legislative assembly thursday september · 2014-06-19 · 342 questions. [assembly.] questions •...

Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

THURSDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 1954

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

Wages Acts Amendment Bill. [16 SEPTEMBER.] Questions. 341

THURSDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 1954.

Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. J. Brisbane) took the chair at 11

QUES'riONS.

H. Mann, a.m.

MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES.

illr. NICKLIN (Landsborough-Leader of the Opposition) asked the Minister for Transport-

'' In view of the large increase in the contribution of the Commonwealth Government towards roads, amounting to £1,500,000 for Queensland, and the fact that motor vehicle registration fees are higher in Queensland than in any other State, will he kindly give consideration to an early reduction in the fees in question~ ' '

Hon. J. E. DUGGAN (Toowoomba) replied-

'' Whilst the fees for registration of motor cars are higher in Queensland than any other State, this is not so in the case of motor trucks or the majority of utilities. The need for road construction in Queensland is greater than that in some of the other States because of the vast area involved, and, as the hon. member is aware, a large percentage of the questions directed to me from the Opposition side of the House embody requests for the construction of road additional to those provided for in the current works programme. The Government is keeping the matter prominently in mind, and the hon. member can be assured that motorists in Queensland will receive every consideration. Obviously, in such a large State, the per capita cost to motorists for road construction must be higher than that in smaller more densely populated States. I might say, in conclusion, that the rate of spending by the Main R,oads Department for the first two months of the current financial year is approximately £300,000 more than the corresponding period for last year.''

342 Questions. [ASSEMBLY.] Questions •

STATE SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND A.L.P. FUNDS.

Mr. ~!ORRIS (Mt. Coot-tha) asked the Premier-

'' Referring to his answer on 14 September to my question relative to functions by school committees, did the poliey, which he stated was laid down by The Honourable R. M. King specifically permit funds obtained by any such funetions being used for party political purposes?"

Hon. V. C. GAIR (South Brisbane) replied-

' 'There is nothing in the policy to which I Tefcrred prohibiting school committees or committees representing parents of school children combining with outside organisations with a view to raising funds for their mutual benefit.''

'VEST MACKAY STATE SCHOOL.

Mr. EV ANS (Mirani) asked the Secretary for Public Instruction-

' 'In reference to the published statement in 'The CouTier-Mail' on 15 September, 1854, that satmation point has been reached with the present 529 pupils at the West Mackay State School and that more than 50 new Housing Commission homes aTe to be erectel1 in the vicini tv in addition to private buildings, will he 'kindly state what is pToposed by his department to overcome the serious lack of accommodation which now exists at the school in question W "

Hon. G. H. DEVRIES replied-

(Gregory)

'' The hon. member may rest assured that my Department is fully aware of the position TegaTding existing facilities and future requirements at 'Vest Mackay. For some considerable time my colleague, the hon. member for Mackay, has been making representations for the provision of a new school in this distriet. During my recent visit to Mackay, 1\fT. F. D. Graham, M.L.A., pointed out to nw the new homes which had been built in the ;icinitv of the school and gave an indication of ti1e approximate location of the proposed Housing· Commission homes. He nlso accompanied me to the school and put the case strongly for mme commodious accommodation for the infants and new accommodation for the senior gmdes. On the basis of my own observations on the spot and in the light of im•estigations made by the Central Regional Director and other senior officers, I have found that Mr. Graham's representations were fully justified and I have already taken steps to initiate appropriate action. It has been proposed that adequate and suitable accommodation in the :Mackav West area be provided by the establishment of a separate school for infants on the existing site in buildings to be adapted for the purpose and by the provision of accommodation for Grades III., IV., V. and VI. on the new school site.' '

HAMILTON LANDS COMMITTEE.

~lr. AIKENS (Mundingburra) asked tj:le Premier-

'' Why, when and how was the Hamilton Lands Committee set np and what are the names and occupations of its members~''


'' The Hamilton Lands Committee was set up on 26 July, 1949, for the purpose of determining the layout of port lands in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River from the Cold Stores downstream. The Committee is required to take into account the needs of the Railways, Harbours and Marine and other Government departments and also to consider road and drainage requirements. The Committee's functions also involve advice to the Lands Department on the development of the area generally, including recommendations concerning applications by interested industrial concerns for sites in the area. 'l'he names and occupations of the members of the Committee are as follows :-J. A. Holt, Co-ordinator-General of Public Works (chairman); J. Bergin, member, L~nd Administration Board; E. Mellor, Actmg Surveyor-General; E. C. Fison, Chief Engineer, Department Harbours and Marine; Captain R. Masterman, ~artmaster, Department Harbours and Manne; J. A. Sewell, Director of Local Government; J. Ho are, Assistant to Chief Engineer, Railway Department; R. J. Hoare Under Secretaq, Department of Labou'r and Industry and Director of Secondary Industries; J. S. \Veir, Se~ior Planning Officer, Depart:rn_ent of P~a1;~mg and Building, Brisbane C1ty Counc1l.

MORETON BAY HOTEL, REDCLIFFE.

lUr. NICHOLSON (Murrumba) asked the Attomey-General-

'' Referring to his reply to me on 1 Deeembcr last that plans had been drawn up for major improvements to t~e Moreton Bay Hotel, Redcliffe, ~will he kn;dly state what steps have been or are bemg taken to effect such much-needed improvements~"

Hon. 1Y. POWER (Baroo11a) replied-'' The Licensing Commission informs me

that owners of these premises haYe an extensive building programme in hotel and brewery work, and the improYcments to ~his hotel will be carried out at the earhest date, having in mind 1vorl' called for by the Commission, which is allotted a h1gher priority.''

REPORT ON CITY OF BRISBAKE TOWN PLAN.

~Ir. KERR. (Sherwood) asked the Treasurer-

" Has the report on the City of Bri~bane Town Plan been finalised~ If so, w1ll he kindly make it available to hon. members of this House for perusal~''

Questions. [16 SEPTEMBER.] Defence, &c., of Australia. 343

Hon. E. J. W ALSH (Bundaberg) replied-

'' The Report, which is a very lengthy one, has been received and will be examined in clue course. After a study of the submissions, recommendations, where necessary, will be submitted to the Governor in Council. It is not customary to lay such reports on the table of the House.''

BUR:DEKIN RIVER DAM.

Mr. COBURX (Burdekin) asked the Premier-

'' 1. What work is at present being undertaken . on .the proposed major clam at the 90-nule srte on the Burdekin River~

'' 2. How many men are employed on such work~ ''


'' 1. Investigational and design woTk in the Engineering Office of the Co-oTdinatOTGeneral 's Department.

'' 2. Engineering staff only.''

pASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON ' '\VESTLANDER.''

1\lr. CHALK (Lockyer) asked the MinisteT for TranspoTt-

'' 1. Is it a fact that passengers from Toowoomba or surrounding localitif's desi:·ous. of tTavelling by rail to any destmatwn beyond Roma on the CharlevilleCunnamulla line cannot board the '\V estlancler' air-conclitioned train at Toowoomba unless they have :first made a ~esPlvation as from Brisbane and paid the fare as from that city, OT altPrnativel:>·, if they refuse to pay the fare from Brisbane that they must :fir,t travel from Toowooml;a to Roma by ordinary steam train and join the '\V estlander' there W

"2. \V ere several applications made at the Tomvoomba railway ticket office for the purchase of tickets from Toowoomba. to destinations beyond Roma on Tuesday, 7 September, ~nd Friday, 10 September, and were apphcants offered tickets only in accordance with the basis as outlined in Question 1?

'' 3. Is it a fact that ~when the 'Westland er' passed tbrough Toowoomba travelling west on 7 September, there ~were at least fifty-one unbooked and unoccupied berths or seats and that on a similar journc:· on 10 September, there were at least :fifty-nine unoccupied berths or seats which could have been made available to travellers who bad been forced to take a. steam train to Roma and then transfer to the unoccupied accommodation in the '\V cstlander '?

'' 4. If his departmental officers deny the :figmes I have quoted will he make available for inspection the reservation diagram sheets covering the two trains~

'' 5. \Vill he give consiclemtion to allowing Toowoomba and district passengers for beyond Roma the right to join the 'Westlander' at 'l'oowoomba if berths or seats

are unoccupied when the train leaves Brisbane, seeing that the 'Westlander' leaves Brisbane at 6.55 p.m. and thereby allows ample time for the Toowoomba station-master to be advised of available accommodation prior to the departure of the steam train which, if on time, does not leave Toowomba for Roma until 7.40 p.m.?"

Hon. J. E. DUGGAN (Toowoomba) replied-

''1. No. '' 2. There is no knowledge of any circum

stances such as have been suggested.'' '' 3. There has been no necessity for a

passenger from Toowoomba who desired to join the '\Vestlander' for Roma or a station beyoncl to travel to Roma by a steam train in order to join the '\Vestlander' there, nor is it known that such an instance occurred.

"4. See answer to No. 3. '' 5. Passengers for Roma and beyoncl are

entitled to join the '\Vestlander' at Too1voomba. The replies to the hon. member's questions reveal, as has been the case with monotonous regularity in the past, that despite the collaboration of a disloyal employee in the Department, ~is chaTges are completely unfounded, and clrsplay an abysmal ignorance of n;atters on which he poses as an expert. Vie have, I believe, in naming the air-~onrlitioned trnins operating in Queensland, the 'Sunlander,' 'Inlander,' '::'11idlanc1er' and 'W estlander,' giwn them appropriate titles. Perhaps the hon. member, because of his constant attacks on the RaihYa:· administration, the consistent exposure of his enors and tlie lost causes which he hns expounded, might wish to be remembered after his inaccuracies haye been forgotten, and in the process have his egotism boosted, by hm·ing his name linked with the foregoing train names and being referred to as 'The Lostlander '.''

PAPERS.

The following papers were laid on the table, and ordered to be printed-

Sixty-ninth Report on the Creation, Inscription, and Issue of Stock.

Thirty-third Report on the Creation, Inscription, and Issue of Government Inscribed Stock.

The following papers were laid on the table-

Order in Council under the Electrical Workers Acts, 1927 to 1931.

Regulation under the Apprentices ana Minors Acts, 1929 to 1948.

DEFENCE AND SECURITY OF AUSTRALIA.

RESU:VIPTION OF DEBATE.

Debate resumed from 9 September (see p. 285) on Mr. Jesson 's motion-

'' 1. ThRt in view of the statement made bv the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives on 5 August in which he

344 Defence and Security [ASSEMBLY.] of Australia.

pledged Australia's acceptance of military commitments for a South-East Asian Pact, this House condemns the belated recognition by the Commonwealth Govemment of the vital importance of North Australia, including Queensland, to the defence and security of Australia.

'' 2. That in view of the statement by the Prime Minister that Australia's defence expenditure is to be raised in the :F'ederal Budget to £200 million (£35 million more than last year) this House emphasises that any worsening in the international situation in the :F'ar East must necessarily affect Queensland as a frontier State more gravely in the first instance than any other State.

'' 3. That this House, therefore, urges the desirability of ensuring that the huge defence programme envisaged by the Commonwealth must necessarily include adequate provision for the commencement and completion of projects of a national chamcter which possess defence potentfal as well as ultimately being of economical and developmental value to the State.''

J\Ir. J\IcCATHIE (Haughton) (11.15 a.m.): When the debate adjourned last week I >Yas endeavouring to show that the Common· wealth Government had failed to give Queensbud any assistance towards the development of our ports and harbours. I shall proceed to develop that theme in a few moments. During the >Ycek the news in the Press has not been at all encouraging so far as Queensland is c,oncerned. The statements of the Commonwealth Treasurer have indicated that once again he is determined to delay any development in Queensland. His statement in respect to ''air-beef'' is indicative of the fact that he and his colleagues in the Federal Cabinet are continually calling for additional reports. I say very emphatically that the statement by the Premier yesterday gave a complete and thorough answer to the misstatements of the :B'ederal Treasurer.

J\Ir. Aikens: A very complete answer.

Mr. JUcCATHIE: The hon. member for Munding_burra says that it was a very complete answer. It indicated to the people of Queensland what our Gov€rnment had done over the years to develop this State. I am certain that the Federal Cabinet will be compelled, because of the continued pressure from Queensland, to do something for the development of the northern part of Australia, particularly North Queensland. We know what this Queensland Government have been doing year in and year out to get cattle to the coast. The statement by the Federal Treasurer that because of the discovery of uranium in the Cloncurry and Mount Isa f1istricts there was no further need for a raillink there, shows how utterly ignorant h€ is of the needs of Queensland. This rail-link would bring thousands of cattle to the meatworks on the coast. It would save much of the beef that is now lost because the cattle have to be walked over some of the worst stock routes in Australia. My colleague, the hon. member for Carpentaria will, in his own time, tell you something of the stock routes over which these cattle have to walk.

With the construction of the DajarraCamooweal rail-link many thousands of cattle can be brought out to the coast. The nation will get the benefit of that.

(Time, on motion of Mr. Brosnan, extended.)

Mr. "ilicCATHIE: Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for :F'ortitude Valley for his courtesy and the House for its indulgence. I shall not take much more time.

