QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT July 6, 1895.

*THE WORKER*

BRISBANE, JULY 6, 1895.

QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE SIFTINGS.

[BY PLEBIAN.]

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26.

As is usual at the commencement of the session, formal business takes up a considerable time of the Houses. There was, however, only only one item on the notice paper which called for opposition, and that was a motion by the Premier to the effect that on Tuesday, Wednesday, and after 7 o'clock pm. in each week, Government business take precedence of all other business. A strenuous effort was made by Labour and Opposition members to have the motion so amended as to set apart the whole of Thursday for the transaction of private members' business, but on division an amendment having that object in view was defeated by 30 to 25.

* * *

Labour Member Glassey resumed the debate on the Address in Reply. He expressed his disappointment with the Government programme as foreshadowed in the Opening Speech. People throughout the colony, he said, had been led to expect a very elaborate progressive policy, but they

too must have been similarly disappointed with the Governor's utterance. While every other colony South of the line were introducing measures for adjusting taxation more fairly and were dealing with the important question of electoral reform, the present Government, notwithstanding all the time spent on that splendid little yacht Lucinda, had fore shadowed nothing of this nature. Speaking of the re-establishment of the colony's credit, his party had done much, he felt sure, to inspire the confidence of the old country in the colony's position. People who expected that a considerable amount of the recently floated loan, which was obtained earlier than it was required so as to bolster the Q.N. Bank, would be available for public expenditure would be deceived, as it was merely a conversion loan raised to redeem Treasury Bills and to square off an old score falling due on the 1^st July. He dealt at considerable length with the financial position of the colony, and defended the statements made by him at Lowood and published in the WORKER some weeks ago, regarding the 30,000 unemployed in the colony, and quoted statistics from union secretaries and other sources in proof there of. With a view of rectifying what he, and thousands with him, regard as a grave omission, he moved an amendment to the Address in Reply expressing regret that no mention had been made of the important question of electoral reform. Much to the surprise of everyone the amendment was put without debate, the division resulting as follows: 13 for and 32 against.

* * *

When Glassey resumed his seat, all eyes were turned towards the Treasury benches in the expectation that the President of the Queensland Political Ass. and the Premier of the colony would rise in his place and answer the severe strictures of the hon. Member for Burke, who is the leader of the only organised opposing party in the Assembly. But that gentleman showed no signs of rising, and the original motion was being put, when Hardacre rose on the spur of the moment, and, although taken by surprise, he managed to get home some telling arguments against the Government and their policy. He prophetically remarked at the commencement that the proposed Early Closing Bill, which was the name of a progressive measure mentioned in the Speech, would never become law, as the members of the Upper Chamber would take care to strangle it when it reached them. He approved of the proposal to refund contributions levied under the Meat and Dairy Produce Encouragement Acts, but was sorry to learn that the Government were in treaty for the repurchase of 50,000 acres of good land lying idle in the Bundaberg and Leichardt districts to his knowledge. The opinion expressed last session was repeated with equal force and ample justification, that the land laws were, under Barlow, being maladministered, and that the professions about being anxious to settle people on the land were glaringly insincere. He disputed the statement in the Speech that the colony was on the high road to prosperity, and asserted that we were in no better position now than we were twelve months age. The success of the loan he attributed to the fact that in the London money market there were large sums awaiting investment, and not to any special action on the part of Nelson's Government. Whilst the colony suffers from a continuation of the many injustices prevalent since its foundation, Hardacre thinks there will be no such thing as true prosperity.

* * *

Bulimba Dickson, a veritable political shuffler and retired land-jobber, followed the chosen of the Leichardt. He is, however, always most courteous and polite, and generally indulges in lofty phrases. In opening he said he thought it would be a valuable innovation if the head of the Government had moved the adoption of the Address in Reply and explained away some of the “ambiguities and veiled obscurities” contained in the Opening Speech. “During the past six months the country has been existing on a very lengthened diet. It has been a sort of political xerophagy,” said J.R.D., and someone was observed to immediately reach out for a dictionary. His attack on the Government – if such it can be called – was a very mild affair compared with that made by him some six weeks ago when before his electors, whom he succeeds in befooling. After expressing his opinion on the Federation question, to which he is very favourably inclined, and land settlement, which he opposes as carried on at present, Dickson advocated a resuscitation of the State-aided immigration system, and said he thought that “Until we had a population brought to our shores we may legislate as we like and introduce every sentimental and political view enunciated in this Chamber” there would be no success. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr. Morgan.