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Wednesday, 22 October 1919

Mr HIGGS (Capricornia) .- I regret that this Bill is necessary. It is only necessary because the Government are endeavouring to exploit what they 'believe is popular opinion. Without doubt a great number of people have shouted in welcoming the Prime Minister (Mr. Hughes), who thinks that this is the time to go to the country.

Mr Lynch - Do you not think he deserves it?

Mr HIGGS - As to that, I think that the Prime Minister has been the greatest failure in the public life of the Commonwealth. Everything he has done since he left our party has been a failure. It must be remembered that the Prime Minister and his Government endeavoured to keep the soldiers in the Old Country for another two years, and it was only when that action was. exposed by Mr. Keith Murdoch that the Government reversed their attitude. It was a very easy matter for the Prime Minister to get leave of absence for our gallant -men - to intervene between them and British soldiers who did not understand them - and, of course, the men are very grateful. But is that a reason why this country should be rushed into a sudden general election ? Are we to have an election simply because the Prime Minister hopes by going to the1 country now, to get a renewal of power? Everybody is agreed that we should do our best to enable the soldiers to exercise the franchise, and we shall do all we can to attain that object.

Mr Kelly - This is what is called cordially supporting the Bill !

Mr HIGGS - I am availing myself of an opportunity to make a few observations concerning the action of the Government under the Electoral (War-time) Act in May, 1917. I sincerely hope that the Minister for Home and Territories (Mr. Glynn) will see that there is nothing wrong done at the present election. We all desire our soldiers to have a vote. I am sorry that the honorable member for Wentworth (Mr. Kelly) is retiring from the chamber, because I wish to address myself particularly to him in view of the fact that, to my great regret, he is about to leave the House of Representatives for ever.

Lt. -Colonel Abbott. - He always speaks well of you !

Mr HIGGS - The honorable member who interjects does not, and I am sure that when he looked at an interjection of his in cold print this morning he must have felt very sorry. However, I ask the honorable member for Wentworth whether he can approve of the action of his Government in issuing a Government newspaper to soldiers at the Front, and maligning and misrepresenting the Opposition in every way, while, on the other hand, he made promises to the soldiers in the way of increased pensions, promises which have never been fulfilled? I ask the honorable member whether h? has not heard that the provisions of the Electoral Act were vilely abused in the Old World by the emissaries of the Government. No honest politician can stand for unfair tactics.

Lt. -Colonel Abbott. - If you mean in England and France, what you say is not correct.

Mr HIGGS - A defeated candidate at the last election said to me, " I lost my seat because " Billy " did not stand to me with the soldiers' votes." The soldiers' ballot-papers contained the words "Ministerial " and " Opposition,," but when many of the soldiers went away from Australia' we were the Ministerialists, and it is quite possible that numbers of them voted for Ministerialists in the belief that they were voting for members . of the Labour party. My own opinion is that numbers of soldiers' votes were recorded for divisions to which they did not rightly belong. It was quite an easy matter to do so. Was it not a most singular fact that when the poll was counted in Australia there were eleven doubtful seats. - the Capricornia seat was included among the doubtful ones, although I had a majority of over 2,000 votes - and that every Labour man who had not a majority of 500 of the votes cast in his own division was ' ' outed ' ' by the votes of the soldiers abroad ? I have heard many soldiers say that the majority vote in their, company or battalion was in favour of the Labour party. It is a bad thing for any country when there is in- 'terference with the ballot-box. I am not in favour of any unfair play or trickery. A nation is on the down grade when it§ Government commences to manipulate the ballot-box. I have read that in one nation which once had a great empire and has lost it, it was the custom to have a false bottom to the ballot-box in which votes for the Government candidates were secreted. We do not want anything of that sort to occur in Australia, and I hope that the Government will see that there is fair play.

In connexion with this election, are wa to have a circular issued by the Prime Minister (Mr. Hughes), as was the case last time ? Do those honorable members who believe in fair play think that it was fair play for the Prime Minister to issue to every mother of a soldier in Australia a leaflet . with the heading, " Prime Minister's Department," and bearing a block that purported to be the Prime Minister's signature and the Australian coat of arms? There must have been 250,000 of those circulars sent out.

Mr Brennan - Were they issued at the expense of the Government1?

Mr HIGGS - That is what I wish to ' know. How was it that the Prime Minister was able to get the names of the mothers of soldiers so that he could address to them what, to the minds of many, must have appeared to be a personal communication? The letter commenced, " Dear Mrs.- ." Is the Defence

Department to be used during this election to help the Government?

Mr Glynn - No; except to identify the men who have been in the Australian Imperial Force.

Mr HIGGS - Did the Minister know what was done last time when the Prime Minister issued hundreds of thousands of circulars to the mothers of the soldiers of Australia through the Defence Department or through the Electoral Office, or, having got the names from the Defence Department, through the socalled National Federation ?

Mr Poynton - There is no proof that that was done.

Mr HIGGS - I can show the honorable member one of those letters. It was addressed to a lady in my constituency.

Mr Poynton - I was a soldier's father, but I received no circular.

Mr HIGGS - What is the use of fame or notoriety if a Minister is unknown to the Defence Department ?. Prom what wo are now told we understand that the Defence Department is endeavouring to keep in touch with the soldiers to get. them on the roll or enable them to vote. That is quite right.

Mr Glynn - The Defence Department is not doing more than the Statute provides. I have never heard that it has done more.

Mr HIGGS - According to the Minister, the Department is going to keep in touch with the men. It will get all particulars concerning the men who are returning and meet them at the boat's. That is all right. Let the soldiers have the chance to vote ; but do not let the Prime Minister use the Defence Department for the purpose of getting a number of names and addresses so that he may make use of them for his personal ends. I can produce a letter which was sent on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Mr Glynn - I knew nothing of that circular. I know nothing of it to-day, except what .the honorable member has said. The Electoral Branch of the Home and Territories Department had nothing to do with it.

Mr HIGGS - I do not claim that the Electoral Branch had anything to do with it, but I may inform him that the Prime Minister issued a circular which I can produce for his inspection. I do not object to the Government going to the greatest trouble possible and spending money - up to £100 in the case of the election for members of the House of Representatives. They have no right to spend more. On the last occasion they spent thousands of pounds. They broke their own law, and should have prosecuted themselves.

Mr GLYNN - The honorable member must have had some experience of the law.

Mr HIGGS - My experience is that it is very difficult to keep within this particular provision. We are allowed only £100 for printing and other expenses, and a day or two ago I received from a printer an estimate of £50 for the printing of 20,000 leaflets. I plead with the Government to give us fair play on this occasion. At the last general election we certainly did not receive fair play at their hands. They published a newspaper, which was printed with Government money - money raised, by way of taxation, from our supporters as well as from supporters of their own party- in which we were frequently libelled, and many mean and contemptible suggestions were made regarding the policy of the Labour party. I hope that the Government will not again resort to such tactics.

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