The Commonwealth Government have failed to provide any assistance for the development of Queensland's ports and harbours. I draw particular attention to the Townsville Harbour. For many weeks past there has been considerable congestion in the harbour at Townsville; up to 15 ships have been anchored off the harbour. The Commonwealth Government are largely responsible for the inability of the board to get the ships to berths. The Harbour Board at Townsville is particularly active. It is well aware of the needs of the area. 1 cannot agree at all with the statements in the leader in the '' Townsville Bulletin,'' 3 August, 1954, headed-

'' Port Congestion Reveals Lack of Proper Berthage Provision.

''The congestion in the Townsville Harbour in the past days indicates that progress has outdistanced the port authority. In other words, it can be said that the Townsville jetty and its installations have not been developed to the same extent as the areas which they serve.''

The Townsville Harbour Board has been well aware of the needs of the district it serves and it has been right to the fore in providing the necessary equipment and storage space. It has done itS best to secure berthage accommodation. The leading article goes on to say that the writer does not know if any blame can be laid at the door of the Harbour Board. He states further that he does not know what impediments have been placed in its way. I should think that the editor of a newspaper >vould not make such statements without first having made an investigation. It is quite apparent tli"at the "Townsville Bulletin" did not take enough interest in the matter to find out just what obstacles had been placed in the board's way.

The board has provided a new tug and a new dredge. It is constantly deepening the berths in the outer harbour so that ships may tie up without disability at all tides.

In the report of its August meeting, as published in ''The Townsville Bulletin,'' the Harbour Board refers to the work done by it and comments on the criticism of its actions. On 12 August, 1954, the board took exception to the action of the Australian Stevedoring Industry Board in connection with amenities for the waterside workers. The Townsville Harbour Board claimed, and rightly so, that it was entitled to consult with the waterside workers and to be consulted by them on these matters and that the Australian Stevedoring Industry Board, an instrumentality of the Commonwealth Government, had exceeded its authority.

Defence and Security [16 SEPTEMBER.] of Austmlia. 345

The Australian Stevedoring Industry Board also wrote to the Townsville Harbour Board in connection with the reopening of the town wharves. It was pointed out by the engineer that there was 700 feet of wharfage in the town section but dredging was necessary and there was no real occasion to use it. 'rhe boan1 did decid0, hmvever, that the matter should be investigated and it statecl in the report of its meeting that the State Treasurer, Hon. E .. T. \Valsh, hac1 informed the Australian Stevedoring Im1ustry Board that the question of dredging and the provision of \Yharfage at town wharves were matters entirely for the Harbour Board. I mention this to show that the State Govemment are ap1)Teciathe of the work being clone by our harbour boards and that they are not endeavouring to push those boards any further than they desire to go. This Govmnment also appreciate the fact, that this CommomYealth instrumentality exceeds its authority in making certain ·suggestions to the board.

A further statement \Yas that the Harbour BoaTCl recognises the fact that there is need for increased herthage facilities and is treating this as a matter of 1ugency. In order to tie up my argument furthr>r, I propose to refer to a statement bv Senator G. :McLeay, Minister for Shippi1~g and Tmnsport, as published in the Ayr ''Advocate.'' In a report to the Ayr Chamber of Commerce, Senator McLeay gives several reasons for the c1elavs and increased costs at Townsville. One ;Yas that there is a shmtnge of mechanical equipment there. Apparently he fails to realise that his own Commonwealth Government provic1e the equipment, the Harbour Board merely hiring it from them. If there is any shortage of equipment, then it is the responsibility of his department to see that it is provided.

He said also that he 1vould confer with his colleague, Mr. Holt, in an enr1eayour to overcome some of the bottlenecks. Again we are to have an investigation, a report and further delay to the Townsville Harbour Board.

Let me give hon. members the true stoTy of \Yhat has been clone bv the To\Ynsville HaTbonr Board despite th~ failure of the Commonwealth Gowrnment to give any help. The TmvnsYille Harbour Board is exb·emelv alert. It has stated through its chninnni1 that one way of improving berthnge facilities at TmYnsville would be for the Sugar Board to giw tl1e green light for the installation. of bulk-handling farilities. 'l'hat matter has been brought before Cabinet and the Hon. H. H. Collins, Secretary for Agricultme and Stock, told a deputation at Ayr recently that he had met the sugar interests anc1 the chairman of the Harbour Boarcl anr1 that the matter would be given a full and thorough investigation. The State Government ha've determined where the installation will be made and I am snre that when the success of it is proved the ports of Townsville and Cairns will be given the green light. The most important point, however, is that the Commonwealth Government have failed to

remove the dual-purpose jetty to enable the Board to prepare a site for a new pier which 1muld provide two additional wharves.

}lr. Aikens: It was built by a Labour Federal Government.

1Ur. }lcCATHIE: It does not matter by whom it was built, the fact remains that it is in the road so far as the harbour is concerned and the GoYernmeut in power are the Government to \Yhich we haYe to appeai to remove the jetty. 'l'hc prcse_nt Federal Government have failed to remove it and as a consequence the Harbour Board cannot proceed as it shoult1 like to ]Hovidc additional berthagc. There is still port congestion. I hope that the Commonwealth Government \Yill at last be persuarkrl to help the harbour boards in Queensland in the proYision of mechanical equipment and that as far as 'l'owusvillc is concernetl they will remO\'O this clual-p1uposc jetty arH1 al1ow the Townsville board to get on with its job. \Ve are well mYare of the vast amount of produce that comes from the coast areas and the hinterland as far as Mt. Isa, and with the uranium deposits now being worked, that \Yill mean that there ~~-ill be more and more matm·ial to be shipped from the port of Towns,-illc. The CommomYealth Govm·nmeut apparently are not aware of the nee,ls of Korth (~ucensland. The State Labour Government a re a ware of the needs of the K orth and the recent help given to the Marine Contradin;; and Towing Company to enable it to bring cattle out of the Peninsula is indicative of the fact that they, the btate Government, are not simply awaitmg for reports on ' 'air beef''.

The help given to the fishing industry in the Gulf to supply iish for \Yestern tcnvns also indicates that the Government are ~,ware of the needs of the north an cl the we,.t. \V e have taken the people into our coniiclcnce; y,-e arc doing what any sensihle Government would do. It i~ necessary to popu;ate tile Korth and the West and the only way to do it is to provide reasonable nmenities for the people. Recently the Premier went to the \\'est and the North to see whnt had been done ancl what 11·as Tequirerl there.

I hope that the Commonwealth Gov,;mment 1vill be persuaded by continual rressnrG from Queensland to give to this State the assi·t;mce it justly deserves anrl that 1ve shall not have to make fmther appeals for yc;ns for help. I hope also that the Federal Government will realise tlw t Queensl:md is as much entitled to a share of Commonwealth revenue for major works ns the other States and for the Snowy River and the Leigh Creek schemes.

lUr. ADAIR (Cook): Mr. Clark!

JUr. H. B. 'fj_YLOR (Clayfield): Mr. Clark!

JUr. DEPrTY SPEAKER: Order! I shall state the question.

)Ir. H. H. TAYLOR (Clayfield): Mr. Deputy Speaker--

)Ir. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The hon. member for Cook.


~Ir. NICKLIN: I rise to a point of order. Under Standing Orders the discussion on private members' motions is limited, and as the Government have had the equivalent of four speakers on this motion I think the Opposition should have had the right to your call in order to answer some of the statements that have been made, particularly when the Opposition member Jumped to his feet before the Government member. I do not know whcthcr this is a plan to prevent Opposition members from speaking on tLo motion.

ftfr. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The first member I saw on his feet was the hon. member for Cook. After I read the question the hon. member for Cook was on his feet first.

~Ir. JUUNRO: I support the Leader of the Opposition in his point of order.

Government Members: That is a reflection on the Chair.

}fr. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

}[r. lllUNRO: I should like to raise a further point of order. I was watching very carefully, and when the hon. member for Cook rose he was entirely out of order b_ecause he did so before you put the questiOn. After you put the question the hon. member for Clayfielcl rose promptly and culled. At that time the hon. member for Cook had not risen in his place.

JUr. Aikens: This place is getting more like the Reichstag every clay.

)Ir. BURROWS: I ri-se to a point of order. The hon. member for J\Iundingburra referred to this Assembly as the Reichstag.

:Jir. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I ask the hon. member for Mundingburra to withdraw his remark.

Mr. Aikens: I withdraw and I apologise to the Reichstag.

lUr. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I ask the hon. member for Mundingburra to withdraw the word '' Reichstag. ''

lUr. Ailrens: Very well. I withdraw, but I will leave the Chamber.

)Jr. 1\'IULLER: I rise to a further point of order. The hon. member for Clayfielc1 wns on his feet but the hen. nwmlwr 'for Cook was not. I should like to know if this is a premeditated attempt to prevent the Opposition from speaking to the motion.

:Jlir. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The hon. member for Cook was the first one I saw on his feet, and I called on him.

"Mr. ADAIR (Cook) (11.33 a.m.): I welrome this opportnnit.'· of supporting the motion.

:Jir. Dewar: Who wrote your speech for you~

3Ir. ADAIR: Not the hon. member. I compliment both the mover and the

seconder of the motion on their excellent

contributions to the debate. Both hon. members have a wide knowledge of the de•·elopment that is necessary in North Queensland. Queensland can be said to be the key State of the Commonwealth, and three main developmental projects are being carried out in North Queensland at the present time. They are the Burdekin irrigation scheme, the 'l'ully Falls hydro-electric scheme, ancl the Tinaroo irrigation scheme, and they are all of immense importance to the development and the defence of North C~neensland.

The Burdekin scheme is known to hon. members on this side of the House to be of very great importance to North Queensland. It will not only allow for the settlement of a number of farmers on the land but it will also bring prosperity to that part of the country. When the Tully Falls hydro-electric scheme, another very important scheme, is harnessed and coupled with the Barron ]'ails scheme, it will supply electricity to the whole of the far northern portion of the State. The Tinaroo scheme will enable the irrigation of those farms adjacent to it, will give security to the tobacco farmers, and will make the tobacco-growing industry prosper.

lUr. H. B. Taylor: Tell the House some-thing about defence. This is all tedious repetition.

Mr. ADAIR: The tobacco farmers in the Mareeba area now have security. The industry is flourishing at the present time and it will go on flourishing if permitted to do so by the ]'ederal Government.

I should like to bring before the House the developmental work that is going on in the far North.

:Jir. H. B. TAYLOR: I rise to a point of order. The purpose of this motion is to discuss defence. I have not yet heard any reference to defence by this speaker, and I suggest that he is out of order.

ilir. ADAIR: I claim that what I am talking about does involve the defence of tl1is country, because it means the development of the peninsula.

ilir, Walsh: Don"t you think development has anything to do with defence~

JUr. ADAIR: The State Labour Government have built roads right through the peninsula. At present we hnve the Mul!igan Highway running from Cairns to Cooktown. From there roads have been built right through to Laura, Coen, and Wenlock, the old name for which was Batavia. This progress has been going on over the last two or three years at a very rapid rate and I compliment the Government on the excellent work they are doing.

For the hon. gentleman on the opposite side of the House who is interrupting all the time, I will now get onto defence. The Federal Government have shown their lack of defence awareness in the far North. We had a telegraph line at Coen which linked up Iron Range and Wenlock. The Federal Government have now dismantled the line, the only line of communication the people in

Defence and Security [16 SEPTEMBER.] of Australia. 347

that part of the country ever ·had, and there is now no telegraph service in that vast northern portion of the State.

Higginsfield, an aerodrome which was laid down during the war at the cost of thousands of pounds, is now virtually obsolete. \Ve all know that there is a thre<t of war from Indonesia and Malaya, from the umbrella formed by millions of Asiatics who are land~ungry and waiting to innde this country 1f they ever get the opportunity. 'l'he portion of the State that I represent would be the most likely part to be invaded. If the enemy landed on Cape York Peninsula or the surrounding territory they could live off the wild fowl and the animals to be found there.

Much has been said about Thursday Island. Before and since I IYas a member of Parliament I visited Thursc1av Island where the islanders are under the control of the Director o~ Nat~ve Affairs, Mr. Con 0 'I,eary, :who rs domg a wonderful job. These rslanclers enjov conditions equal to those enjoyed by any person in the State.

Mr. Walsh: A very important link in the Japanese defence plan, too.

J'l'fr. ADAIR: Yes. If hon. members opposite had their way Japanese pearlers would be opemting at Thursday Island. Even the private pearlers now have to draw their labour from the Department of Native Affairs. Strict supervision by the department prevents the exploitation of the islanders. The inhabitants ·af Thursday Island were never more contented than they are now. They enjoy an excellent hospital ~ervice. Thursday Island would be a very Important centre in the event of hostilities in the northern area. The Cook Shire has an area of 4 7,000 square miles, and the interests of the people in the area that I repres(J.nt have been well looked after by the State Government. Roads have been constructed throughout the area anc1 they will be of great advantage in the event of vvar.

When the sugar season is finished thousands of New Australians will return to Brisbane and to the cities in the southern States where they will draw sustenance from the Social Service Department, but if the Federal Government did the right thing for the defence of this country they would send those people to the Far North to build roads that would be of great advantage in defending this country.

