
QUEENSLAND

– Is the Leader of the Senate aware that the Minister for Transport (Mr. Ward), when speaking at a May Day gathering in Sydney on Monday, is reported in the press to have stated that he wasopposed to the admission of Argentina to he Conference of United Nations now in session in San Francisco because the Government of that country was Nazi-controlled ? Will the Leader of the Senate say whether the Australian delegation at that conference voted for the admission of Argentina? If so, did they do so on the instruction of, or after consultation with, the Commonwealth Government? If so, does the statement of the Minister for Transport indicate that he is out of step with the Government, and does the Government propose in future to allow a Minister publicly to express views which are at variance with its own?

Senator KEANE:
ALP

– I am not prepared to accept press reports as evidence of statements attributed to any member of Parliament. Therefore, I am unable to answer the honorable senator’s question.

page 1428

QUESTION

TASMANIAN SHIPPING SERVICES

Senator HERBERT HAYS:

– Has the attention of the Minister for Supply and Shipping been drawn to reports in the Tasmanian press dealing with the shortage of shipping for services between Tasmania, Flinders Island and King Island? Such reports state that, owing to the shortage of shipping, farmers on those islands are suffering severe loss. Can the Minister give an assurance that an inquiry will be made into the matter, and, if necessary, immediate relief will be afforded in this direction ?

Senator ASHLEY:
Minister for Supply and Shipping · NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

– Investigations have already been made into the matter, and we are doing our utmost to relieve the position. However, I shall have further inquiries made.

page 1429

QUESTION

TRACTORS

Senator COLLETT:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA

asked the Minister for Trade and Customs, upon notice -

  1. What is the number of tractors, of IS horse-power and over, imported into Australia during the past twelve months?
  2. Of the numbers so imported, how many were distributed to each State?
Senator KEANE:
ALP

– The answers to the honorable senator’s questions are as follows : -

  1. The number of wheel tractors, 18 horsepower and over, imported during twelve months ended the 31st March, 1945, for agricultural purposes was (1,844.
  2. The numbers of wi,eel tractors, 18 horsepower and over, allocated to each State during the period the 24th April, 1944, to the J 2th April, J 945, waa as follows: -

Phu allocation of these tractors to the various States is a matter for the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture, who has supplied the foregoing figures. He has explained that the total of tractors allocated to the States may be greater than the total imported during the period because a number imported earlier would be included.

The figures have boon confined to wheel-type tractors imported for agricultural purposes as very few crawler-type tractors have been allocated to agriculture. Tractors imported for the services have not been included. -In noting the allocations to Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia consideration should be taken of the fact that high priority vegetable production is not developed in those States to the same extent as it is in the three remaining States. This is the case also with dairy production.

page 1429

QUESTION

AUSTRALIAN ARMY

Damage to Private Property - Colonel j. McCahon - Commendation of Fighting Leaders.

Senator COLLETT:

asked the Acting Minister for the Army, upon notice -

  1. At what date was a claim submitted by Mr. B. J. Coath, of East Rockingham, Western Australia, for compensation for damage to his property at East Rockingham alleged to be perpetrated by members of the Australian Military Forces?
  2. What was the amount of the claim?
  3. What are Mr. Coath’s means of livelihood ?
  4. is Mr. Coath a returned soldier?
  5. Is it a fact that the claim was investigated by the Department of the Army and that thu Secretary of the department, in commenting on the reports received, wrote - “ The reports show beyond doubt that grose acts of vandalism were committed, and almost certainly by Army personnel “ ? ti. Did the civil police, on investigating the complaint, report .that for wanton damage it was the worst case they had seen?
  6. Did the Attorney-General, in a signed statement placed before the House of Representatives on the 28th March, 1944, and entitled, ‘ War Liability of Australian Government to Australian Citizens in Respect of Injury to Persons or Property”, specifically refer to Mr. Coath’s claim and write “ I am in general agreement with Senator Collett’s comment “ ?
  7. Did the Attorney-General also write, “’ The Commonwealth should not act shabbily . . The expense involved in adopting a rational, humane mid reasonable policy towards Australian citizens who are injured through war activities would . bc relatively small. It would bc more than balanced by the removal of that sense of gross injustice sometimes caused by reliance on too rigid a legalism “7
  8. Why has Mr. Coath’s claim not been met?.
  9. As the Acting Minister has, it is understood, personally investigated this case and is acquainted with the facta, what course does he propose to follow in order to ensure that the injured party is justly compensated?
Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– The answer to the honorable senator’s questions is as follows : - 1 to 10. The particulars of this claim of £71 8s. 3d. plus an unspecified amount, which was made on the 20th December, 1942, have not established beyond doubt that the damage caused to Mr. Coath’s property was the direct result of looting and vandalism of members of the forces, although the evidence available does suggest that service personnel were involved.

It has been suggested that the Government should accept a responsibility to compensate citizens who suffer as the result of undisciplined acts of service personnel.

At present the position is that the Government lias no legal liability to rectify, by way of financial measures, the wrongs committed by a citizen, either civilian or military, outside the scope of his civil or military duty or in contravention of the laws of the land. Some acknowledgment has been made of the difficulties which arose in evacuated areas where a property owner was compulsorily evacuated and thereby precluded from efficiently protecting his goods and chattels. In these areas losses due to neglect, theft and other hazards incidental to military occupation may be admitted to compensation under the war damage scheme.

Mr. Coath’s property waa not situated in an evacuated area and the circumstances of his claim, as known, do not suggest that any special factors exist which would justify preferential treatment. In fact the Government decided in 1943 that the acceptance of responsibility for looting would lead to a step by step acceptance of liability for all losses caused by war time influences.

Senator SAMPSON:
TASMANIA

asked the Acting Minister for the Army, upon notice -

  1. What position does Colonel J. McCahon hold in the Australian Army?
  2. What duty does he carry out?
  3. What war experience has this officer had in the last war or the present war that qualifies him for the post?
  4. Has this officer held any junior rank other than major, or had Citizen Forces training of any kind?
  5. Are there no officers with war experience capable of carrying out this work?
  6. Does the Government intend to give any preference in such appointments . to exservicemen?
  7. Can a suitable replacement be made in this case?
Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– The replies to the honorable senator’s questions are as follows : - 1 and 2. Director of Prisoners of War and Internees in the branch of the AdjutantGeneral at Land Head-quarters.

  1. When this officer was first appointed to Land Head-quarters in 1940, prisoner-of-war administration was a minor part of his duties, however, with the considerable increase in the numbers of Australians captured by the enemy and in the numbers of enemy prisoners of war and internees held in Australia, it became necessary in 1941 to create a special section of the Adjutant-General’s staff to deal exclusively with prisoner-of-war matters. As he was unfit for overseas service this officer was allotted to that task. Since then, prisoner-of-war administration has grown in complexity and importance, and has become a highly specialized branch of staff work, of which Colonel McCahon has now an exceptional knowledge.
  2. Prior to this war, he had. six year’s” training in the Senior Cadets and Citizen Forces, including three years in commissioned rank. During this war, he was commissioned as lieutenant on the Reserve of Officers and held the rank of captain for some months prior to his promotion to major because of increased responsibilities.

  3. If this question refers to other officers with operational service, it is desired to point out that the Directorate of Prisoners of War is concerned chiefly with administration within Australia, and that there are no other senior officers available who have had experience in such work comparable with that of Colonel. McCahon. … <

    1. The selection of staff officers is a matter for the appropriate commander who invariably takes operational service into account in connexion with staff appointments.
  4. In view of Colonel McCahon’s valuable experience and of the most efficient manner in which he has performed his duties, replacement is not contemplated.
Senator FOLL:

asked the Acting Minister for the Army, upon notice -

In view of the press announcement that Generals Sturdee, Morshead and Savige are leading our Australian forces in Operational areas, and further, in view of the fact that this is the first occasion for a long time that the activities of Australian Army leaders have received publicity, is it the intention of the Government to ensure the adoption of a policy giving appropriate public commendation to fighting leaders as is done by the British and American commanders on the Western Front and the Russian generals on the Eastern Front?

Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– The suggestion made by the “honorable senator is not a new one. It has already been considered, but it was decided that, for security reasons, it would be undesirable to adopt the course suggested. However, the matter is receiving the further consideration of the Government.

page 1430

QUESTION

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY

Senator COLLETT:

asked the Minister for Supply and Shipping, upon notice -

  1. Has the Minister received complaints regarding a shortage of farm machinery in the State of Western Australia?
  2. If so, is the shortage due to a lack of shipping space and/or delays caused by industrial disputes at the Port of Fremantle?
  3. If not, what is the cause of such shortage ? .Senator ASHLEY. - The answers to the honorable senator’s questions are as follows : -
  4. No complaints have been received by the Minister for Supply and Shipping regarding shortage of farm machinery in the State of Western Australia.
  5. Any shortage is not due to the lack of shipping, as space has been reasonably provided for all shipping requirements from eastern States.
  6. It is understood that any shortage is due to difficulties associated with the manufacture of the machinery.

page 1430

QUESTION

ELECTRIC LIGHT GLOBES

Senator COLLETT:

asked the Minister for Supply and Shipping, upon notice -

  1. Is it a fact that -

    1. There is a shortage in Perth of 32- volt electric light globes?
    2. These globes are in general demand by farmers and other civilians?
  2. Are stocks of 32-volt electric light globes held anywhere in the eastern States?
  3. If so, can supplies be made available to Western Australia?
Senator ASHLEY:
ALP

– The answers to the honorable senator’s questions are as follows : -

  1. A shortage of these globes does exist in Perth. However, it is only a temporary one. the globes are in demand for farming and country lighting.
  2. No appreciable stocks of 32-volt electric light globes are held. There is no surplus whilst there is not an actual shortage.
  3. There have been delayed deliveries to Western Australia. This is being overcome by a shipment including 75,000 lamps, 10 per cent. of which are 32-volt type. This quantity should be sufficient to cover all outstanding orders including a range from 15 to 150 watts.

page 1431

QUESTION

FISHING INDUSTRY

Senator COLLETT:

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Post-war Reconstruction, upon notice -

  1. Has the Minister read that part of the Eighteenth Annual Report of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in which it states (on page 42), with regard to Western Australia : - “ A survey of the fisheries and marine conditions on the west coast, on lines conducted in eastern Australia by the Division, was an obvious necessity since (a) the existent industry is a very small one, (b) the area is a large one and has an extensive shelf to the north-west, and (c) practically no real fishing or ancillary investigations have been carried outhitherto “.?
  2. If so, is the Minister prepared to take immediate steps to add to the food resources and profitable industries of the nation by giving effect to the recommendation of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and authorizing the construction, for operations on the Western Australian coast, of a fisheries investigation vessel, the plans for which were approved by the previous government ?
  3. If he so approves, will he place the order for the construction of such a vessel with the Western Australian shipbuilding yards?
Senator KEANE:
ALP

– The Minister for Post-war Reconstruction has supplied the following answers: -

  1. I have read the report referred to, but the honorable senator is evidently under a misapprehension whenhe described the statement quoted by him as being a recommendation of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The statement in question was an assertion of the grounds on which the research programme of the Fisheries Division of the Council was instituted and now being implemented. 2 and 3. Consideration has been given to the question of having a vessel constructed for fisheries investigation work in Western Australia, but the imperative need for limiting expenditure of funds on projects not directly concerned with the war, the man-power position in the shipbuilding industry andthe shortage of certain essential materials were factors contributing towards the postponement of further consideration of the shipbuilding proposal. The possibility of acquiring a suitable vessel of the required size with the necessary equipment from those that are being released by the Service Departments has also been investigated but, so far, with inconclusive results. Inquiries in this direction are being continued. Failing the acquisition ofa satisfactory vessel the question of having one expressly constructed for the purpose named will again be taken up when circumstances justify such action.

page 1431

QUESTION

CANBERRA

Liquor Laws

Senator COLLETT:

asked the Minister for the Interior, upon notice -

  1. What authority administers the liquor licensing laws in the Australian Capital Territory?
  2. Are these laws operating satisfactorily?
  3. Has any confusion arisen, or embarrassment caused to licence-holders, as a result of inconsistencies in the administration of the statute law and regulations or orders issued under the National Security Act?
Senator COLLINGS:
Minister for the Interior · QUEENSLAND · ALP

– The answers to the honorable senator’s questions are as follows : -

  1. The Minister for the Interior.
  2. Yes.
  3. I am unaware of any such confusion or embarrassment.

page 1431

QUESTION

OVERSEAS INDUSTRIES

Establishment in Australia.

Senator FOLL:

asked the Minister representing the Acting Prime Minister, upon notice -

  1. Is he aware that the Deputy Prime Minister (the Right Honorable F. M. Forde) is issuing invitations to British and American industries to establish themselves in Australia?
  2. Are these invitations being issued on behalf of the Commonwealth Government?
  3. Has the Deputy Prime Minister authority to assure such industries that if established in Australia they will not be subject to socialization by the Government?
  4. Is it a fact that such policy was advocated by Mr. Forde to the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited of Australia?
Senator KEANE:
ALP

– The Acting Prime Minister has supplied the following answer : -

The Deputy Prime Minister knows that the Government i3 determined to do all it can to promote the development of Australia and its resources including secondary industries. Australian industrialists have a standing invitation to assist in the realization of that objective by expanding suitable existing undertakings or by engaging in new undertakings of approved type. The extension of the invitation to include British and American industrialists is calculated to bring to this country new industries which may not otherwise become established, and is in , accord with the policy of the Government. I have no knowledge of the circumstances in which the invitation attributed to the Deputy Prime Minister was extended, or of the terms in which it was expressed.

page 1432

QUESTION

THIRD PARTY ‘INSURANCE

Senator LAMP:

asked the Minister for Health and Social Services, upon notice -

  1. Is it a fact that insurance companies will receive considerable benefit in reduced costs under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Act?
  2. If so, will the Government introduce a national security regulation to compel such companies to reduce the premiums on motorist third-party insurance?
Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– The replies to the honorable senator’s- questions are as follows : -

  1. The general question of the rights of persons under third-party insurance in relation to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Act is being examined.
  2. See No. 1.

page 1432

QUESTION

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S LAND ARMY

Senator COOPER:
QUEENSLAND

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Post-war Reconstruction, upon notice -

  1. Has the Minister or any other member of the Government received from the Central Welfare Committee of the Australian Women’s Land Army (Queensland) a request that members of the Women’s Land Army should be made eligible for the .benefits and privileges enjoyed by members of the women’s service auxiliaries, including participation in postwar rehabilitation?
  2. If so, will the Minister inform the Senate if any decision has been made on the subject?
  3. If not, will the Minister take action to ensure that members of the organization concerned receive due recognition for their services to the nation?
Senator KEANE:
ALP

– The Minister for Post-war Reconstruction has supplied the following answers : -

  1. Yes, I have received similar representations from a number of Queensland members.
  2. Members of the Australian Women’s Land Army already enjoy many of the privileges granted to servicewomen in .that the Commonwealth provides them with uniform dress and working clothing, as well as certain working equipment. Members are also entitled to paid annual leave with free transport voucher from the point of work to their homes and return for the purpose of taking such leave, generous provisions as regards sick pay, sustenance benefits, medical and hospitalization benefits including cost of ambulance transport and certain compensation rights under the Commonwealth Employees’ Compensation Scheme. The matter of granting members of the Australian Women’s Land Army, when discharged, the same privileges relating to retention of service clothing and cash grant for provision of civilian wardrobe is at present being examined.

Land Army members are admitted, subject to certain minor conditions, to Red Cross Convalescent Homes established throughout the Commonwealth for the benefit of servicewomen and the various welfare organizations associated with the servicewomen^ auxiliaries have generously extended the facilities available at the servicewomen’s leave hostels and the like to members of the Australian Women’s Land Army.

  1. The question of in-service and postdischarge training of members of the Land Army is at present receiving the consideration of the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Committee.

page 1432

INCOME TAX ASSESSMENT BILL 1945

Bill received from the House of Representatives.

Motion (by Senator Keane) proposed -

That so much of the Standing and Sessional Orders be suspended as would prevent the bill being passed through all its stages without’ delay.

Senator LECKIE:
Acting Leader of the Opposition · Victoria

f3.32]. - I do not object to the passage of this motion, but I repeat the warning previously uttered by me that this procedure will have the result of gradually nullifying many of our Standing Orders. A motion of this kind should be resorted to only in order to relieve an extraordinary situation.

Senator Ashley:

– This procedure waa adopted by the Government of. which the honorable senator was a member.

Senator LECKIE:

– It was intended to be applied for special reasons, hut its use has become habitual. I object to its use in ordinary circumstances. I realize that at present there is no other business awaiting the attention of the Senate, and therefore I do not object to the motion, but I reiterate my opinion that this method of procedure is not conducive to a satisfactory method of conducting the proceedings ofl the Senate.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill (on motion by Senator Keane) read a first time.

Second Reading

Senator KEANE:
Minister for Trade and Customs · “Victoria · ALP

.- 1 move -

That the bill be now read a second time.

The amendments to the Income Tax Assessment Act proposed by this bill are designed, in the main, to lighten the weight of taxation in those cases where relief is most urgently needed. The Government, as honorable senators will readily understand, does not find itself in a position to propose any general reduction of taxes. While the financial requirements of the nation remain as large and as pressing as they are, it would he unrealistic for any government to undertake a general taxation reduction. To do so would be to prejudice the country’s best interests, and endanger its economic structure.

That is not to say, however, that relief should not be granted where it can be shown to be both justifiable and practicable. As honorable senators are no doubt aware, the effects of the various taxation laws are continually and closely watched. Experience gained in this way has shown that there are cases in which some measure of relief is urgently required. An examination of the circumstances of certain classes of taxpayers has disclosed that they are at a serious disadvantage as compared with the normal classes of taxpayers. This bill accordingly proposes to allow to taxpayers a number of concessions which, it is estimated, will cost the revenue about £2,000,000.

It will be generally admitted that to levy tax on an income of £156 a year would usually involve hardship where the taxpayer is maintaining a dependant. The position at present is that a taxpayer maintaining a wife or child is liable to pay tax if hisincome is £156 a year, or even less. It is proposed in this bill that, as from the beginning of the next financial year, no person with a dependant for whom a rebate is allowable, whether wife, child, mother or housekeeper, shall be required to pay tax if his income does not exceed £156 a year.

