COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2593, 30 August 1909, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

THE QUEENSLAND ASSEMBLY. INCREASE OF APPROPRIATION WANTED. United Press Association —Copyright BRISBANE, August 27. The Assembly has been sitting continuously since yesterday afternoon. With the assistance of the “gag,” the Appropriation Bill was got into committee, when Mr Blair intimated his intention to move a memorial to the Lieutenant-Governor, pointing out that he had been misinformed in connection with the request for a dissolution, and that he should refuse to exercise the prerogative when it would conflict with the expressed wish of the House. Mr Hardacre moved that the appropriation be raised from £9900 to £33,000. THE KIDSTQN-PHILP FUSION. APPROACHING FIGHT WITH LABOUR. A short time ago the Kidston-Philp coalition Government—formed to cure the three-party evil and to present a united front to Labor —had a majority estimated at about eight, but it has undergone a process of rapid erosion. According to the “Sydney Morning Herald,” the trouble “has arisen apparently over the claims of a certain number of ambitious members for tbe spoils of office or patronage. A fusion had been reached between the followers of Mr Kidston and Mr. Philp, and there can be little question that a solid majority of the people of Queensland approve of it. But discontented supper-, tors have revolted because a Judgeship did not come the right way in one 'case, portfolios in the Cabinet were distributed the wrong way in othe? instances, and the Speakership failed to drop into an outspread lap for another. The socialist ■ Opposition, under Mr. Bowman, has rejoiced in these mishaps for the Government, and has made capital out of the hunger for the tart shop of certain uappreciated politicians.” Discussing the question of resignation or dissolution, the “Herald” considers that the resignation of Mr. Kidston would in any case involve an appeal to the country, for it is difficult to understand how the Labor leader, Mr. Bowman, or Mr. Blair as leader of a small cave, “could form a Cabinet with any hope of success. . . It was, indeed, hinted that the Labor party was prepared to give Mr. Blair and his cave all the portfolios in a new Government if they would join with the Opposition in throwing Mr. Kidston out. This would have meant that Labor members would have been the only supporters, for nearly everybody else would have been in the Cabinet. The struggle to retain the allegiance of doubtful Ministerialists has been going on from week to week, but always with a margin in Mr. Kidston’s favor. He reconstructed his Cabinet to remove certain obstacles in the path of a better understanding, and the strange neglect of Mr. Philp and. his principal supporters when th© fusion Cabinet was 1 formed has been since remedied to some extent. An appeal to th© country seems inevitable, sooner or later, and that it will have an important bearing upon Australian politics may - he accepted as certain. The socialists aie well organised, and they hope to capture several seats; so that if by _ any chance they could comnicind & majority they would set the tune for Commonwealth, music next year. But Mr. Ividston and Mr. Philp represent a, strong combination, and Queensland has. reason to give the two leaders her confidence.” „ _ , j The Governor-elect\ of Queensland, Sir Wm. MacGregor, has not yet left for his new duties, owing to illness. The Lieutenant-Governor, who has granted the dissolution, is Sir Arthur Morgan. , The fact that Mr. Kidston, when he represented Queensland at th© important Conference of Premiers dealing with Federal and State finances, was holding office in his own Assembly by a single vote, will .be carefully, driven home by the Labor party; and the election campaign will probably be a fierce one, .