The free milk scheme instituted by the Federal Government is an ad' antage only to the children living around the metropolitan area and the various large towns, but the children in the Far North get no benefit from the scheme. ·

Mr. H. B. Taylor: Which scheme? The defence scheme or the milk scheme?

lUr. ADAIR: It would help the defence of this country in the long run. If they cannot provide pasteurised milk they should substitute pineapple juice or other fruit juice.

The mining indnstry is a very important factor in defence. At the present time the

tin mining industry is controlled by a monopoly-0. T. Lempriere & Cfo. Ltd., British Metals Corporation. For a number of years it has been at the mercy of this monopoly. Prices for tin have never reached world market price. The tin miner in this country gets a price very much lower than the world prices. I should like to read a few notes on the industry. Minerals are a very important factor in the matter of defence. Shortly after the discovery of tin near HerbeTton in the early 1870's it was discoYerecl at In-inebank, 17 miles away. Under the late John Moffat, the Irvinebank Company, and associatec1 comlHmies, were fanned and a mill and smelters erected at Irvinebank. 'l'his mill, with 40 head of stamps, 1ms one of the largest in Australia. The company prospered till 1914 ]Jut on the outhreak of 1\"ar it closed and the company pas'·Bd through a difficult time. l:Tentually, in the early 1920's, the Department of :Mines took over the plant and continued smallscale customs milling to help the industry. In 1934 technical control was introduced, the ]>!ant was grac1unlly reconstructed , and mode-rnised involving a capital coilt of about £20,000. This policy has continued to the present clay and the practice at Irvinebank is quoted as an example of good milling methods.

The works handles tin, wolfram, and other similar ores. In recent years it has treated a total of 7,000 to 8,000 tons per annum, the bulk of which was tin ore totalling 5,000 to 6,000 tons annually. It is treated in parcels ranging from five tons to several hundred tons, about 100 parcels of tin ore being treated each year, and from which is produced about 100 tons of tin concentrates.

Having spent most of my life in these areas I have a good knowledge of tin mining. We can thank the tin miners of Queensland for pioneering these areas. In the early 1870's these men went out in the country prospecting. They developed the areas and consequently developed Queensland too. Even today the tin miner is prospecting large areas of territory. 'l'hey are 1YOrthy of great credit for their pioneering work.

3Ir. BURROWS: I rise to a point of order. I should like to have your opinion. Is the House in order in continuing this debate in the absence of the Opposition, especially when we know that such absence has been deliberately planned~

lUr. SPEAKER: Order! The House is jn order in continuing with the debate. It b noticeable that there is only one hon. member of the Opposition in the Chamber but as we haYe o1·er 16 hon. members in the Chamber at the monwnt we haYe a quorum, and so long as there is a quorum the debate can proceed.

J'IIr. ADAIR: The only way to put tin production on a sound footing is to give the miners a payable price for it. We know that during war-time prices are controlled and the miner does not get anywhere near world market price despite the fact that most of our tin comes from Malaya, Indonesia and


Bolivia. The Commonwealth Government should see to it that these miners are paid a profitable price for their tin. I know it is hard to arrive at the cost of production of this mineral, but if these men were paid £10 a unit they would be getting the equivalent of £700 to £800 a ton. It \YOuld help further if tin production was exempt from income tax, as is the case with gold. If we are to encourage the production of tin, we must give the miners some incentive, such as an assurance that they will enjoy at least a decent living. These men go into the rugged country of the far north and they are required to live a hard life. 'l'hey must have a knowledge of the country, they must be able to take ore samples, they must be able to drill shafts, timber mines, prepare their own food and more often than not live on the smell of an oily rag, and it is the Ji'edcral Government's bounden duty to see that they are paid at least world market price for their tin.

Mr. H. B. TAYLOR: I rise to a point of order. I have listened very patiently to the hon. member for Cook. I rose previously on this same point of order while the 'Deputy Speaker was in the chair. This motion is related to defence. The hon. member for Cook is giving us a discourse on State industries, a subject not relatecl to defence.

lUr. SPEAKER: Order! The hon. member is dealing with the production of minerals in the North anl! relating that to the question of defence.

Mr. ADAIR: Tin-mining is vital to the defence of this country.

The financial help gh'en by the United States of AmerictL to Indonesia for 11 years ending 1951 ,,·as 156,000,000 dollars of which Indonesia has Tepaid only 5,000,000 dollars. The United States has helped all the far Eastern countries to the extent of 303,017,000 dollars in the two-year period 1950-1952, for the purchase from her of machinery, iron, steel, textiles, chemicals, etc. Indonesia purchased from the United States of America 5;000,000 dollars worth of military equipment. 'l'he Indonesians arc the people whom we think might be ouT aggressors. Bolivia is also supplying a fair quantity of tin to the United Kingdom. The miners in the Far J'\ orth of Queensland arc competing against this "black-dug" tin and so it is necessary for them to get help fTom the Fedeml GoveTnment to keep the tin-mining inclustTy going in Queensland. In 1953 the United Kingdom imported from America. £5,500,000 worth of tin-plate and in the same year Australia imported £2,500,00 of tinpia te from America.

The tin that is sent from Indonesia to America is sent back to us in the form of tin-plate. I am informed that we are the greatest importers of tin-plate in the worlcl. The tin-mining industry is an important one. It is the duty of the Federal Government to see that tin-miners get their rights, that the price of tin is stabilised to give them an incentive to develop their mines and produce a commodity which is very necessary in time of war.

Mr. H. B. TAYLOR (Clayfield) (11.58 a.m.) : It is a great privilege for a private member of Parliament to have the peTmission of the House to move and debate a motion of his own drafting. InvaTiably this privilege is enjoyed only by members of the Government Party, because the time allotted to the discussions of private members' motions rarely permits of the introduction of such motion by the Opposition. Far too often Labour members, as in this instance, take advantage of the privilege to demonstrate their bitterness towards the Liberal-Countrv Party Commonwealth Government purely fo"r propaganda purposes. They do not discuss the motion at all.

I listened with keen attention to the speeches by the mover and seconder of the motion and that of the supporting speaker, but I did not hear one original thought expressed. It has been a series of tedious repetition. It has been marked also by the extraordinary attitude that appears to prevail in this House that speeches on motions such as this should be confined as much as possible to Government members. The prime purpose of this motion was that the House should discuss the defence of Australia against any invading force and certain related interests in Queensland.

The hon. member for Hinchinbrook told us that he had war service in Worlcl \Var I. I, of course, have no knowledge of what that service was, but I expected at least that he might have discussed the question of defence and, because of his experience in the Service, he might have been able to offer helpful sugge~tions about the defence of this country.

I listened to the hon. member for Haughton too, who, I presume, has had no war experience. However, he could have made some research and contributed something to help the defence of this country.

The hon. member for Cook merely recited a story of the industries of North Queensland. ·what he said had no relation whatever to the defence of this country.

On Sunday evening I listened to a broadcast by the Premier. I was extremely interested in what he had to say. He referreu to the popula tions of the eastern countries and said that some averaged 200 people to the square mile, that the Philippines averaged 168 people to the square mile, but that Australia's population averaged only three people to the square mile. When I heard that, I felt that the Premier was being unreasonable and unfair because he failed to tell his listeners how many square miles of Australia woulcl not carry even three people to the square mile. Consequently, by his comparison he gave a completely wrong viewpoint of the potential of Australia for the t<:leming millions of South-East Asia.

I have come to the conclusion that all these speeches have followed a prearranged pattern. There is continuous repetition by members of the Labour Party when they speak of the defence of Australia and the alleged failure of the Commonwealth Government to give this Government more money to expand

Defence and Security [16 SEPTEMBER.) of Australia. 349

certain undertakings. That continuous repeti· tion is obviously a plan prepared by the planning committee :n Dunstan House of which probably the Premier or the State Treasurer is a member, setting out the Labour Party's ideas on how to drive the people of Queensland into a state of fear so as to make them continually nervous of our defences so that they will vote for the Labour Party at the next State election.

Mr. Power interjected.

Mr. H. B. 'l'AYLOR: The AttorneyGeneral can yell as much as he likes. It is most unbecoming of a Minister on the front bench to act like that and I will not listen to him. '

I have tried to be generous. I have formed the opinion that the hon. members who have spoken are completely ignorant of the defences of Australia and that they are parading their views purely for propaganda purposes.

The greatest power in the land is fear. These planning boys at Dunstan House well know that if they can fill the people with fear their propaganda will go over ever so much n~ore easily. 9onsequently I intend to deal w1th the mobon. It will be shown beyond all doubt that the present Commonwealth administration, far from being condemned for what is described as their ''belated'' action in protecting the lives and property of Australians, should be highly commendecl.

The three points made by the amateur strategist from Hinchinbrook were-

(1) That the Commonwealth action towards the defence of a part of Australia is belated.

(2) That Queensland is more gravely affected as a frontier State.

(3) That the defence programme should include the completion of projects of a national character.

Those are the three points brought out by the mover of the motion but not emphasised by him. I propose to deal with these points, but first to explain by a simple illustration the first principle of the defence of Australia, as understood by the trained strategists who advise the Federal Government and whose advice the present Federal Government appreciates.

In a time of war the Government of Australia are in precisely the same position as people at a station homestead that is in the path of an approaching bush fire. Do they stand at the fence and watch the oncoming flames and do nothing until the fire reaches the fence, or do they go out to meet the fire and beat it out before it reaches the homestead~

It is on this principle of protection for the nation that the trained defence strategists advise Governments. The Federal LiberalCountry Party administration accept and endeavour to carry out such advice. What does the Labour Party advise~ I will deal with that when I come to my discussion on the "belated" recognition.

First, this House should take out what is known in military parlance as an appreciation of our defence potential. Few of us realise the value to this nation of Australia's diplomatic service, which was inaugurated by the Menzies Government on 15 May, 1939. Wisely directed, it has helped greatly towards friendship and understanding with our northern neighbours, and it is appropriate when fear might be aroused in the minds of some of our people to recall the words of Prime Minister Menzies when establishing Australia's diplomatic service. He said-

'' \V e will never realise our destiny as a nation until we realise that we are one of the Pacific powers.''

I\Ir. JESSOX: I rise to a point of order. Is the hou. member in order in reading his speech~

Mr. SPEAKER: Order!

lUr. H. B. TAYLOR: Such a remark could be expected from the hon. member.

lUr. SPEAKER: Order!

I\Ir. H. B. TAYLOR: I shall repeat the quotation which will not be lost on those who are interested-

'' \V e will never realise our destiny as a nation until we realise that we are one of the Pacific Powers. And, of course, as a Pacific Power we are principals; we are not subordinate; we have a primary intere3t in it. Our primary responsibilities are around the fringes of the Pacific Ocean, and because my colleagues and I realise that this is so, we have decided to press on with a Pacific policy ... which will exhibit itself in a positive policy, the setting up of real machinery for the cultivation of friendship with those countries and putting that friendship on a permanent basis.''

The wisdom of the Menzies Government in establishing our own diplomatic service in 1939 has been proved beyond question. I have great faith in the ability of that service to avoid ·war and decide inter-Governmental problems peacefully. However, everyone trained in the strategy of defence knows that the nation which will enjoy peace must be strong enou,gh to enforce peace.

Mr. Jesson: What are you quoting from~

I\Ir. H. B. TAYLOR: I shall repeat that statement in case the hon. member did not understand it. The nation which would enjoy peace is the nation which must be strong enough to enforce peace.

There is not a responsible citizen of Australia today who should not be thankful that in 1949, and in 1951, and again in 1953, our country was entrusted to a Government which acknowledged this axiom of defenee. (Government members interjecting).

Mr. SPEAKER: Order! I remind hon. members that continual interruption is highly disorderly.


lUr. H. B. TAYLOR: I was speaking of an appreciation of our own forces because in military parlance it is desirable that we have an appreciation of the forces we have in Australia for defence.

Tremendous advancement has been made in training and equipping our young manhood to defend our nation. At any outbreak of hostilities, 100,000 men, including 28,000 regulars, will be trained for immediate action with rc8erves increasing in numbers each year as succest,ive National Service intakes cmnplete their service and pass into the reserves.

In addition there are 14,550 men in the Navy and 16,572 in the pel'manent H.A.A.F., without including reserves in those services.

Some reference was made by the hon. member for Hinchinbrook, who has now left the Chamber, to Canungra as a training ground. C:anungra was selected in the last war as the most suitable spot in Australia to train our troops before they went into the jungle warfare in the Islands. It was selected after a very complete examination of all suitable areas.

I had a great deal to do vvith the training of our young men in the last war. It took a long time to put them through basic training and then specialised training, but not one of them went, after 1943, into a unit, equipped as we tho,rght they were, until they hail gone through that very hard and stiff school of jungle warfare training at Canungra. It is understandable that again the Government's advisers or the military authorities should decide to go back to the ground that will give the men who are being asked to defend this country the most effective training they can have.

Men are put into uniform for one reason: to kill or be killed. War is war. War is a deadly thing in which men must be efficient. When our troops go out to war they must have had instilled into them the confidence that they will win. No matter how successful the enemy has been or how efficient it is, until our men have gone through the hard gruelling they get at Canungra they do not have that complete confidence that they will win when sent out to fight for their country. It is that which wins battles. (Government interjections.)

lUr. Aikens interjected.