The bill also, for the first time, takes into account the disabilities of taxpayers who live in the more remote parts of the Commonwealth. One effect of this new provision will be to preserve for employees the benefits of compensation allowed to them by arbitration tribunals for the disadvantages ofl uncongenial climatic conditions, isolation or relatively high living costs. Allowances of this kind are taxable in full for income tax purposes. That means, of course, that the purpose for which the allowance is paid is to a large degree defeated because a substantial part of the allowance is absorbed by taxation. It has not been found practicable, however, to grant a complete exemption in respect of these allowances. Such an exemption would involve serious anomalies in the amounts of tax payable by taxpayers living in the same district. At the same time, there is a strong case for granting some relief to taxpayers who are obliged to endure the disadvantages of residence in the more remote parts of the country. From a taxation viewpoint, the most satisfactory way of placing taxpayers who suffer these disadvantages on substantially the same footing as other taxpayers, is to allow them a special deduction. Accordingly, the Government proposes to allow deductions of £40 and £20 respectively, according to location. For this purpose, the Commonwealth has been divided into zones, which are clearly indicated on the map which has been placed before honorable senators. Zone A embraces the northern parts of Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, as well as the Territories of Papua, Norfolk Island and New Guinea. It is to this zone that the deduction of £40 applies. Zone B, broadly speaking, comprises the central and southern parts of Western Australia ; the north and the west of South Australia; the southern portion of the Northern Territory; the central, eastcentra] and south-western parts of Queensland and the western part of New South Wales. Taxpayers who live in this zone will be allowed a deduction of £20.

Following the introduction of this bill in the House of Representatives, representations were made by some senators and other parliamentary representatives of Tasmania that Zone B, as delineated in the bill, should be extended to include the western and southwestern portions of Tasmania. The Government has conceded the request, and an amendment to the Second Schedule will be introduced during the committee stages of the bill to give effect to this decision. Careful consideration has been given to the zoning of Australia for the purposes of these new concessions. Rainfall, temperature, distance from main centres, the rail and road services, rents, and the cost of food and groceries, have been taken into account in determining the “ climatic conditions, isolation .and high cost of living”. The conclusions arrived at on the basis of these factors have been carefully compared with the awards of the various industrial tribunals, particularly as to parity allowances in Queensland, basic wage variations and district allowances in Western Australia, and public service and railways district allowances for Australia as a whole. In this connexion, however, it should be emphasized that the various awards which have been considered for the purposes of comparison could not, in themselves, be accepted as determining appropriate amounts of deductions to be allowed. The awards take into account certain factors that are not necessarily the appropriate factors to determine income tax concessions. Generally speaking, only those areas and localities in respect of which a case can reasonably be made for the granting of a special concession are included in the zones. The proposal is the most practicable method that can at present be applied in removing the serious taxation disadvantages of the taxpayers living in the least favoured parts of Australia.

The concession is not limited to employees in receipt of regional or district allowances. The deduction will be .allowed to all taxpayers living in the zoned areas, including employers and employees alike. Amongst those who will benefit from this new concession will be members of the fighting forces and members of the Civil Constructional Corps located in the areas for six months or more in the taxation year. These concessions are not to be regarded as being in substitution for amenities such as transport, telephone facilities and improvements in housing accommodation. The provision of such amenities may be undertaken as soon as man-power and the supplies of material will permit.

Some challenge may be offered to the new provision on the ground that it offends against the Constitution. This aspect of the matter has been considered by the Crown Law authorities, who have advised the Government that the provision is constitutionally valid.

Another proposal which is in much the same spirit is concerned with what are known generally as livingawayfrom.home allowances. These allowances are granted to employees who, owing to the location of their employment, are obliged to incur extra expenses in living away from their homes. Allowances of this kind are paid to members of the Civil Constructional Corps and to other employees, such as carpenters, bricklayers and railway employees engaged on work in the country. The livingawayfromhorne allowance is at present taxable in full, without deduction. This is a definite hardship on an employee, as generally the allowance is only sufficient to meet the expenses that he is obliged to incur. Whilst taxation of the full amount of allowance cannot be justified, there is some element of saving in the domestic expenses of the employee’s home. As this saving is estimated to average about 15s. a week, that amount has been adopted as the saving upon which the employee will be required to pay taxation.

Another amendment, to which I shall refer briefly, relates to the taxation of profits arising from the sale of live-stock where pastoral properties are resumed by the Crown for soldier settlement. The inclusion in one assessment of the profits’- of live-stock sales in these cases results in the payment of an unduly high amount of tax by the pastoralist whose property has been resumed. Ordinarily, a pastoralist whose business is wool-growing and sheep breeding, sells only culls and sheep cast for age. Approximately onefifth of his flock is disposed of each year. The amendment proposes that these pastoralists shall be given the right to exercise the option of including in the year of resumption only one-fifth of the profit arising from the live-stock sales. One-fifth of that profit, however, will be included in each of the succeeding four years. The Government is confident that this method of assessment will avoid any injustices in taxation where properties are compulsorily resumed. The right to exercise this option is granted irrespective of whether the property resumed is freehold or leasehold land.

Before adopting this method of assessment, the Government considered representations to the effect that a complete exemption should be granted in respect of profit on the sale of breeding stock where properties were compulsorily resumed by the ‘Crown. A similar proposal was considered by the Royal Commission on Taxation 1932-34, but was rejected by the royal commissioners on the ground that live-stock was essentially the trading stock of the pastoralist, and that profits arising from the sale of live-stock were essentially income to him.

One of the amendments contained in the bill removes an anomaly in the consessional allowance provided for a taxpayer maintaining a wife. Applying the test provided by the section, a wife is regarded as not being wholly maintained by her husband if her separate net income during the taxation year exceeds £50. This arbitrary test is unsatisfactory, as the receipt by the wife of a few pounds in excess of £50 may deprive the husband of a substantial rebate of tax. This anomaly is being removed by allowing a reduced concession where the income derived by the wife falls between £50 and £.1.00 in a year. The rebate will be diminished proportionately to the excess of the wife’s income over £50. Where the income of a wife is £100 or more in a year, the husband will not be entitled to any rebate of tax.

Whilst dealing with the personal allowances to taxpayers, I may mention that the bill expands the concession in respect of medical expenses. Optical expenses are to be regarded as medical expenses and subject to a rebate of tax. Relief is also to be provided for those unfortunate people who, through blindness or total invalidity, require the services of a personal attendant to care for them. Payments made to such attendants will be treated as medical expenses and subject to rebate. The maximum amount in respect of which a rebate will be allowable for medical expenses, including all items regarded as medical expenses, will remain at £50. Those afflicted with deafness will also benefit. Expenditure on hearing aids is to be made the subject of a concessional rebate. No limit, however, is placed on the amount on which this rebate may be allowed. Other amendments of’ a relatively minor character which are contained in the bill will be more particularly referred to during the committee stages. I commend the bill to honorable senators.

Debate (on motion by Senator Leckie) adjourned.

page 1435

INCOME TAX BILL 1945

Bill received from the House of Representatives.

Standing and Sessional Orders suspended.

Bill (on motion by Senator Keane) read a first time.

Second Reading

Senator KEANE:
Minister for Trade and Customs · Victoria · ALP

– I move -

That the bill be now read a second time.

The bill deals with the rates of income tax to be imposed for the forthcoming financial year. Before proceeding to an explanation of the bill, it is appropriate to mention that, mainly owing to the system of instalment deduction from salaries and wages, it is necessary to introduce the income tax rating measure before the commencement of the financial year for which the tax is levied. The development of this system into payasyouearn taxation has rendered an early determination of rates of tax still more necessary. The early enactment of the rates enables the Taxation Department to determine the amounts of installment deductions to be made for the ensuing financial year, and to give ample notice to employers so that, before the 1st July, the necessary adjustments may be made in preparing the pay-sheets. It will be appreciated that, in the cases of public departments and business concerns employing large numbers, such adjustments involve considerable planning, and it is essential that any alterations in the tax provisions should be known some weeks beforehand. The assessment of a provisional tax for the current financial year also emphasizes the necessity for making known before the commencement of the financial year the rates of tax which will then be in operation.

I have already explained in my remarks on the Income Tax Assessment Bill that such relief from taxation as may be permitted by the needs of the present national economic situation is _ to be granted by way of certain concessions, which I need not repeat, and that there would be no alterations of the rates of income tax for the forthcoming financial year. It is generally acknowledged that, in the interests of sound public finance, a reduction of income tax at this stage of the war could not be contemplated. The bill now presented does not, therefore, differ materially from that adopted by the Parliament last year.

There is a new provision, however, under which a taxpayer in receipt of an income not exceeding £1&6 a year, and maintaining at least one dependant, will not be required to pay income tax. The income tax payable in the present financial year by a taxpayer whose income is .£156 and who maintains a wife would amount to £4 4s. Under the new provision, no income tax will be payable by such a taxpayer.

