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COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

39

No. 16.

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE.

THURSDAY, 27th APRIL, 1950.

1. Meeting of Senate.—The Senate met at three p.m., pursuant to adjournment.—The President (Senator the Honorable Gordon Brown) took the Chair.

2. PRAYERS.

3. Address-in -Reply—Message from H is E xcellency the Governor-General.—The President informed the Senate that he had received from His Excellency the Governor-General the following Message in connexion with the Address-in-Reply:—

Mr. P resident, .

I desire to acquaint you that the Address-in-Reply at the Opening of the Nineteenth Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia has been laid before His Majesty The King, and I am commanded to convey to you and to Honorable Senators His Majesty’s sincere thanks for the loyal message which your Address contained.

W. J. McKell,

24th April, 1950. Governor-General. '

4. Statement by Senator Collings.—Senator Ceilings asked leave to make a statement. Objection being raised, leave not granted. Suspension of Standing Orders.—The Leader of the Opposition (Senator Ashley) moved—That so much of the Standing Orders be suspended as would prevent Senator Collings making a statement.

Question—put, and passed, there being present an absolute majority of the whole number of Senators, and no dissentient voice. Senator Collings thereupon made a statement replying to certain words used by another Senator.

5. Questions.—Questions on notice were answered.

6. Social Services Consolidation Bill 1950.^-The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into Committee for the further consideration of the Bill.

In the Committee.

New clause 2a— On the motion-of Senator McKenna, after debate, the following sub-sections were added to proposed section 94a :— “ (2.) An authority to which this sub-section applies shall not, in determining the basic wage

or any other wage or salary, determine a wage or salary at a rate less than the rate which it would determine if no endowment under this Part were payable. “ (3.) The authorities to which the last preceding sub-section applies are— (а) the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration ;

(б) Conciliation Commissioners holding office under the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904-1949 ; (c) the Public Service Arbitrator holding office under the Arbitration (Public Service) Act 1920-1947 ;

(d) every other authority having power, under a law of the Commonwealth or of a Territory of the Commonwealth, to determine any wage or salary ; and (e) every authority having power under the law of a State to determine any wage or salary.” . New clause 2a, as amended, agreed to. Clause 3 read— ,

Senator McKenna moved an amendment, viz.—page 2, lines 1 to 11, leave out proposed sub-sections (2.) and (3.), insert the following sub-section :— “ (2.) The rate of fin endowment shall be Ten shillings per week.”. Debate ensued.

Question—That the words proposed to be left out be left out—put.

F.328.

40 No. 16. — 21th April, 1950.

The Committee divided— Ayes, 28. Noes, 17.

Senator— Senator— Senator— Senator—

Arnold. Lamp. Cooper. Scott.

Ashley. Large. Hannaford. Spicer.

Beerworth. McKenna. Kendall. Spooner.

Brown. Morrow. McLeay. Tate.

Cameron. Murray. Mattner. Wedgwood.

Cole. Nash. O’Sullivan. Wordsworth.

Cooke. Nicholls. Piesse.

Courtice. O’Byrne. Rankin, A. J. M. Teller: Critchley. O’Flaherty. Reid. Devlin. Finlay. Fraser. Grant. Harris. Katz.

Sheehan. Ward. Willesee.

Teller:

Senator Clothier.

Robertson. Senator Wright.

And so it was resolved in the affirmative. Question—That the words proposed to be inserted be inserted—put and passed. On the motion of Senator McKenna the following further amendment was made, viz.—page 2, lines 19 to 26, leave out proposed sub-section (5.)

Clause 3, as amended, agreed to. Clause 4 debated and agreed to. Clause 5 agreed to. Clause 6 negatived. Clause 7 negatived. Clauses 8 and 9 agreed to. Title agreed to. Bill to be reported with amendments.

The President resumed the Chair; and the Chairman of Committees (Senator Nicholls) reported accordingly. On the motion of the Minister for Social Services (Senator Spooner) the Report from the Committee was adopted, and the Bill read a third time.

7. Next Meeting of the Senate.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator O’Sullivan) moved— That the Senate, at its rising, adjourn till Wednesday, 10th May next, at three p.m. Question- -p u t and passed.

8. Adjournment.—The Senate adjourned at twenty-two minutes to ten p.m. till Wednesday, 10th May next, at three p.m.

9. Attendance.—Present, all the Members except Senators Armstrong, Aylett, Gorton, Guy, Maher, Ryan, Simmonds, Tangney and Wood.

JOHN EDWARDS, Clerk of the Senate.

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