~Ir. H. B. TAYLOR: I must draw attention to the fact that the hon. member for Mundingburra has had no military training. He is scarcely competent to decide the best training ground for the troops of Australia.

Having given an appreciation of the strength of our own forces, let me now consider the most effective manner in defending Australia. If. all diplomatic negotiations fail and hostilities commence, the trained strategists would agree that Australia's first line of defence on land was in the Malayan Peninsula, and our first line of defence at sea is in the South China Sea. I desire to prove that by a simple illustration of our defence in the last war. We are all fully

aware of the major part the Coral Sea Battle played in preventing the Japanese invasion of Australia, but how many of our people know of the major part the small Dutch Navy in the Netherlands East Indies served in making it possible for the Americans and Australians to defeat the Japanese in the Coral Sea. I want to tell the House about it. It was told to me and hundreds of others in the Greta Training Camp. A Dutch intelligence officer was sent here to tell Australia the part the Netherlands had played in saving Australia from the Japanese invasion. The Japanese, having overwhelmed French Indo·China by blackmailing methods, attempted the same methods on the Dutch in the Dutch East Inc1ies. They demanded all the petrol they should have and demanded bases, too. To their utter amazement the Dutchmen sent them about their business. A few hours after Pearl Harbour was struck by the Japanese the Dutch Ambassador in Tokio handed the Japanese Foreign Minister a declaration of war. He was staggered at the thought that a comparatively tiny nation like Holland, with an extremely small force, would dare to declare war on the Japanese.

.:IIr. Brosnan: Why did they do it?

"i1Ir. H. B. TAYLOR: They did it to save their honour. The point I am making is that the Dutch shared in saving Australia. The moment the Dutch had declared war on Japan, the Dutch Governor-General and all the people of the Nether lands realised that they would be overwhelmed. They knew they could not stop the Japanese, but they could help Australia. By adopting the policy that the best defence is attack, they sent their small navy, which consisted of a couple of cruisers, a couple of destroyers and five submarines far away up the China Sea. The submarines laid off the Gulf of Siam and the other ships were dispersed because they did not want to come in contact with the full force of the Japanese navy.

The Japanese intended coming straight to Australia with their convoy of troops. They knew there was only one British submarine at Singapore. Imagine their surprise when their convoy, coming down past French ludoChina, was attacked by the five submarines! Immediately, ten ships laden with troops for Australia were sunk by those submarines. Some of the submarines did not return. It made the Japanese pause in harbours, regroup and work their way down much slower. They got down to Bali when 20 more ships were sunk and they were delayed by the one submarine that was left. Gradually every plane, every ship and each of the five submarines was destroyed. The Dutch were overwhelmed but they knew that they had helped Aust;alia. The adventures of the commander of that last submarine will fill the youth of Holland with pride for generations to come. The Dutch so delayed the Japanese that the Americans were able to come here and, with our navy, drive the enemy out of the Coral Sea.

That was a feature of our defence that emphasises my point that the first line of defence for Australia is in the South China Sea and the Malayan peninsula.

Defence and Security [ 16 SEPTEMBER.] of Australia. 351

When I heard the hon. member for Mt. Gravatt wanting the other day to trade for a few pieces of silver, Dutch New Gc1inea with· that noble little nation that helped save us, I thought he should stick to his noncombatant service and not worry about stmtegy.

I v ant to deal now with that nrrrt c,f the motion that talks ahout belated i·ccognition. So persistent have members of the La!Joue Pany been in emphasising that the State works in the Burdekin and l\I:neeba districts are \·ita] to the defence of Australia against hostile forces that people inexperienced in the strategy and tactics of war might believe that if war came upon us we should be defeated because the Federal Government had not gi,·cn us £1,000,000 to build the Burdekin clam and the Tinaroo :B'alls clam.

I listened to the Premier the other clay speak on the Dajarra-Cmnooweal raih.-ay link and I listened yesterday to the remarks by Sir Arthur Fadden in the House of Representatives when he said that it has yet to be proved that that line had any defence value. I want to say most emphatically that if all the money spent on these major projects of ours in North Queensland had been provided by the Commonwealth Government, it would have made not one particle of difference to the efficiency of our defence strategy and the defence of North Australia. The argument that the population would be so increased that in time of war such increased population would materially alter the consequences, is easily refuted. The immigration history of all countries points to 3 per cent. a year as the maximum rate of population increase. Applied to Australia, this rate allows for a maximum increase of from 1 per cent. to H per cent. by immigration, after accounting for our own births and deaths, and we are taking as many immigrants as we can absorb without undue risk to our economy. And, if our immigration intake has been too slow over the past 25 years, whose fault is it~ Are the memories of Labour members of this Parliament so short that they have forgotten their own policy before the last war~ ''Not another immigrant must be allowed into Australia until eYery Australian has a iob ", they cried. That was the policy of the Labour Party. At least, those of us who have followed our political history over the last two or three decades, know the Labour .Party's ''closed shop'' attitude towards migrants. Only ·when necessity compelled, after the cessation of hostilities in 1945, did it change its policy. Now it boasts about that changed attitude, and about what it has done about immigration. However, a successful policy of defence must be applied to Australia as a whole and not to just a part of it.

iUr. Aikens: The North is still being neglected by both Parties.

Mr. H. B. TAYLOR: The Northern Territory is still a part of Australia and the defence of Australia must apply to the whole of it. If I had been allowed to speak in my normal turn after the mover and seconder of the motion had spoken the Premier and

the Treasurer would have been in the House to hear what I have to say. However, early in J\fay last I listened one Sunday evening to a broadcast by our State 'I'reasurer when he roundly condemned the I<'ecleral Government 's defence plans. He said that there were no planes, troops or guns, and he indicated by his criticism that his plan would be to l1nve forces protecting our coastline with Rll the neecssary equipment, ''· aiting- for nu c11cmy to land somewhere on our northern shores. There was not ~ word about finding the money to pay for these guard duties, not a wordand this is important when one has to deal with troops-about the effect on the morale of the men sitting clmvn, week after week doing nothing but looking out to sea, on guard duty with nothing to do. \Yith the Statn Treasurer, who also has lJnll no war serv:ite, it was a case of '' \Vherc ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.''

Had I had the privilege of replying to the Treasurer on the same radio stRtion I should haYe been delighted to do so. However, that was quite unnecessary becRuse on tl1e very next day, I think, an excellent article appeared on page 2 of ''The CourierMail'' written by a man who is well known throughout Australia as an expert on aviation. I refer to Mr. Alan Underwood, who wrote an article that app<?ared in this morning's paper also. He wrote about what was, to the layman's mind, obvious inattention to the defence of a vital part of Australia. The layman has no better appreciation of the position than the Labour Party knows he has, and the Labour Party is trading upon

. that state of affairs. On 10 May, 1954, Alan Underwoocl refuted the criticism of the Treasurer. Without quoting his article at any length, Alan Underwood put it this way in his headlines-

'' The undefended North has its defence -in the South. It's odd-looking, but it works.''

That is the point I want to drive home. It is odd-looking to the layman; it is oddlooking to these amateur strategists who get up here and talk. But it works.

The Commonwealth Government's advisers are the men who train our boys to go up in these machines and :fight-men like Gordon Olive, who wrote an article on air defence in

yesterday's ''Courier-Mail''. Those men know that no country is conquered until the Government are forced by weight of enemy strength to capitulate; they know that no country is conquered, regardless of air or artillery bombardment, until enemy troops have landed in sufficient strength to cut the lifelines of the nation and cannot be driven off.

The Liberal-Country Party Government believe that a potential enemy must be defeated before his troops can reach our shores, and that is the policy they follow in their :firm belief that if Australia is to enjoy peace in the future, she must be strong enough to enforce peace.


\Vhat. is the Labour Party's policy towards Austraha 's defence~ The Federal Labour Party's platform and objective under the heading of "Defence" reads-

'' 12. Amending the Defence Act by deleting all clauses relating to compulsory training and service.''

vVhen the late Andrew Fisher introduced compulsory training for hmne defence in 1912, he saw the necessity for the young men of this country to have some semblance of training in the event of an invasion by an enemy under conditions of war as they ·were 40 years ago, when field and seige artillery were the most terrifying implements of war. What is the position today~ The implements of war bring about changes in defence year by year. 1939-1945 is out of date now; 1914-1918 was out of date in 1939. We who follow our defence activities know that conditions aTe entil'ely changed today from what they were in 1945.

l\Ir. Aikens: Are we well off for the defence of North Queensland and North Australia with poor old Lincoln bombers which any modem fighter plane could shoot out of the sky in ten minutes~

liir. H. B. TAYLOR: If the hon. member for Mundingburra will please keep quiet and like a gentleman, listen to the debate, h~ will leam something of how we are defending this country, and how effectively we are defending this country.

I want to get back to the Labour Party's attitude towards defence. We have to go back a little way, because the men I speak of have power in the Parliament today. Let me quote the present member for Lalor in the Federal House, 'i'!Ir. Pollard, who was a very prominent member of the Labour Party and presumably still is. This was his idea of defending Australia befOTe the last war-

'' Personally, I would not spend 3d. on armament ·works or on defence work of any kind in Australia.''

A little later in the same speech, in reply to an interjection by the present Minister for Labour and National Service who said, ''Then why not cease all defence preparations~'', Mr. Pollard replied, "I would." That is in '' Hansard' ', Volume 157, page 641.

There is a gentleman named Mr. Ward. Probably the Labour Party has heard of him. These are his views on New Guinea, the land the hon. member for Mt. Gravatt wanted to buy for a few pieces of silver from the Dutch. On 2 November 1938 he said,-

'' It is amusing to hear people say that we shall not give up New Guinea. To those people I would say that if it should become necessary to defend our mandated territory they should defend it themselves.''

Where would Australia be if that advice had been followed~

Then we go to the New South vV ales Branch of the Australian Labour Party. That is a higher authority. They passed a resolution by 195 votes to 88, and that was not a small convention.

(Time, on motion of Mr. Low, extended.)

JUr. H. B. TAYLOR: I thank the hon. member for Cooroora and the House for the extension of time. The New South Wales Branch of the Labour Party passed the following resolution:-

''The Labour Party has always been opposed to Imperialist wars, and today we demand that every energy should be utilised to bring about the establishment of peace at the earliest opportunity.''

This was when the nations were engaged in a death struggle. It goes on-

" vVe declare that the Australian people have nothing to gain from the continuance of the war. The management of this war in the hands of the anti-Labour Menzies Government, in association with the antiLabour Chamberlain Government, means that the war is being pursued in the interests of big finance and monopolists. Conference is opposed to Australian participation in overseas conflicts. The Labour Party unhesitatingly demands tbat no Australian troops be permitted to leave Australia.''

That was the attitude of the Labour Party towards the defence of Australia. I should like to temper that condemnation with a quotation from the late Mr. Curtin on 12 October, 1941, when he took office. This is what he said-

'' I have to pay tribute to the Government which preceded my own for the constructive work they have done in defence and the foundations they have laid.''

On 18 October, 1941, Mr. Curtin also said-

'' The navy was at its highest pitch of efficiency, as demonstrated by the notable exploits of its ships overseas. The Home Defence Army was well trained and its equipment had been greatly improved. The strength of the Air Force had been largely increased, both in respect of home defence squadrons and the training resources of the Empire Air Scheme. The equipment of the Air Force had also been much improved. Finally, munitions production and the development of production capacity over a wide range of classes, including aircraft, was growing weekly.''

There was a man who was big enough to ackno·wledge that his predecessors had clone good service to the country in time of war. Now with means of war so destructive as they are, 40 years later-although Andrew Fisher thought it desirable to use Australian forces overseas-the Labour Pa.rty would weaken our defence policy even b<Jlow that of 1912. I quote what was said by Mr. Chambers on 24 October, 1947, when he was Minister for the Army in a Federal Labour Government-

' 'History proves that Australia does not have to consider compulsory training. All her best fighting men have been volunteers.''

What a remarkable statement! Of course the best men who feel a sense of duty to their nation and the protection of their families will always volunteer and fight to

Defence and Security [16 SEPTEMBER.] of Australia. 353

save their own people. That is what happened in 1939 and 1940. But what happened when these volunteers went out to meet the enemy before he could reach our shores~

The late Mr. Curtin heard that the Japanese convoy of which I spoke was coming south through the Gulf of Siam and the South China Sea to attack our shores. He was forced to send out that renowned Macedonian cry to America, ''Come over and help us.'' Amerir.a answered and Americans came. But do not forget the part the Dutch played, making it possible for the Americans with our navy to defeat the Japanese in the Coral Sea. As a believer in the Labour Party's policy, who is the hon. member for Hinchinbrook to talk about belated recognition~ Notwithstanding the tremendous value of national service to the youth of Australia and the steady progress through Asia of the forces of Communism, the Labour Party still buries its head in the sand. Only two weeks ago the Federal member for Maroubra (Mr. Curtin) reaffirmed their policy to "Defend Australia in Australia.' ' This heroic defender of our nation says, ''The sons and daughters of Australian mothers must never be sent out of Australia to fight.'' Obviously he believes that if the station homestead is in the path of an approaching fire, the men of the station must stand at the boundary fence and wait until it reaches the fence before they attempt to check it.