The bill also provides that, where the income of a taxpayer who maintains a dependant exceeds £156 by a small margin, the tax payable shall not be greater than one-half of the excess of the income over £156. The effect of this provision is illustrated by the following example: A widow deriving a taxable income of £160 and maintaining a child under the age of sixteen years pays £6 12s. in the present financial year. In the next financial year, however, this taxpayer will pay, under the new provision, only £2, that is, one-half of the excess of the taxable income over £156.

As the rates of income tax for both individuals and companies are to be the same for the next financial year as those in operation for the current financial year, I do not propose to enter into a detailed explanation of the various clauses and schedules contained in the bill. Such explanations as honorable senators may require will be furnished at the committee stage. It is, perhaps, appropriate to mention that, as regards individuals, the rate commences at 6d. in the £1 on the first £100 of taxable income, and progressively increases until 18a. 6d. in the £1 is payable on the excess of the taxable income over £5,000. Between £200 and £5,000, the rate of tax on property income is greater than the rate on personal exertion income. The differences in the two rates vary from a negligible margin at £201 to approximately 25 per cent, on a taxable income of £1,000. From thence onwards, the difference diminishes until the income is in excess of £5,000, where 18s. 6d. becomes the maximum rate on both income from personal exertion and income from property.

The rate of tux payable by companies is 6s. in the £1, except, in regard to income derived from a mutual life assurance business, which is taxed at 5s in the £1. In addition, a public company is required to pay tax on its unciistributed profits at the rate of 2s. in the £1 and a super-tax at the rate of ls. in the £1 on any excess of taxable income over £5,000. The rates of tax payable by companies have remained unchanged over the past three years.

With regard to my earlier remarks concerning pay-as-you-earn taxation and the assessment of provisional tax, individual taxpayers are required to pay provisional tax on business, professional and investment income and, in fact, on all income other than salaries and wages. The method of calculation of provisional tax payable is laid down in the Income Tax Assessment Act. The amount of provisional tax payable for the year ending the 30th June, 1946, will be based on the taxable income of the year ending the 30th June, 1945. On ascertainment of the actual income derived during the year ending the 30th June, 1946, an assessment will be made, and the amount of provisional tax paid will be credited against the tax assessed. The Income Tax Assessment Act provides, however, that the provisional tax shall not be payable unless it is declared to be payable by the act imposing the rates of income tax payable for the financial year. For this reason, the bill provides that the provisional tax shall be payable in respect of the financial year ending the 30th June, 1946.

Debate (on motion by Senator Leckie) adjourned.

page 1437

WOOL USE PROMOTION BILL 1945

Bill received from the House of Representatives.

Standing and Sessional Orders suspended.

Bill (on motion by Senator FRASER read a first time.

Second Reading

Senator FRASER:
Minister for Health and Minister for Social Services · WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– I move -

That the bill be now rend a second time.

The purpose of this bill is to make provision for improving the production and increasing the use of wool. Wool is our major export commodity and the industry is the foundation on which our national economy has been built. Throughout our history our prosperity has been closely linked with the export realizations for wool, and employment figures have likewise reflected changes in price levels of wool. With a return to peace-time economy, in spite of the great increase in industrialization, the welfare of the Commonwealth will still be determined largely by the well-being of the wool industry. During the war the entire wool clip has been purchased by Great Britain and this arrangement continues for one wool season after the conclusion of hostilities. Considerable stocks have accumulated during the war period.

In October last it was estimated that available world stocks amounted to approximately 4,400,000,000 lb. of greasy wool, equivalent to four Australian clips. When the United Kingdom Government’s war-time scheme of acquirement expires, disposal of these stocks, in conjunction with current clips, must severely tax world demand, particularly when the competition of the rapidly expanding synthetic fibre industry .is taken into account.

Let me quote some figures showing the growth of the production of synthetic fibres. In 1932, the production was 500,000,000 lb., or 4 Der cent, of the world production of textile fibres. By 1939 it had risen to 2,200,000,000 lb. or 33 per cent, of all fibres. It is estimated that current production is about 4,000,000,000 lb., or one-fifth of all textile fibres.

Senator Gibson:

– Is the Minister sure of that figure? He said 4,000,000,000 lb. ; I think that it should be 1,100,000 lb.

Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

-The honorable senator may discuss that matter at a later stage. That production is nearly double the world production of scoured wool! Let me stress that for every pound of scoured wool produced, two pounds of synthetic fibre are manufactured. The range of types of synthetic (fibres is steadily increasing. The first artificial fibre was rayon, which resembled silk rather than wool and did not affect in any measurable degree the markets for the disposal of wool. Many other artificial fibres are now produced, many of them from plant and animal proteins such as milk casein and soya bean protein. These can be woven to resemble woollen fabrics, at least superficially, and it would be idle to pretend that they will not affect the s-ale of woollen materials if, no action be taken. I do not consider, of course, that wool will fail to meet the competition of synthetics and be unable to hold any significant place as a textile fibre. Wool has many unique properties which, will always ensure its use for many purposes. I accept a mid-way viewpoint, appreciating the certain role of wool in many fields, but recognizing the threat of synthetics and the need for research and pu’blicity to combat that threat. I propose to give some indication of the fields in which research will he undertaken. It should he understood that this is not an attempt to present a detailed account of the technical programme. The research programme can- be divided broadly into three phases - research on the production of wool ; research on processing problems; and economic and marketing research.

It is intended that the principal research agency on production and processing shall be the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The State Departments of Agriculture, however, and other bodies have been active for many years on various problems related to wool production, and their work will be encouraged in close association with that of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. In the past, the manufacturer has accepted the wools made available to him by the grower. There has been little attempt on the part of the producer to grow wool which is particularly suited for a manufacturer’s purposes. I believe that it is most desirable that there should be a much more intimate link between the requirements of manufacturers and the class of wool produced by the industry. The sheepbreeders of Australia have made an enormous advance in the standard of the Australian merino, and of other breeds of sheep in this country. Nevertheless, there is great scope for the application of more closely controlled genetical methods in improving the yield, uniformity and quality of wool fibre. For example, some progeny testing is already being undertaken by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and extension of this work is contemplated. Similarly, Australian research workers have contributed to the. control* of many pests and diseases of sheep. The work on foot-rot, internal parasite, and blow-fly control may be mentioned as instances in which a relatively small expenditure on research has been abundantly repaid in reduced production costs. The study of nutrition is another field in which great expansion of the research programme must be undertaken. Both the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the State Departments of Agriculture have advanced our knowledge on such subjects as drought and supplementary feeding, whilst the control of coast diseases in South Australia, has provided, a spectacular example ofl disease prevention by the provision of a minute supplement of copper and cobalt. Pasture research is yet another field in which many problems, particularly in northern areas, remain unsolved. There has been considerable research done on sown pastures’ in southern Australia, but in this field, and particularly on the treatment of native pastures1, it will be necessary to expand our programme considerably.

The Government realizes that the ultimate value of any such research is in its effect on the cost of production as well as on the quality of the product. Consequently due attention will be paid to the economic implications o£ any research findings and costing studies will be undertaken. The textile research programme will cover all phases of the processing of wool from the greasy state to the production of the fabric for sale to the consumer. Carbonizing, fellmongery and scouring will receive attention. The manufacturer of tops, yarn and of all kinds of wool materials will be included. Part of the research contemplated consists of fundamental physical and chemical studies of the wool fibre. The results of this research will be of great assistance when applied to more direct problems.

While wool possesses many unique qualities which are unlikely ever to be imitated in synthetic fibres, it must be recognized that wool does possess disadvantages not possessed by synthetic fibres, such as moth attack, tickle and shrinkage. Progress has been made, but there remains much to be done to achieve commercial success. In addition to improving the qualities of processed wool, it will be necessary to explore the scope for the production of new fabrics not previously produced. There is little doubt that research will demonstrate that finer fabrics and new weaves which at present cannot be achieved with wool are possible of realization. There is need also for research on the engineering and technological problems of manufacture. There are many more processes in wool production than in the production of synthetic fibres, and this tends to add considerably to the cost of the final product. Studies of such processes as dyeing and finishing must be undertaken. The broad objective will be to improve, to the greatest degree possible, the quality and finish of wool products, and to extend the range of fabrics to the maximum degree. At present, very little use is made of the by-products of wool processing, despite the fact that little more than half of the raw material is actual wool fibre. However, there is considerable promise that research will enable a full use to be made of the grease of the wool.

The proposed research on both the wool production and wool processing sides will be of limited value unless it is assured that the research findings are made available to the producer and manufacturer respectively. Not only must he be constantly informed of the results of the investigations in progress, but we must be assured that he will be encouraged to adopt them in his undertakings. No detailed plans have been drawn up in this regard, but the Government has made provision in the bill for the application of research findings, and intends that this phase shall be covered adequately. Concurrently with research into primary and secondary production, a vigorous programme of economic research will be undertaken. Investigations will include inquiries into the factors influencing the cost of production, processing and manufacturing of both wool and its competitors, and also into the economics of wool-marketing and all its related international problems.

