Sir ARCHDALE PARKHILL (Warringah) (Minister for Defence) . - Under this amendment the position would bc as the honorable member for Dalley (Mr. Rosevear) desires. Under the bill as it stands, the Government will be responsible for the direct payment of £334,000, a bounty in certain contingencies, and such further payment as the Parliament may think fit as adequate compensation in other circumstances. The amendment would enable these payments to be made, hut they would not be made by the Cabinet; they would be provided for in the Estimates and discussed and approved by the Parliament in the ordinary way. The amendment would merely provide the necessary machinery to allow this to be done. It would not take from the Parliament .any control whatever over the payments to be made.

Mr ARCHIE CAMERON (BARKER, SOUTH AUSTRALIA) - In what way would these payments be facilitated by the proposed amendment?

Sir ARCHDALE PARKHILL - .1 shall answer that question in a few moments. The Government does not ask for a blank cheque. I give an assurance that every payment to the company will have to be authorized by Parliament. We cannot state in the bill the exact amounts which the -Parliament will eventually be called upon to pay, because we do not now know what the developments will be. What the Government is seeking is a general authority for payment of the amounts which the Parliament may eventually decide to make for unspecified services. I point out to the honorable member for Barker (Mr. Archie Cameron) that the amendment merely gives authority to pay these sums, not when the Cabinet decides, but when the Parliament later determines, what the amounts shall be. When that decision is made an appropriation will be necessary. The amendment merely gives to the company an assurance that the Commonwealth will carry out its obligations under the agreement. It is reasonable to give to the Commonwealth the necessary authority to meet its obligations when they arise.