Hon. members may not know that although the Australian Labour Party in 1943 did send troops compulsorily out of Australia they amended the Defence Act for the one purpose. They realised that Australian troops had to fight at least in New Guinea to defend Australia. They realised that the policy of the strategist was right: defend Australia out of Australia and do not wait on the shores until the enemy gets here. They amended the Defence Act to say that in future the territory in which Australians could be compelled to serve should be extended to the Equator in the North and the 150 meridian of East longitude. That is in the Defence Act of 1943. Because we have a Federal Government that prefers in their defence policy to study the protection of the nation as a whole and not only a part of it, because they have established by national service a strong force of defenders and because they realise that the weakness of a potential enemy is lack of shipping, and because they have planned to go beyond our shores to meet the enemy, I am convinced that our defence force will not be in conflict with enemy forces for many decades.

Mr. Power: I wish it was true. Mr. H. B. TAYLOR: It is true. The

hon. gentleman should study military strategy as I have over the years and also the recommendations of trained men. Then he would believe.

llir. Aikens: The Japanese immediately slaughtered our boys in Bougainville. Do not forget that.

1954-N

Mr. H. B. TAYLOR: The hon member for Mundingburra made a relevant interjection and I refer him to the fact that the Curtin Government were in power at the time, that Government policy was followed then and that they alone were responsible for the policy.

Now let me show the Attorney-General why I firmly believe that this country will never be attacked for decades to come. As I pointed out earlier, the weakness of a potential enemy of Australia is the shipping needed to get here. No country is ever conquered until the man with the bayonet gets firmly implanted on the soil and is strong enough to say, ''You cannot put me off.''

lllr. Power: Towlllsville was attacked from the air by the Japanese. You say we shall never be attacked.

Mr. H. B. TAYLOR: I have emphasised that the weakness of any enemy attack on Australia is the shipping to carry the troops because troops must land. They can drop bombs, they can bombard us, but they have not captured us until the men with bayonets are here in sufficient strength to say, ''We are going to stay here.''

Mr. Aikens: Have you ever heard of paratroopsf

Mr. SPEAKER: Order! The hon. member for Mundingburra has been allowed a good deal of latitude. He has been continually interrupting the hon. member for Clayfield, and I ask him to desist.

ltir. H. B. TAYLOR: I thank you, Mr. Speaker. The hon. member for Mundingburra seems to think I am easy to take on, but It is like music to my ears to have these interjections from the Labour Party because f know they are taking notice of what I am saying and it is having some effect.

We know that an enemy will attempt to attack us with bombs, we know that an enemy will attempt to attack us with ships, will attempt to bombard our coast. but the best answer to that is the newspaper article that I hold which is headed, ''British and Australian Warships in Big Exercises.'' Believe me, our strength in the air and our strength in the Navy are being so built up that no potential army of communists will be able to reach these shores for decades to come.

ltlr. Power: I sincerely hope you are right.

lUr. H. B. TAYLOR: If the AttorneyGeneral had the confidence in the troops, planes and ships that I have, he would know that I am right.

Mr. Power: I have all that confidence in them, but I have no confidence in Menzies and Fadden because they failed when the war was on last time.

Mr. H. B. TAYLOR: All this motion says is that they failed to give the Queensland Government money, and the cry is that if they had given that money hordes of Asiatics would not be able to get here.

354 Death of [ASSEMBLY.] Mr. J. A. G. Kenny.

Far greater than all the strong defences of trained men, ships and planes that we shall ultimately have in securing the peace of this land, will be wise statesmanship at roundtable conferences with out neighbours. That is our first defence. I am proud of Dick Casey, I am proud of R. G. Menzies, for their wide outlook as representatives of the nation and for their willingness to go out and talk in a friendly way with those Asiatics whom so many amongst us fear.

There will be no reason for fear if we continue with the present wise statesmanship of our Federal leaders. I refer hon. members to the S.E.A.T.O. conference in which Australia took a leading part over America and Britain. Australia is gathering the peoples of the Pacific together in friendly discussions. I am quite satisfied that our activities in this direction will be a greater contribution to peace than the supplying of money for the building of the Burdekin dam.

Australia owes a debt of gratitude. to the Menzies Government for initiating the Colombo Plan. A reference to facts and figures will give hon. members some idea of what Australia has contributed towards the advancement of the people of the Far East. Through the Colombo Plan our statesmen have played a va.!uable part towards peace in the Pacific. We should be proud of Australia as a partner in the A.N.Z.U.S. Pact. By their demonstration of practical help under the Colombo Plan and their willingness to assist all South-East Asian countries in peace and war the present Federal Government have not only proved their willingness to co-operate towards future prosperity, but also to defend Australia against an aggressor to such an extent that armed conflict might never be experienced on Australian soil.

As you know, Mr, Speaker, I am closely associated with the library movement in this State. It has done much to help the SouthEast Asian peoples who have come to this country to gather knowledge on our way of life. When th!ty return to their own countries they will be able to spread the story of how happily the Australians live under a democratic government. We have encouraged these people to read and to distribute in their own countries books relating to our way of life. We have had seminars of these people, the benefit of which has been demonstrated. The Colombo Plan, which is being extended year by year, has given tremendous help to the various countries, particularly India, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

At 2.15 p.m.,

In aaao1·danae with Sessional Ordm·, the Ho-use pToaeeded with Govern1nent b-usiness.

DEATH OF MR. J. A. C. KENNY.

MOTION OF CONDOLENCE.

Hon. V. C. GAIR (South BrisbanePremier), by leave, without notice: I move-

'' 1. That this House desires to place on record its appreciation of the services

rendered to this State by the late J ames Alexander Charles Kenny, Esquire, a former member of the Parliament of Queensland.

'' 2. That Mr. Speaker be requested to convey to the widow and family of the deceased gentleman the above resolution, together with an expression of the sympathy and sorrow of the members of the Parliament of Queensland, in the loss they have sustained.''

The late Mr. Kenny was elected to the Twenty-fifth Parliament as member for the electoral district of Cook at the general election on 11 May, 1929. He served through the Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Parliaments and was defeated at the general election in 1935. He died on 24 July of this year.

At the outset, I regret the delay in moving this motion but the responsibility for that is not min~. I received no advice of the death of the late Mr. Kenny, and it was only by accident that I learned from the hon. member for Mulgrave that he had passed away.

It was my pleasure to know Mr. Kenny. As I have said he was elected in 1929 and was here when' I came into Parliament in 1932. He had three years' experience on the Government benches. For the three years that we were associated in this Parliament, I should say that he was probably one of the most vigorous Oppositionists that I can remember. He was a comparatively young man and he participated in most of the debates with great vigour and energy. He could be classed as a very good Oppositionist. I was very sorry to hear of his early demise, and it is with full sincerity that I move this motion of condolence to those who are left.

Jir. NICKLIN (Landsborough-Leader of the Opposition) (2.18 p.m.): On behalf of members of the Opposition, I desire to associate myself with this motion of sympathy and condolence with the relatives of the late Mr. Jim Kenny. As the Premier has said the late Mr. Kenny took a very active p~rt in Parliament; he was a particularly keen debater and as a member of the Opposition he lost no opportunity in taking part in virtually every debate in the House. He was a very valuable member of the Opposition, and he made his presence felt in all debates. In fact, he liked nothing better than a controversial debate. He revelled in them. At that time numbers were close and politics attracted a great deal more attention in the community than they do today. He was a very likeable gentleman and although he could hit hard in the House, he at no time bore any animosity towards anybody outside it. I do not think he had an enemy in the House while he was here. He was also very active in his electorate. He won an electorate that had been held by a Government Party member for a long time and he held it when his Government lost office.

Companies Acts [16 SEPTEMBER.] Amendment Bill. 355

That was a tribute to his great capacity for work in this House and in his electorate. He was a very keen political student and I am certain that had he remained in politics he would have gone a long way. After his defeat in 1935 he returned to his beloved North and engaged in business there. During the last war he held a responsible position with a Federal Government department one that entailed a great deal of hard work and called for a good deal of tact in carrying out the rather onerous duties attaching to it. In that aspect of his life, and in others, the late Jim Kenny did a good job. He made his mark as a worthwhile citizen of this State. Unfortunately, in his latter years his health went against him, which no doubt brought about his untimely death. "

I join with the Premier in vo1cmg sympathy with his widow, and expressing our condolences. The State has sustained a great loss from the point of view both of his services in Parliament and in other aspects of public life.

Motion (Mr. Gair) agreed to, hon. members standing in silence.

STOCK ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.

THIRD READING.

Bill, on motion of Mr. Collins, read a third time.

ANIMALS PROTECTION ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.

THIRD READING.

Bill, on motion of Mr. A. J ones, read a third time.

WAGES ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.

THIRD READING.

Bill, on motion of Mr. A J ones, read a third time.

COMPANIES ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.

SECOND READING.

Hon. W. POWER. (Baroona-AttorneyGeneral) (2.26 p.m.): I move-

'' That the Bill be now read a second time. ''

There is nothing that I can usefully add to what I said on the introduction of this Bill. It is a very simple Bill for the purpose of g1ving foreign companies the same rights as private companies registered in this State.

JUr. 1UUNRO (Toowong) (2.27 p.m.) : As the Attorney-General said, this is a very simple measure. I think it does make a very necessary correction in the existing law. I have previously stated that the principle is acceptable to members on this side. I do not think it is necessary for me to say anything further at this stage. There are one or two

points I would like to make in connection with Clause 2, but they can be more appropriately made when we are dealing with the Bill in Committee.

COMMITTEE.

(The Chairman of Committees, Mr. Clark, Fi tzroy, in the chair.)

Clause 1-Short title-as read, agreed to.

Clause 2-Amendment of s. 327 (3); Balance sheet of company carrying on busi· ness in State-

Mr. lliUNRO (Toowong) (2.28 p.m.) : There are one or two points that require consideration in relation to this clause. I had contemplated moving an amendment in reference to one of them, but after having had the privilege of discussing the matter with the Attorney-General I do not think the amendment is necessary, because the points with which I am concerned are in the main, if not altogether, matters of adminis· tration. However, I do think it is desirable as these points are of public interest, that they should be mentioned. I would be grateful if the Attorney-General would make some comments with reference to these matters.

The new subclause (3) which is inserted in clause 2 of the Bill is stated in a negative form; in fact, it is a double negative. To illustrate the effect of it, I will now read in substance what the provision is in the affirmative form, leaving out the double negative. It will provide that a company incorporated anywhere in the British Commonwealth of Nations as a private or proprietary company and required by the law of the place where it is incorporated to publish its balance sheet or to lodge the same in a public office-

( a) Shall be bound by the provisions of subsection one of this section with respect to posting up, anc1 keeping posted up, at its registered office a copy of its balance sheet.

The point with which I am concerned is the exact meaning of the words ''or to lodge the same in a public office.'' I take it for the purpose of this phrase that the Companies Registration Office is a public office.

If other States of Australia or, indeed, other parts of the British Commonwealth of Nations have legislation similar to our Companies Acts we shall have the position in which certain private companies are required to lodge a copy of the balance sheet in a public office. The question I raise is whether the mere fact. that a private company may be required in some other part of the British Commonwealth to lodge the balance sheet iu a sealed envelope in a public office brings the whole section into operation here. My opinion is that it should not, because having regard to the context, the phrase ''to lodge the same in a public office'' could reasonably mean to lodge it in a public office in a public manner or, at least, in that part of a public office which

356 Companies Acts [ASSEMBLY.] Amendment Bill.

is available for public inspection. Quite probably the Attorney-General will be able to clear that point up.

The second point I raise is in relation to the subparagraph (b). It deals with private or proprietary companies and says-

'' Shall when filing the true copy of its annual balance sheet tender to the registrar for filing an envelope or container suitable for sealing and such copy balanee sheet, and any documents included therein, shall be placed by the registrar in the envelope or container which he shall thereupon seal and file.''

I should like the Attomey-General to give some indication as to what, from the viewpoint of administration, would meet the requirement of the word ''seal''. In other words, does it mean that the document is merely put in an ordinary envelope and with the application of a little water and gum the flap is pasted down? Or does it mean some form of protective or more formal process which will result in the document's placed in that envelope not being avru."1-able for inspection by any unauthorised person~ Here again ''sealed'' may mean all sorts of things according to the context but having regard to the context here I think there is the intention that the sealing should be such that no unauthorised person could have access to that particular document.

1 should be grateful if the AttorneyGeneral would make some comment on that point. Provided these two points can be administered in a satisfactory manner, then, so far as hon. members on this side are concerned, we will be satisfied.

Hon. W. POWER (Baroona-AttorneyGeneral) (2.S4 p.m.) : The object of the Bill is to exempt a foreign private company incorporated in any other part of the British Commonwealth from the requirement of making public its annual balance sheet. The requirement was imposed by the Companies Acts Amendment Act of 1953. The exemption is not being applied to a foreign private company which has "to publish its balance sheet or to lodge the same in a public office'' under the law of the place where it is incorporated.