Publicity to promote the use of wool fibres in Australia and throughout the world is considered to be of importance second only to research. Hitherto, both these functions of research and publicity have been performed under the aegis of the Australian Wool Board constituted under the Wool Publicity and Research Act, 1936. The board derived its funds from the proceeds of a tax levied under the Wool Tax Act 1936 at the following rates : -

The conception underlying the 1936 act was that as the board was operating upon funds derived solely from a Lax on wool-growers, the board should be more or less independent in the utilization of such funds for publicity and research, although it was under an obligation to furnish an annual report .of its activities to the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture. The total amount .of funds which it received from the wool tax during the financial year ended the 30th June, 194’4, was £82,000, of which £3S,000, including exchange transfer to London, was paid towards the maintenance of the International Wool Secretariat in London, in conjunction with the wool-growers of the dominions of South Africa and New Zealand. The commitment for research in Australia through the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research was in respect of such proceeds £15,650, whilst £16,500 was allocated for general publicity in Australia. The present bill provides for the repeal of the Wool Publicity and Research Act of 1936, and a reconstruction of the Australian Wool Board with new functions bringing it into closer contact with the enlarged scheme for publicity and research envisaged by the Government. I can not inform the Senate regarding the proposed new board better than by recounting the changes which it is proposed to make in the present board. Under the 1936 act, the personnel of the board comprised one member appointed “by the Governor-General, and six members appointed by the Governor-General upon the nomination of the Australian Woolgrowers Council. The Governmentconsiders that the composition of the board in this manner is undemocratic, and the bill proposes that representatives of the Australian Wool Producers Federation should be included in its personnel. The last-mentioned organization did not have any direct representation on the board and, as members of that organization contribute to the levy through the wool tax, the Government considers it only proper that the federation should be represented on the board, which will be associated with measures for applying the proceeds of the tax. In this bill the Government proposes that, of the six members who will comprise the personnel of the Australian Wool Board, three shall be nominated by the Australian Woolgrowers Council and three by the Australian Wool Producers Federation. Under the 1936 act the board’s functions were defined as power to make arrangements for the improvement of the production of wool in Australia or the increase and extension of publicity and research of the use of wool throughout the world. In the bill now before the Senate, the powers of the board are proposed to be limited to the promotion, by publicity and other means, of the use of wool in Australia and throughout the world.

It is in respect of the funds available for research and publicity, however, that the Government’s plans, as set out in the bill, represent a departure from the present methods of promoting the welfare of our greatest primary industry. The funds available, in the view of Ministers, are totally inadequate for the purpose and the machinery at present utilized is not suited to their proper application. The reconstituted Australian Wool Board will be an integral part of such machinery, but the funds available to it and its activities will be complementary to the activities which the Government proposes through its appropriate departments and instrumentalities. With regard to the funds which shall be available for this essential work, the Government proposes that the rate of tax under the Wool Tax Act shall be quadrupled so that the tax on wool shall be as follows: - For each bale, 2s.; for each fadge or butt, ls.; for each bag, 4d. On the basis of the proceeds received from the tax in the year 1933-34 the total sum thus levied will be about £325,000 per annum.To this sum the Government proposes to add £1 for £1, as provided in this bill, making available for research and publicity an amount approximating £650,000 per annum. The bill provides, in clause 16, that there shall be a fund administered by the board and known as the Wool Use Promotion Fund into which shall be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which the bill purports to appropriate accordingly, all the moneys received by the Commissioner of Taxation from the proceeds of the wool tax. It is proposed to establish a second fund or account to bo known as the Wool Research Trust Account, into which the Treasurer shall pay every financial year a sum, equal to the amount received hy the Commissioner of Taxation in that year under’ the Wool Tax Act, a3 proposed to be amended, lt is provided that the Australian Wool Board shall not retain the whole of the proceeds of the tax which is appropriated for the Wool Use Promotion Fund for publicity purposes, but only such moneys as remain after Ministers have determined what proportion of such moneys shall be paid into the Wool Research Trust Account.

The bill provides that the following Ministers shall be associated in determining the relative claims of research and publicity in respect of; wool, and will direct the board accordingly : the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture; the Treasurer; the Minister for Post-war Reconstruction; the Minister administering the Science and Industry Research Act 1926-1945. The conception underlying this procedure is to . ensure that the Commonwealth Government, through the Ministers mentioned, shall be in close contact with the progress of research and its relation to wool, extension of its use and the evolving of new uses. It is proposed that the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture shall be authorized to appoint a Commonwealth wool adviser who, with the growers’ representatives on the Australian Wool Board, will make a board of seven members. In addition to the Australian Wool Board, which will continue to engage in publicity, there will be two departments principally concerned with research. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, as already mentioned, will be responsible for scientific, biological and technological and cost research into production, treatment and manufacturing processes applied to wool fibres. Research into the national and international economic aspects of the wool industry will be the responsibility of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture. This department will also initiate Commonwealth and State co-operation in extension work to ensure that the results of research are applied. In co-ordinating the work of the three authorities mentioned, it is proposed that Ministers shall have me services of an interdepartmental committee, which will be set up by administrative action. In order, however, to ensure that all phases of the wool industry shall be embraced within the enlarged scheme of research and publicity, the bill provides for the setting up of a Wool Consultative Council to advise the associated Ministers in regard to the aspects of the industry with which they are connected. It is proposed that the council shall consist of the Commonwealth Wool Adviser and seven other members appointed by the Minister to represent respectively: (a) the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research;(b) the Australian Wool Board; (c) wool manufacturers;(d) textile distributors; (e) authorities concerned with technical education; (f) the Australian Workers Union; and(g) the Australian Textile Workers Union. Manufacturers of synthetic fibres overseas are expending enormous sums on research and publicity. They realize that a few tens of thousands of pounds invested in research may bring down the cost of their product by a penny or two per lb. and thereby show enormous profits. It is the firm view of the Government that, unless similar measures are taken in respect of wool, cheaply produced synthetic fibres may threaten our major industry. It is because of this conviction that this bill has been introduced. I commend the measure to the Senate.

Debate (on motion by Senator Leckie) adjourned.

page 1441

WOOL TAX BILL 1945

Bill received from the House of Representatives.

Standing and Sessional Orders suspended.

Bill (on motion by Senator Fraser) read a first time.

Second Reading

SenatorFRASER (Western Australia -Minister for Health and Minister for Social Services) [4.2]. -I move -

That the bill be now read a second time.

The Government’s proposals for the reorganization and expansion of wool research and publicity have been explained at length in connexion with the Wool Use Promotion Bill. Those pro posals contemplate an increased contribution by wool-producers to the funds required to finance the scheme. The existing rates of tax are 6d. for each bale of wool, 3d. for each fadge or butt of wool, and1d. for each bag of wool. It is proposed to increase those rates to 2s.,1s. and 4d., respectively, and the authority of Parliament for this increase is now sought. It is proposed that the increased rates shall apply on and from the 1st June, 1945. The reason for selecting this date is that the existing arrangements for the collection of the tax provide for the lodgment of returns and payment of tax by woolbrokers and dealers on the basis of wool received by them from wool-producers during each period of three months ending on the last day of August, November,February and May. The application of the proposed rates on and from the 1st June, 1945, will ensure uniform rates for the whole of the first period of three months from June to August, 1945, and will ensure also a full year’s collections at the increased rates for the financial year 1945-46. The tax is payable by woolbrokers and dealers on behalf of the producers from whom they receive the wool.

Debate (on motion by Senator Leckie) adjourned.

Sitting suspended from4.14 to 8 p.m.

page 1441

WOOL USE PROMOTION BILL 1945

Second Reading

Debate resumed.

Senator LECKIE:
Acting Leader of the Opposition · Victoria

. -It is unfortunate that following upon the glorious news of the unconditional surrender to the Allied Nations of the German sea, land, and air forces, which we have heard to-day, and in view of the climax of events which is to be reached at 11 p.m., we should have to discuss now such a mundane subject as wool. However the debate on this measure must proceed. I shall endeavour to be as brief as possible because, in the circumstances, I do not think that any one on either side of the chamber feels very much inclined to delve deeply into this matter to-night.

This is a very important bill, dealing with a very important industry, and involving an annual expenditure of £650,000, half of which is to be subscribed by the wool-growei’3, and the other half by the Government. Much has been said, and I have no doubt that more will be said, about the work of the board which this measure will set up. “We cannot over-estimate the importance of the wool industry to the economic life of this country. Its’ growth is demonstrated clearly by the fact that in 1879 the production of wool in this country was valued at £12,000,000, whereas last year it was valued at £73,000,000. The expansion of this industry has had a profound effect upon our national economy. In the past wool has represented 40 per cent, of our exports. Therefore, in dealing with a matter which touches so closely the economic life of this nation, we cannot be too careful. Wool-growers believe that the wool industry in this country is in grave danger as the result of competition by synthetic fibres, and the Government, apparently concurring in that view, has decided to ‘subsidize the industry, so that Australian wool will not only hold the markets which have been open to it in the past, but also will secure new markets. That sentiment, supported by this Government, is rather unusual because the Government has practically destroyed the woollen industry in Australia.

Senator Sheehan:

– How ?

Senator LECKIE:

– During the fifteen or twenty years just prior to the war, Australia built up a reputation for. first-class woollen materials. To do. that, prejudices against Australian woollen goods had to be overcome. Manufacturers and woolgrowers alike achieved notable success in this regard by improving the. quality of their products. In fact, so successful were their efforts that ultimately the quality of Australian woollen materials of certain type was unequalled anywhere in the world. People became convinced that Australian manufactured woollen goods represented the best value that could be obtained. But what happened ? When this Government came into office, one of its first actions was to depreciate the quality of woollen materials.

