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479

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE,

No. 131.

THURSDAY, 24th MARCH, 1966.

1. M eeting of Senate.—The Senate met at eleven a.m., pursuant to adjournment—The President (Senator the Honorable Sir Alister McMullin) took the chair.

2. PRAYERS.

3. Question,—A Question on notice was answered.

4. J oint Committee of Public A ccounts—Reports.—Senator Wedgwood brought up the following Reports from the Joint Committee of Public Accounts— Seventy-eighth Report—The Report of the Auditor-General—Financial year 1964-65. Seventy-ninth Report—Treasury Minutes on the Sixty-eighth, Seventieth and Seventy-second

Reports, together with summaries of those Reports. Ordered to be printed. Senator Wedgwood, by leave, made a statement in connexion with the Reports.

5. P etroleum P roducts—M inisterial Statement.—The Minister for Customs and Excise (Senator Anderson), by leave, made a statement relating to the operation of the petroleum products subsidisation scheme.

6. P arliamentary R etiring A llowances T rust.—The Minister for Supply (Senator Henty) moved, by leave—That, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Retiring Altow&tces Act 1948-1964, Senator Kennelly be appointed a trustee to serve on the Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust. Debate ensued. Question—put and passed.

7. J oint Committee of P ublic A ccounts.—Message from the House o f Representatives.—The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read— M r . President, Message No. 274.

The House of Representatives acquaints the Senate that, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Accounts Committee Act 1951-1965, Mr. Reynolds, a Member of the House of Representatives, has been appointed a member of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts in the place of Mr. Costa, discharged from attendance.

J. M cL eay,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Canberra, 23rd March, 1966.

8. A ustralian Coastal Sh ippin g Commission Bill 1966.—Message from the House o f Representatives.— The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read— M r . President, Message No. 275.

The House of Representatives transmits to the Senate a Bill intituled “ A Bill for an Act to amend section 30 o f the ‘ Australian Coastal Shipping Commission Act 1956-1964 ’ and to amend that Act in relation to Decimal Currency ”, in which it desires the concurrence of the Senate.

J. M cLeay,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Canberra, 23rd March, 1966. Suspension o f Standing Orders.—The Minister for Customs and Excise (Senator Anderson), pursuant to contingent notice, moved—That so much of the Standing 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 Anderson the Bill was read a first time. Senator Anderson moved—That this Bill be now read a second time. On the motion of Senator O’Byrne the debate was adjourned. Ordered—That the resumption of the debate be an Order of the Day for the next day of sitting.

F.1191/66.

480 No. 131.— 24th March, 1966.

9. H olt M inistry—Policy Statement—Paper.—Order of the Day read for the adjourned debate on the motion by the Minister for Supply (Senator Henty), viz.—That the Senate take note of the Paper— And on the Amendment moved thereto by Senator Kennelly, viz.—Leave out all words after “ That ”, insert—

“ the Senate records— (1) its most emphatic opposition to the despatch of conscripted youths for service in Vietnam and the increased military commitment in that country, and (2) its disapproval of and grave concern at the Government’s failure—

(a) to maintain the purchasing power of the Australian community; (b) to retain an adequate and proper Australian share in the ownership and develop­ ment of our national resources, particularly in Northern Australia; (c) to alleviate the effects of the drought and take steps to rehabilitate rural industries

and conserve water resources; (d) to make adequate provision for housing and associated community facilities; and (e) to submit to referendum the two Bills to alter the Constitution in respect of

Aborigines and the Parliament which were passed last year and, in connexion with the latter Bill, to disclose the related distribution proposals ”. Debate resumed. Question—That the words proposed to be left out be left out—put. The Senate divided— Ayes, 21. Noes, 25.

Senator— Senator— Senator— Senator—

Benn. Mulvihill. Anderson. Mattner,

Bishop. Murphy. Branson. Morris.

Cant. Nicholls. Breen. Prowse.

Cavanagh. Ridley. Cooper, Sir Walter. Rankin, Dame

Cohen. Sandford. Cotton. Annabelle.

Devitt. Toohey. Davidson, Sim.

Dittmer. Wheeldon. Drake-Brockman. Webster.

Drury. Willesee. Gair. Wedgwood.

Fitzgerald. Gorton. Withers.

Hendrickson. Henty. Wood.

McClelland. T eller: Laught.

McKenna. Senator O’Byrne. Lawrie.

McKellar. McManus. McMullin, Sir Alister.

T eller:

Senator Scott.

Amendment negatived accordingly. Question—That the Senate take note of the Paper—put and passed.

10. A djournment.— The Senate adjourned at fourteen minutes past four p.m. till Tuesday next at three p.m.

11. Attendance.—Present, all the Members except Senators Bull, Cormack, Lillico (on leave), Ormonde (on leave) and Tangney (on leave). J. R, ODGERS, Clerk o f the Senate.

By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.