The reason, of course, is that there is little point in excusing a company fTom doing something here which it must do iu New South Wales or even England or the United States of America. The hon. member's question is based on the 1953 amending Act whereby the balance sheets of private companies incorporated in Queensland are sealed up in the company's registry and thus are not available to public inspection. He points out that other States and countries may have a similar law respecting their private companies, but that the comprmy concerned would not get like protection in Queensland by virtue of the fact that the office in which its return is sealed up is a public office. In the opinion of the Parliamentary Draftsman, "public office" means an office the contents whereof are open to the public. He points out that

the required balance sheet will he in the confidential records of the company's registry, and thus available if required. As to the other mattor raised by the hon. member about placing the balance sheet in a sealed enedope, I point out that it is pla~ed in an envelo1:e similar to the one I ha>'e m my hand. It 1s then gummed down and the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies puts his stamp over it. The envelope can be opened only on the authorisation of an officer of the Crown Law Office or on an order of a judge of the Supreme Comt.

Mr. KEUR (Sherwood) (2.37 p.m.): I ha>·e recently lodger! balance sheets of private companies at the Supreme Court and as far as I could see there was no real seal put over the flap of the envelope. I_n my experiencC', it is simply gummed do>vn w1thout any further seal and it is p_ossible. for ~h<_; envelope to become unstuck Without Its bemg noticed. An unscrupulous person conld examine the contents and then re-gum the flap. No-one would then be any the wiser; although I emphasise that I do not suggP~t for a moment that either the Registrar or any other honest person would do snch a thing. The fact is that it is not really sealed and I suggest that the Registr-ar would be we!I advised to sec that an effective seal is placed on the envelope.

~Ir. lUUNRO (Toowong) {2.38 p.m.): The Attorney-General's reply did not go as far as I had hoped it would. Again I ask the Committee to examine that part of the Bill that requires a company to have a copy of its balance sheet posted up at its registered office. There is no shadow of doubt that the registered office of a private company is ope_n to the public and if 3; priva ~e company IS n'rjnirer1 to post up at Its regist:red office. a tTuo copy of its balanc_c she~t 1~ mcru~s m effect that the company IS telhng Its lms;ness to the world. \Ve want to avoid the position where a pTivate company ma:v he required to make information public in Queensland merely because it is required .to lodge some things in a sealed envelope m some other part of the British Com_monwealth of _K !ltions. I trust that this law will not be aclmnustcrer1 in that way otherwise considerable inconvenience coi:rld be caused to some of the companies.

J\Ir. Aikens: The average company balance sheet toc1ay rarely discloces the true position of the company.

Jir ~IUNRO: I disagree with the hon. m~mber for Mundingburra. His interjection obviously shows that he does not know very much about the subject, partieularly when he implies that the balance sheet. of the average public company does not give _true particulars. H ~ will see that. there IS a certificate supphed by the auditors to that effect.

Mr. Aikens: Six public accountants will produce six different balance sheets.

lUr. ~IUNUO: Not at all, and once again I say with due respect that the hon. m~mber has a complete lack of knowledge. .cf he

Companies Acts Amendt. Bill. [16 SEPTEMBER.] City of Brisbane, &c., Bill. 357

were to suggest that probably some more detailed information should be disclosed in the balance sheet there might lile something in his argument but to say that the contents of a balance sheet do not truly disclose the position of the company merely indicates a lack of knowledge.

1\Ir. Kerr: It is a very grave reflection on the audito1·s.

1\Ir. JIIUNRO: Yes. There is no profession in this State with higher standards than professiorial auditors.

Mr. Aikens: a clean sheet. sheet coincides them.

Very few auditors will give They say that the balance

with the :figures submitted to

1\Ir. lliUNRO: That is really apart from the clause before the committee. I support what the hon. member for Sherwood said as to sealing and I suggest that the AttorneyGeneral might give thought to the question. Consideration would have to be given to the machinery, but it is very desirable that the process should be such that there is no possibility of an unauthorised person's opening the envelope. If a seal is broken and reaffixed there should be evidence of the date on which the document is sealed.

Hon. W. POWER (Baroona-AttorneyGeneral) (2.42 p.m.): I should point out to the Committee that a company incorporated anywhere in the British Commonwealth of Nations as a private or proprietary company and not required by the law of the place of its incorporation to publish its balance sheet or to lodge the same in a public office, shall not be bound by subclause 1 of this Bill. In other words a company is not being asked to do anything in Queensland that it is not asked to do in any other place.

The other matter raised by the hon. member for Toowong is purely of an administrative character. He wants to see that the contents of a balance sheet are not disclosed to any person other than according to the provisions of the Bill. As I said before, the balance sheet is placed in an envelope and the flap is sealed with the seal of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies. I am assured b;: the Registrar that if there was any attempt made to interfere with the seal he would be able to ascertain if there hn d been any tampering with the envelope. The disturbance of the seal would supply ample evidence of interference with the balance sheet. Also it would be a grave reflection on the Registrar ancl his staff if it was thought that there ·was in his office somebody who was prepared to tamper with balance sheets or something placed in an envelope accorrling to law. We should not have much difficulty in :finding that person. I agree that every protection should be taken and I am assured that every protection is being taken. However, I am prepared to discuss the matter further with the ·Registrar.

Clause 2, as read, agreed to.

Bill reported, without amendment.

CITY OF BRISBANE ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.

INITIATION IN COMMITTEE.

(The Chairman of Committees, Mr. Clark, Fi tzroy, in the chair.)

Hon. E. J. WALSH (Bundaberg-Treasurer) (2.47 p.m.): I move-

" That it is desirable that a Bill be introduced to amend the City of Brisbane Acts, 1924 to 1953, in a certain particular.''

The amendment is not a very controversial one, and I think hon. members will accept it as being necessary and desirable. On a former occasion we amended the legislation to allow public servants to obtain leave of absence in order to contest elections. This Bill seeks to amend the City of Brisbane Act, along similar lines. At present it debars employees of the Brisbane City Council from contesting elections unless they resign. In other words, it is proposed to give employees of the Brisbane City Council the same privileges in contesting elections as those enjoyed by public servants. I think all hon. members will agree that such a provision is desirable.

~Ir. JUORRIS (Mt. Coot-tha) (2.49 p.m.) : The principle enunciated by the Treasurer seems to be very desirabl¥. He is taking a step in the right direction towards preserving the democratic rights of all citizens. However, I was somewhat disappointed to hear the text of the amendment; I had hoped that it would cleal with a different matter entirely. Another amendment should be made to the City of Brisbane Act. I recall that on 20 November last year I asked the Treasurer the following question-

" iVith regard to sales of Council-held land by the Brisbane City Council-

1. Is it mandatory that the intention to sell such land must be :first advertiseil, either in newspapers circulating in the locality, or by any other method or methods~

2. If not, is it customary for the practice of advertising such sale to be followed~

3. If not, then what is the customary practice?''

The Attorney-General, for the Treasurer, replied that it was not mandatory for the sale of such land to be advertised, that it was entirely a matter of domestic policy for the Council.

I think that that practice is particularly harmful, and that there are many occasions on which the sale of Council land should be advertised. I know that it is the practice of the Brisbane City Council if a piece of land is valued at £500 or mor~, to refer it to the Financial Committee and then throw it open for public tender, but when its value is less than £500 that course is not necessarily followed. Indeed it is rarely followed. I think every one of us knows' of some land

358 City of Brisbane Acts [ASSEMBLY.] Amendment Bill.

that has been sold by private tender, and that it has caused a great deal of unhappiness and concern among people.

Ur. Wa.lsh: When did this happen, under the Chandler administration 9

Mr. J\IORRIS: No, the case to which I intend to refer happened under the present administration. A piece of land at Kenmore was held by the Council. It was exceptionally desirable land in a suitable location, and it was wanted by a vast number of people. There had been many applications for it, both orally and in writing but mostly OTHlly, by a number of people who wanted to buy it. On every occasion they >vere told by oflicers of the Council that it wns not for sale. I do not quarrel with the decision of the Council in that regard. They were using it for a certain pmpose. I think it was for storing quite a lot of material used in that area. I do not propose to discuss the question \Yhether it was being wisely used. I am quite prepared to say that probably it was.

At all events, a number of people tried to buy the land and failed because the Council would not sell it. Then the local progress association applied for permission to purchase the land. It comprises a very progressive body of people who wanted to see a public hall in that growing area of Kenmore, that would be a credit and an asset to the district and placea' in an admirable situation where it would serve all the residents of the area. They approached the City Council in an endeavour to bargain for the land and again they were told that it was not available. The unhappy circumstances of this are as follows-The local progress association was to ]cl the land was not available. Subsequently, two or three months after-I should not like to say the exact time because I have not referred to it for some time-they applied again and again

they were told it was not available. They then made a third application and they were told it was sold. Between the date of their first application and their third application the land was in fact sold to a syndicate. I think the name of the man who was the head of the syndicate was Liu. There were many people in that area who felt that they had been hardly clone by because, as members of an organisation, they had endeavoured to buy this land and they had been refused, ~ut a_nother person was able to buy it without It bemg known to the public generally that the land finally was to be solrl by the Council. There have been suggestions that this man Liu ?r his syndic:;t: or the syndicate that bought It were receivmg, to say the least of it, very favourable consideration by certain elements within the Brisbane City Council. I have no proof of it, but I repeat that the local people--

ll'Ir. Aikens: Are you suggesting that some of the alderman received graft~

Mr. J\IORRIS: The difference between the hon. member and myself is that I never make statements unless I c:ln prove them. The hon. member, I realise does not follow the same practice, but it w~uld be better for him and this Chamber if he did.

I repeat, that many people in that locality feel that their action was for the good of the area and that they should not have been treated as they were by the Brisbane City Council in relation to the sale of this land. I quote that case as an example, and there have been a number of others too.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! I aJsk the hon. member to keep to the matter under consideration.

3Ir. 1\IORRIS: The sale of land by the Council without first advertising it and calling for public tenders ancl public applications is very wrong. I suggest to the Minister that it would have been most desirable if he had introduced a mandatory clause to say that the sale of land by the Council should provide that it should be advertised for sale by public tender, and not as we have seen it sold.

lUr. AIKENS (Mundingburra), (2.59 p.m.) : If the contents of the Bill are only as outlined by the Treasurer I am in COIEplete agreement with it. During my first year as a member of the Parliament, I brought up the question of the disability that employees of the Crown suffered when they wanted to contest State elections, or Federal elections for that matter. I told of the fact that when I decided to contest the Mundingburra seat during the 1944 election I had to resign from the Railway Department. If I had been defeated in 1944 I had two chances of being re-employed on the railways-my own and Buckley 's. I suggested then that the Act be amended in regard to State elections to give Crown employees the same democratic rights as those enjoyed by every other member of the community. As has so often been the case, my suggestion was later embodied in legislation introduced by the Government. Now we find my suggestion embodied in legislation that will give employees of the Brisbane City Council the same democratic rights that any other adult citizen of Brisbane enjoys.

JUr. Walsh: You never asked for this.

iUr. AIKENS: If the Treasurer had been listening to me instead of trying to work out with the Attorney-General what he was going to say in reply to the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha he would have heard me say that this legislation springs from the original suggestion I made away back in 1944, that the restriction be lifted from Crown employees to enable them to contest State elections. This is merely, shall we say, subsidiary legislation to that and because of that I am primarily responsible for it and congratulate the Treasurer on bringing it down.

J\Ir. BROSNAN (Fortitude Valley), (3.2 p.m.): This legislation is welcome. It will give an opportunity to those people interested in civic affairs and desirous of pulling their weight and doing the best possible in the interests of the people in the constituencies in which they reside by offering themselves for public service. I know that the president of my union had to resign from the City Council to contest a seat. At that

City of Brisbane Acts [16 SEPTEMBER.] Amendment Bill. 359

time such a resignation could have caused him to lose his long-service leave. It did not, however, because he had the necessary service. Take the case of an employee who may not have been in employment for the full long-service leave entitlement period and is forced to resign to con test an election because of what he believes to be in the best interests of the party to which he belongs and feels it his duty as a citizen to do his best to improve civic affairs in which he is so interested. If he had not qualified for long-service leave by having worked the required period he could lose it.

A Government Jl'Iember: If he wa.s defeated, there is no certainty he would· be re-employed.

Mr. Walsh: He would lose his seniority, too.

Jl'Ir. BROSNAN: Yes. The Bill is necessary for that reason, if for no other. Most employees under State industrial awards are entitled to long-service leave and it should be preserved for them. If men offer themselves for work in a civic capacity in the public interest they should not be deprived of longservice leave or any rights or :erivileges.

People who offer themselves for election to civic authorities are, I believe, mainly imbued with the desire to do something for the town or city to which they belong. That is true of the aldermen of the Brisbane City Council. I cannot imagine, for instance, as the Leader of the Liberal Party suggests, any of the present Brisbane City Council aldermen being guilty of enjoying the repasts and feasts of some wealthy Chinese merchant and then, as a consequence, bestowing favours. The hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha made such a suggestion in this Chamber some months ago when he got very fiery and heated one night. He said that the prese_nt Council had had ''shady'' dealings regarding land at Kenmore. It is a fact that Mr. Eddie Liu bought this land at Kenmore. I know the gentleman and to the best of my knowledge and belief he is a good citizen of the State. It is not generally known that he is a British subject. He enjoys a franchise, he pays his rates, he is a citizen of this community and he was entitled to do what he did. He saw this land at Kenmore. It was then merely a gully. With the ingenuity that is a characteristic of his race, he reckoned that by erecting a retaining wall and filling the gully it would be possible to make a nice corner block. Upon making inquiries, he found that it was owned by the Brisbane City Council, having come into its possession for non-payment of rates some 2_2 years prior to his starting negotiations for its purchase. He sought advice from me as to where he should make inquiries conceming it. I suggested that he write to the Town Clerk and he did that before I went to America in August, 1952. His letter asked the Town Clerk would it b<' possible to buy two or three allotments of this ground. Negotiations continued until March, 1953. In the meantime, the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha, who lives at Brookfield, had passed this corner block

day in and day out without giving a thought to how it could be used. Before any

finality was reached, the matter was considered at 11 meetings of various sections of the council. It was discussed by the Land Committee, the Finance Committee, and the valuers, also by the E and C and in open Council. A price was put on it and agreed to by this man. The first price was £300 an allotment. He agreed to pay that. Then the council increased the price to £400 an allotment. Again he agreed and bought the ground. After that he erected the wall and filled the gully to street level.