Senator Keane:

– And why was that done? We bad neither the man-power nor the materials.

Senator LECKIE:

– Surely the Minister does not suggest seriously that we were lacking in materials.

Senator Keane:

– Yes.

Senator LECKIE:

– We had huge quantities of wool stored in this country ready for manufacture. On whose advice I do not know, but probably with the best of intentions, the Government placed restrictions upon the manufacture of highquality woollen materials, with the result that it will take ten years to restore the confidence of the people in Australian woollen textiles. For the last three years the Australian public has been forced to buy inferior cloth. Manufacturers have not been permitted to make even -a small percentage of high-grade cloth to retain overseas markets. Now, the woollen industry is faced with the long uphill task of persuading the people that it can produce good cloth.

We on this side of the chamber believe that this measure should be discussed in a non-party spirit. The Opposition will not oppose the bill. .Individual senators have their own opinions about it and will vote accordingly. I hope that the same attitude will be adopted by honorable senators opposite. Is this chamber to be a legislative chamber or a registrative -chamber? Are we only to register decisions made in the House of Representatives, or are our discussions to be of some value? Is the Leader of the Senate (Senator Keane) prepared to say now that if sufficient reasons are given for amendments of this measure, the Government will agree to accept such amendments? I am afraid that the Minister is not prepared to give that assurance, because the whole matter has been settled already, and the Minister has been informed that this chamber is required only to register this legislation so that it may become law. In my opinion, the bill requires considerable amendment. Some of its clauses represent complete departures from the principles supported by honorable senators on this side of the chamber. We object to the bill because those who will ‘“pay .the piper “ are not to be permitted to “ call the tune “. The wool-growers will subscribe half of the annual expenditure contemplated »by this measure, but the Government will take charge of all the money. The woolgrowers will have practically no voice at all. It is true that the Australian Wool Board is to be reconstituted and will consist of three representatives each of the Australian Woolgrowers Council, and the Australian Wool Producers Federation, hut the fact is that members of the Australian Woolgrowers Council produce 80 to 85 per cent, of the Australian wool clip and therefore will have to subscribe a major part of the £325,000 that is to be paid by woolgrowers. Early in its term of office this Government set out to dehydrate the wool industry - to dry it off - but it made the initial mistake of believing that it would only be necessary to pump some money into the industry to improve it just as dehydrated mutton is improved by adding water. As usual, the Government, being over-zealous, took the wrong road, and paid subsidies to competitors of the wool industry. It is true that the wool industry also has received subsidies in some directions, but it cannot be denied that large sums of money have been paid to producers of synthetic fibres or goods made from them, despite the fact that wool has been available in large quantities.

Senator Courtice:

– Did the Government of which the honorable senator was a member ever subsidize the woollen industry?

Senator LECKIE:

– No. The industry was producing good quality cloth and people were .buying it in increased quantities. The industry did not need any subsidy. It is only because this Government has helped to destroy the wool industry that it has become necessary to take steps to popularize woollen goods. It has been argued that restrictions were necessary owing to the shortage of man-power and materials. I have already pointed out that ample material was available. There was no shortage of man-power until this Government came into office. After that, there was labour everywhere, but there was not a man to spare for this industry.

Let us see how this bill departs from the ordinary democratic principles to which honorable senators opposite claim to adhere. In the March issue of Facts and Figures issued by the Minister for Information, there appears the following statement : -

When a Government factory can no longer be used for the production of war goods, the Secondary Industry Commission sells or leases it for the production of civilian goods.

A notable instance of this is the conversion to the manufacture of rayon textiles of a factory previously making gun cartridge cases and bodies.

The Government is setting out to compete with the wool industry by leasing its own factories to manufacturers of synthetic fibres; yet it has introduced a bill providing for the expenditure of £650,000 annually to revive the wool industry.

Senator Keane:

– Experts declare that rayon will never injure the wool trade.

Senator LECKIE:

– The secondreading speech on this measure deals extensively with the competition of synthetic fibres. What power will this bill give to the Minister? Clause 4 provides that the Minister may appoint a person to be the Commonwealth Wool Adviser on such terms and conditions, and with such remuneration, as he thinks fit. Subclause 2 .of clause 4 reads -

The Commonwealth Wool Adviser shall have such duties and functions as the Minister from time to time determines.

The power of determination is given to the Minister, not to the board. Subclauses 1 and 2 of clause 6 read -

The board shall consist of the Commonwealth Wool Adviser and six other members representative of Australian wool -growers, who shall be appointed by the GovernorGeneral and shall ho’ld office for three, years.

Three members shall be appointed on the nomination of the organization known as the Australian Woolgrowers’ Council.

Sub-clause 3 of clause 6 reads -

Three members shall be appointed on the nomination of the organization known as the Australian Wool Producers’ Federation.

The important point is that the Minister need not appoint a member of the board to be chairman. The word employed in sub-clause 4 is “may” appoint, not “ shall “ appoint. Although the board might be unanimous in its selection of a chairman the Minister would not be obliged to appoint its nominee. Surely a board appointed to administer a fund, half of which is subscribed by the wool-growers, should have the power to appoint its own chairman. I propose to submit an amendment to the bill providing for this right to be accorded to theboard. The clause certainly provides that the board may recommend to the Minister that one of its members be appointed as chairman, but the inference to be drawn from the sub-clause is that the Minister will not be bound to accept that recommendation and will have power to appoint any one he chooses. One of the most important provisions of the bill is for the appointment of a Wool Consultative Council. This body is to be established for the purpose of” advising the Ministers on matters concerning the Australian wool industry”. The council will not advise the board. That bears out my contention that the bill gives power to Ministers only, not to the board. The bill purports to appoint a wool board to carry out the intention of the Government.

Senator Keane:

-With three Ministers supervising.

Senator LECKIE:

-No. The board will consist of three representatives each from two growers’ organizations and a Commonwealth Wool Adviser. There will be no Ministers on the board. Nevertheless, the council will be required to report to the Ministers instead of to the board. That indicates clearly that the Government intends to control the activities covered by the bill, using the Australian Wool Board as a false front. I ask honorable senators to look closely at the proposed constitution of the Wool Consultative Council as provided in sub-clause 2 of clause 14, which reads -

The council shall consist of the Commonwealth Wool Adviser and seven other members appointed by the Minister to represent respectively -

the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research;

the board;

wool manufacturers;

textile distributors;

authorities concerned with technical education ;

the Australian Workers Union; and

the Australian Textile Workers Union.

That sub-clause does not state how the representative of the Australian Wool Board is to be chosen. Presumably he willthe selected by the Minister in the same way as the chairman is to be selected. In fact, all of these seven appointments will be made by the Minister. Perhaps that is natural, because the Minister wants the council to advise him not to advise the board. The clause further provides that the Minister may appoint a member of the council as chairman, so the council has no voice in the selection of its chairman. Throughout this measure, power is given to the Ministers to do everything. The board and the council will have no voice in the disposition of the fund of£650,000. The Minister for Commerce and Agriculture, the Treasurer, and the Minister for Post-war Reconstruction and the Minister administering the Science and Industry Research Act 1926-1945 will decide how much of the fund will be devoted to publicity and how much to research. The board will have no voice in that. It must accept the dictates of these Ministers.

Senator Grant:

– That is right.

Senator LECKIE:

– I disagree with the honorable gentleman. This measure purports to give to the wool-growers some measure of control over the disposition of the fund, but in practice they will have no power at all. Another measure has been introduced which provides that the wool-growers shall pay a tax on wool of 2s. a bale instead of 6d a bale, which is the present rate of tax. This will mean that they will contribute £325,000 a year to the fund.

Senator Clothier:

– If the honorable gentleman will read right through the bill it will explain itself.

Senator LECKIE:

– The effect will be as I have stated. Clause 17 explains how the fund shall be applied, ostensibly by the board but actually by the Ministers. Sub-clause 2 of that clause reads -

Subject to the last preceding sub-section, the moneys in the fund shall be applied by the board -

for promoting by publicity and other means the use of wool in Australia and throughout the world;

for performing such other functions for the benefit of the Australian wool industry as are approved by the Ministers;

Actually the Government is selling the m.001-growers i a pup. The growers wrongly believe that they will have some voice in the administration of the fund, as they ought to do because they will supply half of the money and it will be disbursed on behalf of the wool industry. The bill provides that the moneys in the fund shall be applied, among other things, in payment of salaries and allowances of officers of the board. There is the crux of the matter. There ‘ will be many officers of the board, and payments to them will amount to a large sum. Naturally, somebody will want a share of the £650,000. I could go farther.

Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– The honorable senator is making fairly heavy weather even now.

Senator LECKIE:

– I do not think so. The Minister does not like to feel the heavy hammer; he would rather receive gentle pats from the members of the Opposition. This bill is bad.

Senator FRASER:
WESTERN AUSTRALIA · ALP

– I have never known a bill brought down by this Government that appeared satisfactory to the honorable senator.

