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.261

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

·" ’ . ■ ' No. 81. . '

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE.

FRIDAY, 2 n d OCTOBER, 1942.

1. Meeting of Senate.—The Senate met at half-past ten a.m., pursuant to adjournment.

2. PRAYERS.

3. Women’s E mployment Bill 1942.—Message from the House of Representatives.—The following Message • ■ from the House of Representatives was received and re ad :— Mr. P resident, Message No. 169.

The House of Representatives transmits to the Senate a Bill intituled “ A Bill for an Act to Encourage and Regulate the Employment of Women for the purpose of aiding the Prosecution of the present War ”, in which it desires the concurrence of the Senate. ' W. M. Nairn,

• House of Representatives, Speaker.

Canberra, 2nd October, 1942.

Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders.—The Minister for the Interior (Senator Codings), pursuant to contingent notice, moved—That so much of the Standing and Sessional Orders be suspended as would prevent the Bill being passed through all its stages without delay. Question—put and passed. On the motion of Senator Codings the Bid was read a first time. . Senator Codings moved—That the Bid be now read a second time.

Debate ensued.

Point of Order.—Senator Allan MacDonald submitted that the measure now before the Senate was not • in order inasmuch as it was similar in substance to the regulations disallowed by the Senate on 23rd September, and was therefore contrary to the provisions of Standing Order No. 133. Ruling of President.—The President stated that on Wednesday, the 23rd September, the Senate bad

agreed to two motions disallowing regulations under the National Security Act in respect of the employment of women. As a result those regulations had become void. The question now submitted was the second reading of a Bill which included the regulations so disallowed, and the Senate was asked to accept them in the form of a schedule which would be the schedule to an Act of the Parliament of the Commonwealth. This question was not the same as a motion for disallowance. He therefore ruled that the Bill including the Schedule was in order.

Debate continued. ’

Question—put and passed. 1

Bill read a second time. The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into Committee for the consideration of the Bill.

In the Committee.

Clauses 1 to 3 agreed to. ■ ■ · ■ ■ ■ ■

Clause 4 debated and agreed to. Clauses 5 and 6 agreed to. The Schedule considered—

Senator Leckie moved an amendment, viz.—paragraph 5, sub-paragraph (1.), after “ Chairman” insert “ who shall be a Judge of a County Court or a Court of similar status or Supreme Court of a State or of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration ”,

Debate ensued. Question—That the words proposed to be inserted be inserted—put. .

The Committee divided— :

Ayes, 16.

Senator— Brand. Collett. Cooper. Foil. Gibson. Hayes, J. B. Hays, Herbert. Leckie. McBride.

Senator— . McLachlan, A. J. McLachlan, James. McLeay.

Sampson. Spicer. Uppill. .

. Teller : .

Senator Allan MacDonald.

Senator— Amour. Armstrong. Arnold. Arthur. Ashley. Aylett. Brown.

Cameron. Ceilings.

Noes, 16.

Senator— Courtice. Cunningham. Fraser. Keane. Lamp.

Large.

Teller :

Senator Clothier.

The Ayes and Noes being equal, amendment negatived accordingly. Senator Spicer moved an amendment, viz.—paragraph 5, sub-paragraph (1.), after “ employees ” add “ at least one of whom shall be a woman ”. Debate ensued. . . _ .

F.6318.

262 N o. 81.— 2nd October, 1942.

Question—That the words.proposed to be added be added—put. The Committee divided—

Senator— Brand. Collett. Cooper. Foil. Gibson. Hayes, J. B. Hays, Herbert. Leckie. McBride.

Ayes, 16. .....- .......... -

Senator— , .

McLachlan, A. J .' ' ‘ · McLachlan, James. McLeay. · '

. Sampson.

Spicer. Uppill. - :

v Teller:' Senator Allan MacDonald.

Senator— Amour. Armstrong. Arnold. . Arthur.

Ashley. Aylett. Brown. Cameron. . Collings.

Noes, 16. Senator— Courtice. Cunningham.

Fraser. Keane. Lamp. Large.

Teller:

Senator Clothier.

The Ayes and Noes being equal, amendment negatived accordingly. · ......... .

Senator McLeay moved an amendment, viz.—paragraph 5, after sub-paragraph (2.) add the following new sub-paragraph :— “ (2a..) The representative of the Commonwealth shall be a person who has, for a period of at least twelve months before his appointment, been engaged in a managerial capacity.” . Debate ensued. Question—That the new sub-paragraph proposed to be added be added— -put. The Committee divided—

Ayes, 16. Noes, 16.

Senator— Senator— ..................... Senator- Senator—

Brand. McLachlan, A. J. Amour. Courtice.

Collett. McLachlan, James. Armstrong. Cunningham.

Cooper. McLeay. Arnold. Fraser.

Foil. Sampson. Arthur. Keane.

Gibson. Spicer. Ashley. Lamp.

Hayes, J. B. • Uppill. Aylett. Large.

Hays, Herbert. Leckie.

Teller: Brown.

Cameron.

Teller :

McBride. Senator Allan MacDonald. Collings. Senator Clothier.

The Ayes and Noes being equal, amendment negatived accordingly. Senator Leckie moved an amendment, viz.—paragraph 5, sub-paragraph (8.), leave out “ a majority of votes ”, insert “ the Chairman ”. Debate ensued. Question—That the words proposed to be left out be left out—put. The Committee divided—

Ayes, 15. Senator— McLachlan, James. McLeay. . Sampson. .

Spicer. Uppill. ...

Senator— Brand. Collett. Cooper. Gibson.

Hayes, J. B. Hays, Herbert. Leckie. Teller :

McBride. . • McLachlan, A. J. Senator Allan MacDonald

Amendment negatived accordingly. _ The Schedule further debated and agreed to. Title agreed to. Bill to be reported without amendment.

Senator— Amour. Armstrong. Arnold. Arthur. Ashley. Aylett. Brown. Cameron. Collings. Courtice.

Noes, 17. Senator— Cunningham. . Foil.

Fraser. Keane. Lamp. Large.

Teller:

Senator Clothier.

The President resumed the Chair ; and the Chairman of Committees (Senator Brown) reported accordingly. On the motion of Senator Collings the Report from the Committee was adopted, and the Bill read a third time.

4. P aper.—The following Paper was presented, pursuant to Statute— Judiciary Act—Regulations—Statutory Rules 1942, No. 409.

5. Ministerial Statement—Commonwealth Bank Bill 1942.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator Keane), by leave, informed the Senate that further consideration of the Commonwealth Bank Bill had been deferred. pending reference of the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee consisting of the Hon. J. B. Chifley (Chairman), Right Hon. J. II. Scullin, Mr. A. Wilson, Hon. Η. E. Holt, Hon: J. McEwen, Senator the Hon. J. M. Fraser, Senator the Hon. A. N. MacDonald, and the Hon. Sir George Bell. 6. Next Meeting of the Senate:—The Minister for the Interior (Senator Collings) moved—That the

Senate, at Its rising, adjourn.till Thursday next at three p.m, . .

Question—pu t and passed. . 7. Adjournment.—The Senate adjourned at seven minutes'to four p.m., till Thursday next at three p.m.

8. Attendance.—Present, all the Members except Senators Crawford and Wilson.

R. A, BROINOWSKI, Clerk of the Senate.

By Authority: L. F. J ohnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.