Then the cry was on! \'Vhat this gentle-man did was all clear, clean, honest, and above board. His actions will stand investigation by anybody, as will those of the Brisbane City Council. Then, because he builds some shops, there is a hue and cry from those who could not foresee the possibility of erecting the wall and filling the gully. I understand it cost something like £1,850 to build the wall and fill the gully to make suitable shop sites. Even the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha will agree that it is a suitable shopping centre of advantage to the people of the area. I understand he patronises the butcher shop and the refreshment shop. And I believe he gets excellent meat fwm the butcher's shop too, despite what he says here about shortages.

:!fir. J\Iorris: Why say things that are not true~

1\'Ir. BROSNAN: I understand .too, tb,at members ·Of his family enjoy the 1ce cream and sweets sold at one of th13 other shops.

Mr. 1\'Iorris: Why make a liar of yoll,rselH

The CHAIR~IAN: Order! I ask the hon. member to withdraw the word ''liar.''

lUr. Morris: I did not say he was a liar. -I might think it, but I did not say it.

Mr. BROSNAN: I appreciate your attempt, Mr. Clark, to induce the hon. member to have some regard for the Standing Orders, for I do not doubt that unless he is forced to do it he will have no regard for them. Suffice it to say that everything I have said can be substantiated.

Furthermore, the gentleman about whom the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha seems to be worrying so much is an honourable man who has the franchise, and is rearing a family who, to my knowledge-I know them very well-are most respectable. I should not be surprised if, when his children come of age, and because of the education he is giving them and the standard of intelligence thev will attain that they 1vill be supporters of 'the Labour movement.

The Bill will give these children and others should they become employees of civic authorities, as well as any present employ~e, the opportunity of giving a commu~nty service without being deprived of any entitlement which is theirs or being in jeopardy of losing their employment, because they offer themselves for public service.


Hon. E. J. W ALSH (BundabergTreasurer) (3.11 p.m.): I want to make a few observations about the remarks of the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha. The measure seeks to extend a rig-ht to employees of the Brisbane City Council which was conceded a number of years ago by the Government to Crown employees. The Chairman drew the attention of the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha to the principle. I have never objected as a Minister to any hon. member during the introductory stages of a Bill seeking to take advantage of the occasion to discuss matters within the adminstTation of a particular authority. However, I am interested to know that the hon. member raised the question last year and left a lot of insinuation and inferences. The matter does not affect the Government in any way because we are not responsible for the administration of the Brisbane City Council. We do not undertake that responsibility; the aldermen .are the elected representatives of the City of Brisbane and the Council has its powers and responsibilities under the relevant Act to govern its administration. The Greater Brisbane area was created in 1925, and up to 1952, a period of 27 years, only one Labour Council was in control of the affairs of the Brhtbane area for six years out of the 27 years. That was the Jones Administration. It is remarkable that the hon. member should at this stage take exception to a principle that has operated over such a long period.

Mr. ll'Iorris: On the 'same argument, why do you ever amend Bills~

ll'Ir. WALSH: To relieve the hon. member of any doubt in his mind I say that the question has some merit in it.

ll'Ir. Low interjected.

Mr. W ALSH: I advise the hon. member for Oooroora to keep out of this. Let him look after his own little business in Maroochydore. We will have a look at Maroochydore one of these days. I am saying that the point raised by the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha has some merit, and if he would confine himself to the principle concerning the advertising of local authority land for sale, it would be all right, but if he seeks to introduce other matters that tend to cast suspicion because there is a Labour Council in control of the affairs of the Brisbane City Council, it is all wrong. Does the hon. member suggest that this is the only case whEre land has been sold~ Of course he does not.

lUr. jforris: instances.

I said there were many

ll'Ir. W ALSH: Why would the hon. member have such an interest in this one~

Because of the charges that the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha made in this Chamber last yPar a police investigation was carried out. I have read the report of a very responsible officer of the Police Force on the sale of this land. If I had any suspicion at all that any person, either in the Council or in this Parliament, was corrupting his public office, he would get very little sympathy from me. ln passing, the

hon. ~ember for Mundingburra, who is not now m the Chamber, asked the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha by way of an interjection the difference between consideration and graft. I leave it to the hon. member

for Mundingburra, who lives in an atmosphere that might qualify him to do so, to answer that question. He sought to make a speech in an interjection to the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha.

If the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha can at any time produce any evidence of corruptness in local government or government affairs, or any other administration for which the Government are either wholly or partly responsible, he need have no doubt that there will be a full and complete investigation. However, it is not good enough for him to get up in this Chamber and imply that (luring the 29 years' existence of the Greater Brisbane aTea, the only occasion on which something of the nature raised by him happened was during the brief period when the electors of Brisbane returned a Labour Council to control the affairs of their city. After reading the police report to which I have just refened, I say definitely tiiat there is not the slightrst evidence of any irregularity in the transaction. The hon. member for Fortitude Valley is more conversant than I with the detailed aspects of the matter. I am concerned only with the public aspects. But I say there is no justification at all for the suggestions of the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha. I will go so far as to say that it was a good business deal on the part of the party concerned, and I wonder whether the remarks of the hon. member should be directed against, firstly, any particular alderman of the Brisbane City Council, secondly, the person who was able to negotiate successfully the purchase of the land, or thirdly, the oil companies. I leave that to the hon. member.

iYir. ll'Iorris: What are you trying to insinuate~

ll'Ir. W ALSH: I am not trying to insinuate anything. All I am saying is that if this man has made a good business deal, as apparently quite a number of others have done with oil companies throughout the metropolitan area, it is his business. In the same way, if the hon. member enters into a transaction with the, Leader of the OpiJOsition, or the hon. member for Yeronga, or the hon. member for Isis, that is his business. Similarly, if I enter into a business transaction with anybody else and it ultimately turns out to be profitable, that is my concern. If it does not involve any irregularity in public administration, the hon. member has no right to seek the privilege of the House to convey the suggestion that any person connected with this transaction has done something corrupt in his office so far as the city of Brisbane is concemed. While I concede that there is some merit in the hon. member's suggestion and that consideration might be given to an amendment of the Act to provide that sales of local authority lands may be advertised, it is a matter for consideration as time goes on. If the hon. member had left it at that I should have

Oily of Brisbane Acts [16 SEPTEMBER.] Amendment Bill. 36l

been prepared to listen to him and examine the position. It could be that there are many pitfalls.

lUr. Kerr: Don't they advertise land for sale~

Mr. WALSH: They do quite a lot. In the first place, it is not mandatory so tar as any local authority is concerned. If the hon. member for Sherwood agrees that the present practice is all right he is out of step with his leader. It d~es not follow that you get a better price at a public auction. The provision has remained there all these years.

I think the hon. member for Mirani was interested at one time in the purchase of some land that was put up for sale because of a failure to pay rates. I am not here to judge whether they got a better deal because the hon. member for Mirani purchased the land while he was the Chairman of the Pioneer Shire Council. That is not my function.

~Ir. Low: It went up for public auction.

Illr. WALSH: It does not go by public auction in every case. The hon. member is only a novice as a chairman so far; he is only learning.

Mr. Low: I do not know a lot about those '' swifties' '.

Illr. W ALSH: The hon. member will be tau~ht a bit over there. I am not unsympathetiC to a proposal that these lands should be advertised. I should have to examine all the implications of local authority practice. I emphasise that if the hon. member left it at that stage it would be alright but he seeks to raise a particular sale b~cause of his approach as a buyer, or whatever he may be. He sought the opportunity to place before the House again the suggestion that there was something wrong with the transaction. We, as a Government, have no direct responsibility, but I put it to the hon. member again that there was a verv comprehensive investigation by responsible officers of the Police Force of this State and there has not been one scintilla of evidence to suggest anything in the nature either of consideration or graft, as the hon. member for Mundingburra suggested. I am not called on here to plead for Eddie Liu or the aldermen of the Brisbane City Council· tomorrow I could be fighting them. ' As the Minister for the time being charged with the responsibility of administering local government affairs, all I ask is that if hon. members, from the Opposition or this side of the House, can produce any evidence that any councillor or alderman is corrupt in his public office, let him produce the concrete evidence and the Government will take the necessary action.

Mr. MORRIS (Mt. Coot-tha) (3.25 p.m.): Despite all the nasty horrible innuendos that the Treasurer and the hon. member for Fortitude Valley tried to throw across the Chamber, I am glad that the Treasurer sees some merit in my suggestion. The Treasurer said that if any evidence could be produced

he would see that there was an inquiry.· Again I point out to the Treasurer-! am sure he is aware of it; if he is not I should be surprised-that the members of the progress association subsequent to the police inquiry asked for a Royal Commission into the circumstances surrounding the sale of the land. They are the people most intimately concerned; they are the people who tried to buy it and they asked for the Royal Commission. If the Treasurer is such a Simonpure as he tries to make out it is his duty to grant the request for a Royal Commission.

lUr. Walsh: We have one .at CanbeTra at the present time. ·

Mr. MORRIS: The hon. gentleman's mates are smarting under it very much. There was the suggestion by the hon. member for Fortitude Valley-and I say it because I must-that I visit shops owned by this person. What if I have? That has nothing whatever to do with it. I point out that I have never bought a penn 'orth of goods from one of his shops. The Treasurer said that if there was any evidence he would have an inquiry. I have pointed out that the local progress association believes there is.

!Ir. Walsh: They have been inter-viewed by the police officers.

Illr. !I ORRIS: They asked subsequent to the police investigations for an inquiry.

Mr. Rasey: Did you urge them?

1\Ir. MORRIS: If the hon. member thinks so he is welcome to the thought. They asked for the Royal Commission because they believed it was justified. When people believe they have good reason for it, it is the member's duty to give them what they ask.

Dr. NOBLE (Yeronga) (3.27 p.m.): I agree with the principles of the Bill. I wish to draw the attention of hon. members to a matter that is analagous to the principles of the Bill. We are allowing members of the City Council and members of the Crown to stand for public office and we allow mayors ·when elected to stand at Federal elections. What seems unfair is that a State member is not allowed to stand for a Federal seat without resigning from his office. (Government interjections.) I have no intention of standing for Federal politics. An attempt could be made at a Premier's Conference to see if such a matter could be arranged. The Treasurer may be inclined to go to Federal politics, and it would make our position safer in the Federal sphere.

Mr. EVANS (Mirani) (3.29 p.m.): I agree with the principles of the Bill. I am not too sure and I should like the Treasurer to make it clear if an employee of the Brisbane City Council is given leave of absence to contest a seat what is his position if he wins~

Mr. Walsh: He must get out.

Mr. EVANS: I thought that. The matter of land sales was mentioned by the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha. I wish to point out that the Council would get into


difficulties if it was forced to advertise all land that it had for sale. Frequently there will be a sale perhaps of 50 to 60 areas of land for unpaid rates. This land must be advertised and sold by auction. Some of the land may be good and some not so good too. For example, take the land that is not sold. Bill Smith or Tom Jones may come in and make an offer. The land may be overgrown with noogoora burr and other weeds. A nominal price may be offered by Smith or J ones. It is in the interests of the Council to sell. They have advertised the land for sale and have found no buyer for it. This man comes in and he is given the right to buy at a reserve fixed by the Council. If Councils were forced to advertise all lands held by them the advertising in some cases would cost more than the land was worth. I agree with that.

JUr. Walsh: If they have advertised it, that is in compliance with the law about land that comes into their possession for arrears of rates.

Mr. EV ANS: The Treasurer has been misinformed about my buying land in conjunction with another person. The statement is untrue. The land I bought is part of an estate. N oti:fication was made that it was for sale. Mr. Beatty was the trustee. The council rates were unpaid for four years. They had to be paid.

Mr. Walsh: Who was the owner of the land~

Mr. EV ANS: It belonged to Dubois Smith. The trustee was notified. He paid the rates and put it up for auction but there was no bid. About eight months after I was approached by Mr. T. J. Leonard. He asked me would I make an offer. I offered £600 for it and bought the land. There was no question of the payment of rates. The rates had been paid.

~ir. KERR (Sherwood) (3.32 p.m.): The hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha raised the question of the disposal of land by the council for unpaid rates. I should like to comment on this. My suggestion is that tbe land that reverts to the council because of unpaid rates and is sold, sale should be advertised with a reserve price.

::lir. Walsh: This land did not revert to the council.