Senator LECKIE:

– I have never known the present Government to bring down a good bill. There is always some “ fly in the ointment “. This bill looks good on the surface, but on examining it as I have done, numerous flaws become apparent. Honorable senators opposite did not realize that they were blindly supporting a bad measure until I pointed out some of its flaws.

Senator Grant:

– When previous governments appointed committees, the appropriate Ministers appointed the chairmen. That is a general principle.

Senator LECKIE:

– That is not so. The general idea of a board is that it selects its own chairman. Every board of directors has the power to appoint its own chairman.

The Opposition as a whole will not oppose this bill.’ Each honorable senator on this side of the chamber will discuss the measure from his own point of view. I have pointed out various vital flaws in its drafting. The wool-growers and the Government will be throwing their money into the gutter. I agree with the wool-growers that steps should be taken to give greater publicity to the wool industry and to encourage its development, but there are only two things which will promote the sale of wool in Australia, and, in fact, all over the world. It must be proved that, value for value, wool is better and cheaper than rival materials made from synthetic fibres. The problem is not how to persuade the people that wool is better than competitive articles, because they know that already, but how to convince them that it is cheaper and better than any other commodity.

The first thing to do in removing the burden from the wool-growers is to help them to- improve the quality of their wool by producing a type of sheep that will grow an increased weight of wool. The principal way to improve the type of sheep is to help those engaged in the industry to purchase rams of the highest quality, and to that end it may be desirable to subsidize tie small wool-growers. Many of the sheep now raised in this country are of such a poor quality that they are hardly worth their keep. Another means of encouraging the industry would be to allow knitting wool to be sold to the public without coupons. Many women would, make some of their own clothing out of, wool if knitting wool were obtainable without coupons. Thousands of pounds worth of such wool lies in the warehouses of Australia, but it cannot be sold because of the fact that coupons have to be given in purchasing it. Another way to increase the demand for wool would be to assist manufacturers to resort to new processes, but under the bill only oni; manufacturer will be appointed to the proposed Wool Consultative Council. Those who know most about this problem are the manufacturers of woollen goods and a council consisting of half a dozen of them would be able to tell the Government how to make woollen goods better and cheaper than they now are.

I hope that the -Government will be prepared to accept amendments to some of, the clauses, but I am afraid that instructions have been issued that the measure must be passed without alteration of a -word or even a punctuation mark. In fact, the Senate seems to have become a chamber, not for legislation, but merely for the registration of decisions of the party in office. The proceeds of the tax of 2s. a bale and lower amounts, according to quantities, might as well be thrown into the gutter for all the benefit the industry is likely to get out of it. The chief requirement is to prove that Australian woollen goods are better and cheaper than their competitors.

Senator Grant:

– Is not that the object o£ the subsidy?

Senator LECKIE:

– My objection is that the wool-growers are to be misled into believing that they will have a voice in the control of this expenditure. The Minister will establish a council, whose chairman he will appoint, and the chairman will not report to the hoard but to the Minister. I fear that the measure will not achieve its avowed object, and that the wool-growers will eventually awake to the fact that they are on a bad wicket.

Senator Grant:

– Why is the honorable senator prepared to support the bill?

Senator LECKIE:

– I do not intend to support it.

Senator Grant:

– The honorable senator stated at the outset that he had no objection to it.

Senator LECKIE:

– Again the honorable senator is quite mistaken. He lives in a perpetual whirl of misunderstanding. I stated at the outset that honorable senators on this side of the chamber, as an Opposition, will not oppose the bill. I personally, however, do not approve of it, and I adopt that attitude not as Acting Leader of the Opposition, but as an individual member of the Senate. I said at the beginning of my remarks that I hoped that no honorable senator opposite would treat this as a party measure, but that all honorable senators would consider whether the bill could be improved in such a way as to” give confidence to both the wool-growers and the taxpayers, so that the money contributed by them could be expended to advantage. Having uttered those preliminary remarks, I shall reserve any further comments until the bill reaches the committee stage. I trust that the Minister in charge of the bill will persuade his colleagues in the Cabinet that some of the features of the measure are not so satisfactory as they at first thought them to be. I suggest that the next speaker should ask for the adjournment of the debate till the next day of sitting, because we are not now in a suitable frame of mind for further consideration of the bill as we are waiting anxiously to hear an announcement of outstanding importance at 11 P.m. regarding the termination of the war in Europe. This is not an appropriate time for the discussion of, this intricate measure on which there is room for much difference of opinion.

Debate (on motion by Senator Gibson) adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 8.£8 to 11.12 p.m.

page 1446

WAR IN EUROPE

V-E Day - Surrender of Germany/

Senator KEANE:
Minister for Trade and Customs · Victoria · ALP

– by leave - The ability of the Nazi regime in Europe to resist effectively the forces of the United Nations has ended. Victory has crowned the arms of those who have stood for so many weary years against aggression. Fighters and workers in the cause of freedom have come through the mightiest convulsion in the world’s history. I now propose to read to the Senate the text of the announcement made by the governments- of the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Soviet Union. It is as follows : -

The surrender of all German forces in Europe to Allied Expeditionary Forces and the Soviet High Command was signed this morning, Monday, 7th May, by representatives of the German High Command and General Eisenhower and General Susloterov

In accepting the unconditional surrender of Germany the representatives of the Supreme Commands of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Soviet Union and France have acted by the authority of. their respective governments and in the interests of the United Nations. In this the Allied representatives have, of course, acted, in effect, on behalf of Australia as well as other United Nations which have contributed to the German defeat, and the Australian Government has also beenconsulted on- the general terms to be imposed on Germany and will be associated in an appropriate way with the machinery for the control of Germany which will operate during the Allied occupation.

Let us all, at this historic moment, pause and remember those whose lives nave been given, or whosebodies and minds have been broken and seared, that we might live. We remember, too, the men and women and children whose lives and homes were plunged into the horror of war. Let us think of the people of bomb-battered Great Britain who set the example - so many years ago it seems now - for all the world to follow. We recall, too, the agony of the peoples of Stalingrad, of Sebastopol, of Rotterdam, of Malta, and of occupied France. Let us remember the men who served on the seas so that vital supplies and forces could be carried to the points that were essential to the carrying on of the struggle, and then to the offensives that have brought victory.

With brutality, human degradation and enslavement no longer capable of being imposed on the peoples of Europe, let us pray that the re-building of lives and homes, and the re-establishment of free government will be given the full support of the United Nations whose concert in war has won victory. Let not the peace be lost.

I feel that a great debt of gratitude is owed to the leaders of the United Nation’s and to the commanders in the field. History’s place for men such as Mr. Churchill, the late President Roosevelt, Marshal Stalin, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, General Eisenhower, Field-Marshal Alexander and FieldMarshal Montgomery, cannot adequately reflect the great devotion, ability and steadfastness which they brought to their tasks.

Above all, let us give thanks to Almighty God.

Australian men and women, fighters and workers, can join, with just pride, in the parade of victory that has now commenced. Our place has been won with blood and sacrifice. Our name is known in the shifting sands of the Western Desert, in the mountains of Greece, in Crete and in Syria. In every theatre of aerial warfare, our name has been made known. On every sea, Australia has had its ships and men. Let it be known to the world, that everywhere that the enemy has been met, Australians lie either in graves or beneath the restless sea. Australians have won their place with sacrifice, by miracles of production, by unstinted contributions in money and by an unswerving spirit of devotion to all the tasks that war imposes.

Our thanksgiving and rejoicing are tempered by the stern reminder that that other enemy - the assassin that struck at Pearl Harbour and Manila and Malaya - still remains. The Japanese still occupy territory that is Australia’s responsibility, still hold in their ruthless grip British Malaya, the Netherlands East Indies, French Indo-China, a part of China, and their own mainland. In many prison camps there are Australians who fought their way down Malaya to Singapore. They must, and shall, be freed. The forces of Great Britain and the United States of America and, I hope soon, those of Russia, provide a key for the unlocking of prison camps and for the freeing of so many unhappy people. Peace will come to the Pacific only on the unconditional surrender of the Japanese. The alternative is for Japan to be smashed into submission. It is our task to maintain the great effort which, since Japan entered the war, has won world praise for our country. Our fighting men have gained battle honours at such places as the Kokoda Trail, Buna, New Britain and Bougainville. The Royal Australian Air Force has sought out the enemy in many places. The Royal Australian Navy has paid its price in battle. Let us not do anything that will prolong by one day the moment when our fighting men, under the command of General MacArthur, Admiral Nimitz, Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, General Arnold and Lord Louis Mountbatten, can administer the final crushing blow to our enemy.

In the name of His Royal Highness the Governor-General and of the Commonwealth Government, I invite all citizens to attend, to-morrow, the services arranged by the appropriate authorities to give thanks for the victory, to rejoice at our deliverance, and to dedicate Australia’s every resource to the victory yet to be won.

Senator LECKIE:
Acting Leader of the Opposition · Victoria

– by leave - Our rejoicing at the glorious news that has reached us to-day is tempered by the knowledge that the work of defeating our enemies is only a little more than half-done. Great as is our cause for rejoicing, that of the people of Great Britain, of Holland, and of other European countries is tenfold greater, because they have been relieved of the terrors to which they have been subjected during many long dreary nights.

