Queensland Labour Party Policies June 1, 1895.

*THE WORKER*

BRISBANE, JUNE 1, 1895.

Electoral Reform.

One man one vote;special provision to be made for all whose occupations necessitate a constant change of residence; six months' residence in the colony to be the qualification for the franchise.

All parliamentary elections on the same day; that day to be a public holiday, and all public houses to be closed.

Abolition of the Nominee Chamber.

National Work.

State control of water conservation and irrigation.

State-aided village settlement.

State Bank.

Educational (secular).

Elementary, compulsory; higher, optional; both absolutely free in State schools.

Regulation of Industry.

Statutory Eight Hour Day; where practicable.

Shops and Factories Act; with elected inspectors.

Mines Act; giving complete protection to miners.

Machinery Act; providing for inspection of land boilers and machinery; persons in charge to have certificates of competency.

Labour Rights.

State Department of Labour; to which men can apply for work at a minimum wage as a right.

Wages Act; giving complete lien for wages over work performed, and full a curity for wages against all forfeiture, whether by agreement or court order.

A progressive tax upon land values; irrespective of improvements.

Realisation of an adequate return from the unalienated public estate.

Repeals.

Abolition of State aided immigration.

Abolition of all conspiracy laws relating to industrial disputes.

Law Reform.

All magistrates to be elected.

Referendum.

The submitting of measures for approval or rejection by the people.

Miscellaneous.

Revision of railway tariff.

The legal cancelling of a member's right to represent a constituency on a two thirds majority adverse vote of his constituents.

Exclusion of coloured, Asiastic, and contract, or indented labour.

State construction and ownership of all railways.

And any measure that will secure a fair and equitable return to labour and promote the progress and prosperity of the colony.

As regards local questions, including that of separation in Central and Northern Queensland, local organisations are free to determine their own courses of action.

And no account shell the fiscal question be regarded as a Labour Party question.

Recommended.

To secure sober men as Labour candidates for Parliament.

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This is the platform on which so many Labour candidates were triumphantly sent to Parliament, and on which so many more would have been sent there but for the unjust electoral system. This is the platform which was drafted in order to meet the wishes of the moderates and the professed sympathisers with with the working classes, at the same time keeping in view the ultimate aim of the movement as enunciated in 1890. It contains nothing irrational; it contains nothing extreme, nothing in fact that could not be immediately adopted by the Parliament of this colony with considerable advantage to the people. And, unless the WORKER is very much mistaken, the organised Queensland labour Party will never consent to the modification of a solitary item of its programme.

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