Mr. KERR: I am dealing with the general principle of selling land that has reverted to a council for unpaid rates. My suggestion is that it should be advertised for sale with a reserve price. If at a public auction the reserve price is not reached the conncil should hrLVe the right to negotiate a sale by private treaty. This would put the sale above all suspicion. I am convinced that this would be the right way to sell land that reverted to the council because of unpaid rates.

1\Ir. DEWAR (Chermside) (3.34 p.m.): I am in accord with the views of hon. members who have spoken. I believe the principle is a good one. The Treasurer said that he

is always preparecl to allow the debate on the introduction of a Bill to be widened so long as the speakers relate their subject matter to the Bill. That being so I propose to discuss land in the Chermside area. Hon. members may recall that last year when an amendment to the Brisbane City Council Act was before us I raised the matter of the council's resuming some land at Wavell Heights. It was resumed for public purposes about 1950 for £375, by a former administration.

.i\Ir. Walsh: By the Chandler administration.

1Ur. nEWAR: Yes, and at a later date by advertisement in the daily Press tenders were called for the sale of it. It was subsequently sold, not for public purposes, but to build shops and a garage for £2,200. At that time, the :ii!Iinister said he would look into the matter. I mentioned it to him again later and I got a letter from him in connection with it. His comment was that as the land had been resumed after negotiation between the Brisbane City Council and the pe1·son who owned it, nothing could be done.

But that was not the point I raised. I was concerned about the power of the Council to interfere with the rights of people. 1 have never agreed that any local authority should have the right to resume land for a particular purpose and then sell it for some other use. There is some moral responsibility on the local authority to apply the land to the purpose for which it was resumed.

There was a somewhat similar occurrence in Chermsicle not so long ago. In 1946, people by the name of Pershouse bought seven blocks of land on the left-hand side of Gym pie Road going north at the Chermside terminus for the sum of approximately £.1,100. Tliis elderly couple built on two blocks of the land and then drew up plans to use the other five blocks. In 1946 they were approached by a syndicate who wanted to build a block of

shops. This suited the elderly couple because they did not have the necessary finance to do what they had planned to do and by accepting the proposal of the syndicate they efxpectecl to get one of the shops in order to earn a livelihood for themselves. Plans were drawn up at a cost of £40. Building restrictions were in operation at that time, so that the erection of the block of shops was delayeCl. Then, with dramatic suddenness, in 1946 or 1947, the Brisbane City Council swooped clown on the land and gave notice of intention to resume it for shops and a clinic. The price the Council was offering for the five blocks of land right at the Chermside tram terminus was £750. The Pershouses were in much the same position as the man at Shaw Road, \Vavell Heights, in that they hacl no money with which to fight the Council and had very little knowledge of the law relating to these matters. They submitted to the resumption but fought the Council for £1,000 instead of! £750. After a delay of three months, the Council agreed to pay the £1,000, but took 12 months to pay over the money and in the meantime had

City of Brisbane Acts [16 SEPTEMBER.) Amendment Bill. 363

the audacity to pay no interest on what was owing while at the same time charging these people £9 6s. for rates.

During the six years that the Council owned the land, it erected a lavatory and shed for the convenience of tramway men at this terminus. ln 1953, the Pershouses wrote to the Lord Mayor seeking to buy ba~k the l.and at the same price as they were pa1d for 1t. They were also willing to pay rates on th~ lan~ for the intervening five years. Thmr pomt was that as the City Council had made no use of the land during those five years they should have the right to proceed with the plans they had drawn up prior to its resumption. This suggestion was rejected by the Brisbane City Council, yet, two or three months ago, it was sold by the Council by private tender for no less a sum than £5,375. That sum was raise-d on its sale to three or four different buyers. Here is a similar case to the land at Shaw Road, Wavell Heights, which I instanced last October. The local authority resumed the land for a particular purpose, but did nothing about it, and when it suited it the land was sold at a colossal profit. The only people who suff~r are the people who in the first place have the initiative to buy the land and tak~ the norm~l risk t~at anybody in private busmess takes m a busmess transaction. The profits that would have accrued to these people had they sold the land themselves were actually filched from them by a local authority which apparently has all power to do what it pleases. The thing that concerns me is the moral application of the powers of a local authority. Surelv the Brisbane City qouncil or for that m~tter any local authonty has some moral obligation to apply land to the purpose for which it is resumed.

lUr. Walsh: Unless there are some unforeseen circumstances.

Mr. DEWAR: Yes, unless there are circumstances which make it change its mind. It would be fair to suppose if such unforeseen circumstances cropped up to cause a council to change its mind, it would use the land for some other public purpose. It is not right that a public authority should resume land at an unfair value and later sell it at a colossal figure for some purpose other than the purpose for which it was originally resumed.

lUr. Powe·r: What was the resumption for~

lUr. DEW AR: For 1shops and a clinic. The land on Shaw Road was resumed for public purposes but it was sold as a site for a garage and shops. What opportunity has any person in the community to combat that type of thing~ If anybody bought a block of land with the idea of building a home on it or erecting a shop or a factory and the land was in a factory area, it could be resumed by a local authority who could walk in with the power of the Crown and say ''We want this land.'' If the owner has ~ot got sufficient money to fight the case in court or realises that he is fighting an authority with plenty of money, he says, ''All right, there is no use in my bashing my head against a brick wall.''

He will accept the figure offered to him. It" is a sad commentary on our democratic way of life, and it strikes at the very freedom of the people. No person has any feeling of security when he knows that at any time anything he plans is subject to the whims of the local authority in the area in which he lives.

Hon. E. J. WALSH (BundabergTreasurer) (3.44 p.m.): The hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha made the suggestion that we should appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the sale of land at Kenmore. I do not know whether he thinks we should appoint Royal Commissions simply at the beck and call of any person who wants to make a charge. In the first place, there is no evidence of anything wrong and as a precaution the Government got the police to investigate because of the suggestion of corruption. If we can take any notice of the Press, Royal Commissions at the present time, to say the least, are not doing very well. Jf the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha wants to imply that the Labour Party is concerned about the Royal Commission that is now sitting, I suggest that he might wait a little while and see whether the Liberal Party also is not a little embarrassed before it is concluded. Personally, I do not propose to allow anybody under the cloak of a Royal Commission, to damage the prestige of the Labour Party )Jy statements that cannot be justified, and if the occasion presents itself I can say a few things about the loyalty to Australia of members of the Liberal Party that might leave them suspect. And so I brush aside for the time being the suggestion of the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha that we should consider the request for the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into what I regard as a trivial matter.

The hon. member for Sherwood had something to say about advertising the land for sale. The hon. member for Mirani raised the same matter and pointed out the difficulties that could ensue. That is why I have said that before effect could be given to the suggestion that all sales of land should be advertised, all the implications would have to be considered. Under the present law,

land that comes into the possession of a local authority through arrears of rates must be advertised for sale, but I remind both the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha and the hon. member for Chermside that the land about which we are speaking did not come into the hands of the Brisbane City Council because the rates on it 1vere in arrears. A Labour Council cannot be blamed for the fact that the Chandler administration did not resume this land under the powers contained in the Public Works Land Resumption Act or in its own Act.

1Ur. Dewar: I did not suggest that.

Mr. W ALSH: I want to remove any thought that the present Council has been in any way responsible for any irregular practice.

lUr. lliorris: I did not suggest that it had.


lUr. WALSH: The hon. member says he did not suggest it, but let us go back to the origin of this thing. If the Council of the day-the Chandler administration-had wanted to leave everything in the clear, why did it not resume the land under the power of its own Act or the Public Works Land Resumption Act~ It was a negotiated sale, and far be it from me to suggest that there was anything irregular because the Council of the day exercised its right to negotiate for the purchase of the land without resorting to the power of resumption in the relevant Acts. It would be quite open for mealthough I do not believe it is right-to suggest, in the same way as has the hon. member for Mt. Coot·tlta, that in the negotiations for the purchase of this land, somebody associated with the Chandler administration

might have got a rake-off.

JUr. llforris: Was it bought during the time of the Chandler administration~

Mr. W ALSH: Of course it was. Ask the hon. member for Chcrmside.

llfr. Dewar: The two in my area were.

llfr. W ALSH: If, as the hon. member for Chermside says, the Council of the day resumed this land for shop purposes, it did something that was entirely unlawful.

lUr. Dewar: That is what the people tell me.

Mr. WALSH: Exactly, because the Council has no right to resume land for shop purposes. If you put all these things together and allow your mind to be biased and prejudiced because it happened to be a Labour Council, and if you let that run away with your judgment in regard to transactions in public affairs, there will be more demands for Royal Commissions, as is happening in Canberra at the present time, with suspicion amongst tlie people that their Governments or responsible elected bodies are not doing the right thing by them.

I repeat that if any hon. mem_her has an_y evidence that any person occupymg a pubhc position is corrupt in his public office, this is the place to say it. I challenged the recentlyretired Leader of the Liberal Party, when he got out on the hustings in the Bulimba by-election and made certain suggestions that a prominent member of the Labour Party was associated with certain things. I challenged him to name the member in this House. It is all right to get out on the hustings and get the publicity so as to catch votes. Here he has the privilege, without anybody having the right to challenge him in any court of law, of naming any hon, member, or any person in a public office, if he knows that that is going on.

The hon. member for Mirani raised the question, and a very pertinent one, of what would happen in the case of an employee of the Brisbane City Council who is required by the present law to resign his position to contest a seat on the Council at a municipal election because he would be occupying a position of profit and so would not be eligible

to nominate for a ward or electorate within the Greater Brisbane area. This amendment seeks to extend to him the same right as has been extended to Crown employees who contest State elections. They can obtain two months' leave of absence without in any way destroying their seniority, or classification, or position within the Government service, as at the date they contest the election. When they are succesful, obviously they must resign, because it would be against the Constitution for them to continue in an office of profit and be a member of this Legislative Assembly at the same tinie. All that the amendment is doing is conveying to employees of the Brisbane City Council the same right as has been extended to Crown employees.

I thought that some hon. member might have raised the question of why this W<.ts not extended to employees of local authorities generally. I think it would be conceded that outside the Greater Brisbane area no aldermen or councillors of cities, t,owns, or shires, occupy a position that attracts a salary, and consequently it cannot be said that they are holding an office of profit. If this principle was extended to employees of all local authorities, all we would he doing would be forcing those who won a seat on any local authority to resign and look for another job. Throughout Queensland at present we have railway employees and others who are eligible to contest seats, and since they are not drawing any salary they are not in any way disqualified from holding positions as aldermen or councillors.

I did not want to do an injust,ice to the hon. member for Mirani. I made a suggestion by way of observation in regard to the sale of land. I do not forgo my rights because I am a member of the Legislative Assembly to negotiate in regard to any business transaction. After all there are few members on this side but a considerable number on the other side who are engaged in business, but because they are member~ of this House they should not be deprived of their right to do so. The suggestion I macl.e was that the hon. member for l\firani should have knowledge of the implications of the purchase of such lands. I had an idea that he purchased land on 11hich rates had not been paid. The hon. member says that the rates were paid on it. That is .his statement. If my memory serves me right the shire clerk of the council of which the hon. member was chairman was Fred Clark and both he and the hon. member were supposed to be negotiating for the purchase of land in the same way as the hon. member bought the land at Cameron 's Pocket. I am not objecting to those things. It is just as relevant to refer to these matters as it was for the

hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha to refer to the purchase of land at Kenmore. The individual has the right to purchase land. My point is that unless the hon. member is prepared and able to produce something factual as far as these charges are concerned I do not think this is the place to make the charge or make any inference. I am not here to defend the person who purchased the land or any alderman of the Brisbane City Council

Address in Reply. [21 SEPTEMBER.]

or any oil company. As Minister administering the City of Brisbane Acts and the Local Authorities Acts I have some obligation to see that any charge that can be sustained is brought out and publicly examined. Up to the present time I have not heard any evidence produced that would justify my recommending to the Police Commissioner that any action should be taken against anyone as far as these transactions are concerned.

As I have said, I am not altogether out of sympathy, I am not altogether objecting to the points raised by the hon. member for Mt. Coot-tha or the hon. member for Chermside. I think that any local authority that seeks to plan ahead should know what lands are required and what they are required for. It seems to me that it was pretty bad business on the part of the Chandler administration to have resumed this land for a particular purpose when apparently it never had any intention of proceeding with the plan. The hon. member for Chermside said that they were resumed for shop purposes, but no local authority has any power to resume land for that purpose. I believe it was resumed for

some other purpose and the planning of the council was such that it felt it had to dispose of the land because it could not y>roceed with its plan.

The principle of the Bill is a simple one. It is another example of the extension of civil liberties as far as public employees are concerned.

Motion (Mr. Walsh) agreed to. Resolution reported.

FIRST READING.

Bill presented and, on motion of Mr. Walsh, read a first time.

ADDRESS IN REPLY.

PRESENTATION.

lUr. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that I propose to present to His Excellency the Governor, at Government House, on Tuesday morning at 9.30 o'clock, the Address in Reply to His Excellency's speech agreed to on 2 September, and I shall be glad to be accompanied by the

mover and the seconder and such other hon. members as care to be present.

The House adjourned at 4.3 p.m.

Questions. 365

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