Apart altogether from our satisfaction at Australia’s contribution to the victory - and that part has not been small - every one of us must be proud to belong to the nation which stood alone in the fight for freedom. Led by the inspiring words and the splendid example of that great man, Mr. Churchill, we stood foursquare to the enemy; and that we have come out of the maelstrom victorious is due largely to his inspiring example and leadership. We rejoice that many countries which have been under the heel of the oppressor for many weary years are again free. Nor must it be forgotten that in our hour of need, after Dunkirk, Australia sent contributions, not only of men, but also of munitions, to assist in the great Battle for Britain. Some of the Spitfires which saved Britain, by bringing down enemy aircraft over London, used ammunition supplied by Australia. We have to remember also that when Russia, despite its great resources and strength, seemed to be at the mercy of the foe, and all its hopes lost, it was British and American munitions and supplies rushed through northern seas that saved that nation in the hour of its greatest danger. Our hearts go out to all the people of the liberated countries. It is hard for us to imagine the joy which they must feel after the years they have spent in slavery under a bestiality unknown for many centuries, and, in fact, a bestiality which the people of Australia and the United States of America find it difficult to realize could exist among human beings. Our hearts go out to the people of Holland, France, Norway and Greece, Crete and Malta, who have been saved from something worse than death. It is now our duty to help them regain their national freedom and happiness. It would be very easy to wax rhetorical on a subject of this kind, to pull at the heartstrings and let one’s words run wild in a torrent of gratitude to the Almighty that we have been saved from catastrophe; but our enthusiasm must be tempered by the fact that we have not yet reached the end of the journey. The hearts of all honorable senators go out to all those who have lost loved ones and who have fathers, sons and brothers in prison camps. To-night they must be wondering if their boys have survived their ordeal. They can only hope and pray that the majority of those who have suffered in prison camps in Germany will be rejoicing, and that to-morrow, or in the near future, they themselves will learn that their sons and brothers have emerged safe and sound from their incarceration in the hell-hole of Europe. I express the gratitude of Australia to the nations which have helped us. We should now steel our hearts in the resolve to obliterate the slur that has been cast upon humanity, and .prove that there are in the world men of heart, capable of making a peace for all mankind which will give to the men and women of the world, freedom - freedom from fear, freedom from want and freedom from all the evils we have been fighting.

Senator GIBSON:
Victoria

-by leave - On behalf of the members of the Australian Country party in this chamber, I desire to say that it is hard to realize that we are celebrating victory over an enemy which has fought viciously for nearly six long, anxious years. We are overawed by the magnitude of the event. Millions of lives have been lost in defence of freedom and liberty. Still millions more must face starvation in ravaged countries. May the unconditional surrender of this brutal power be a lesson to the Pacific power which was linked up with it in lust for world domination. Australia’s sons played a great part in the war in Europe. We supplied not only men, but also materials for use in that conflict. Britain stood steadfast as stone, led by one of the greatest men of all times. Its people stood solid and steadfast with their great leader. Right has prevailed. We have been blessed. We are deeply thankful to our allies, without whose help the end might have been different. Above all, we thank God for the victory. May the days of peace be long, and directed towards a better world in which there will be “ on earth peace, good-will toward men “.

Senator FOLL:
Queensland

– by leave - I speak on this occasion as the only member of the Senate now present who was also present on a similar occasion in this chamber at the conclusion of the war of 1914-18. I recall very vividly the announcement in this chamber of victory at the conclusion of that conflict in which Australia lost . 60,000 gallant sons ; and how, in the flush of victory all of us hoped and prayed that that war would be a war to end war. It is with regret that we think that two great wars have occurred within one generation. I join with those who have spoken in praying that on this occasion mankind has really learned the lesson of the sadness and foolishness of war ; and I hope that all of the deliberations of our allies and our foes may be centred upon the determination that never again shall such a disaster overtake the world.

Senator TANGNEY:
Western Australia

– by leave - On an occasion such as this, it is appropriate that the voice of the women of Australia should be heard in thanksgiving for the deliverance which the people of the Allied countries in Europe have received by this victory. For the women of the world, war, inevitably, has its grimmest aspects, because women are called upon not only to provide the warriors in time of conflict, but also to bear a great deal of the actual horrors of warfare. To-night, as we rejoice in the victory that has come to the Allied arms in Europe, we cannot help but feel how greatmust be the relief of the women in occupied countries and those countries which have so actively engaged in the conflict for the last five and a half years. We must pay tribute particularly to the women of Great Britain, who, during that period, have shouldered so marvellously the full responsibilities and horrors of total warfare. Nothing we can say can adequately express our admiration of the heroism of all those who have been engaged in the dreadful conflict which has now ended. Throughout the centuries, men have borne tie physical discomforts of warfare, but this war has brought womenfolk and children, and the whole of civilian populations, into the actual theatres of war. I pay tribute to all those women and children for the way they have borne their hardships. I should also like to express my deep sympathy with those who have been bereaved in this conflict. As a token of our esteem and grief for themI should like to feel that we are going to put into the Pacific war every effort of which we are capable in order to hasten the day of final victory; because even while we rejoice in the victory that has come to the Allied arms in Europe, our joy is tempered by the shadow which ‘ looms so much nearer home. During the past few days we have heard of the achievements of the men of the Australian Imperial Force in Borneo and in the New Guinea area. We realize that these achievements cannot he attained without loss and bereavement to some Australian families; so our joy in the victory that has crowned the efforts of the Allied forces on the battlefields of Europe, must urge us to ensure that at the earliest possible moment we shall enjoy with even greater satisfaction the news that the Pacific war also has terminated successfully, and that happiness has been brought to Australian homes which at present are undergoing great mental stress because loved ones are still at battle stations in the war against the Japanese.

I trust that I have not trespassed in speaking at this momentous hour, but I feel that the occasion would not be complete unless I paid this tribute from the women of Australia to the women of Great Britain, and of all Europe, who duringthe past sixyears have done such a magnificent job. The great tradition established by British women when the Empire stood alone against the forces of aggression and horror has been carried on by the women of Australia in this country’s hour of trial. They, too, faced their Gethsemane, and I hope that the resurrection is near. I trust that peace in the Pacific will not be long delayed.

Honorable senators, on the call of the Minister for Trade and Customs, sang the National Anthem, and gave three cheers for the Allied Nations.

page 1449

MOTOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURE LEGISLATION REPEAL BILL 1945

Bill returned from the House of Representatives without amendment.

page 1450

SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT

Motion (by Senator Keane) agreed to-

That the Senate, at its rising, adjourn to Thursday next, atll a.m.

page 1450

PAPERS

The following papers were presented : -

Air Force Act - Regulations - Statutory Rules 1045, No. 49.

Arbitration (Public Service) Act - Determination by the Arbitrator, Ac. - No. 20 of 1945- Amalgamated Postal Workers’ Union of Australia; Commonwealth Public Service Clerical Association; Fourth Division Officers’ Association of the Department of Trade and Customs.; and others.

Australian Soldiers’ Repatriation Act - Regulations - Statutory Rules 1945, No. 48.

Commonwealth Public Service Act - Appointment - Department of Civil Aviation - M. J. Meston

Defence Act - Regulations - Statutory Rules 1945, No. 40.

Lands Acquisition Act - Land acquired for - Commonwealth purposes -

Ballarat, Victoria.

Birkenhead, South Australia.

Bulimba, Queensland.

Cairns, Queensland.

Fortitude Valley, Queensland.

Gawler, South Australia.

Geebung, Queensland.

Indooroopilly, Queensland.

Merredin, Western Australia.

Moree, New South Wales.

Mulwala, New South Wales.

North Bourke, New South Wales.

Sydney, New South Wales.

Townsville, Queensland.

Wodonga, Victoria.

Postal purposes -

Marble Bar, Western Australia.

Narromine, New South Wales.

Pemberton, Western Australia.

Proserpine, Queensland.

Sydney, New South Wales.

Wodonga, Victoria.

Telephonic purposes -

Pialba, Queensland.

National Security Act -

National Security (Agricultural Aids)

Regulations -

Orders -

Oil meal (Restriction of sales).

Wheat (Restriction of sales).

National Security (Capital Issues) Regu lations- Order- -Exemption.

National Security (Emergency Control) Regulations -

Orders -

Dental treatment for civilians (No. 2).

Military powers during emergency (3).

National Security (General) Regulations -

Orders -

Control of overseas postal communications.

Prohibited place.

Taking possession of land,&c. (41).

Tinplate cans for tomatoes.

Use of land (2).

Order by State Premier - Victoria (No. CO).

National Security (Man Power) Regulations - Orders - Protected undertakings (51).

National Security (Rationing) Regulations - Orders - Nos. 79, 80.

National Security (Supplementary) Regulations - Order by State Premier - South Australia (No. 3 of 1945).

Regulations - Statutory Rules 1945, Nos. 47, 50, 51, 52,53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60.

Norfolk Island - Report for 1942-43 and 1943-44.

Seat of Government Acceptance Act and Seat of Government (Administration) Act - Ordinance - No. 4 of 1945 - Liquor.

Senate adjourned at11 . 34 p.m.

Cite as: Australia, Senate, Debates, 8 May 1945, viewed 22 October 2017, <http://historichansard.net/senate/1945/19450508_senate_17_181/>.

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