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Tuesday, 19 December 1911

Mr FULLER (Illawarra) .- We have in these Estimates an item of £410 in respect to the Coronation celebrations, and we find that the expenditure under last year's Estimates in this respect was £2,342. I presume that this item refers to the payment of £130 each to honorable members who formed the delegation to London to take part in the Coronation celebrations, and I desire to refer to the absolutely poor and miserable display made by the Commonwealth in connexion with those celebrations. Troops from every other part of the Empire took part in the procession, but the Commonwealth was not represented, nor was there a Commonwealth arch along the line of route. Standing with another honorable member beside the New Zealand arch, I heard references made by the crowd to the absence of any arch to indicate that there was such a place as Australia, and we heard the remark freely made that the Commonwealth was too poor to be able to pay for one. Seeing that the Commonwealth thought fit to send a delegation of members of this Parliament to London to take part in this Empire festival, I think that we should have been careful to make an adequate display in connexion with an event of such world wide importance. The Government even refused to give official recognition to the cadets who were sent Home at the expense of private citizens of New South Wales. The Minister of Defence was careful to be present at the reception of the cadets at Charing Cross station, but, in the circumstances he might as well have stopped away. He and his fellow members of the Government did their utmost to prevent the proper representation of the Commonwealth at this important celebration. I do not wish to elaborate the matter.

Mr Wise - Particularly as we discussed it at length before the honorable member returned from England.

Mr FULLER - I was not aware of that; but I desire to emphasize the point that our representation in connexion with the Coronation celebrations was paltry, and an absolute disgrace to the Government. Australians in London who saw the Prime Minister seated in a carriage with Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and escorted by Canadian troops, felt heartily ashamed of the failure of the Government to send a contingent of Australian troops to London to take part in the procession. The Ministry ought to be heartily ashamed of their action, and I sincerely trust thai in connexion with any future Empire celebrations Australia will be properly represented.

Proposed vote agreed to.

Division 31 (High Commissioner's Office), £i4>455> agreed to.

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