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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT DURING WORLD WAR ONE
 


Some interesting debates and statements from Hansard 1914 - 1918


1914

Premier John Scaddan
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT — WARBETWEEN BRITAIN AND GERMANY
5 August 1914

Premier John Scaddan announced in Parliament on 5 August 1914 the outbreak of war:
Before any further business is transacted l desire to announce to the House that this morning I received from the Prime Minister the following telegram: Official information has been received that war has broken out with Germany. (signed) Joseph Cook
Premier Scadden's full speech
 

Hon John Michael Drew
HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY THE KING AND MOTHERLAND - MOTION OF LOYALTY
5 August 1914

The Legislative Council also had matters of war on its mind and in the adjournment debate the Colonial Secretary (Hon. J.M. Drew) moved a motion -

I beg to move--
That the Legislative Council of Western Australia in Parliament assembled expresses its loyalty and devotion to the Throne and Person of His Most Gracious Majesty the King, and its determination to stand by the motherland and the Empire in the present time of stress.
It seems to me that that motion will not only express the views of the Legislative Council of this State, but of the whole of the people of Western Australia.

Premier John Scaddan
INCOME TAX (WAR EMERGENCY) BILL 1914
19 September 1914

Premier John Scaddanin his second reading speech said:
No measure I have been called upon to introduce into Parliament has given me so much thought, and perhaps, to be candid, I may say so much pain, as this. It is regrettable that it should be necessary to introduce a measure of this kind, because one has to appreciate the fact that it will, to some extent, change the channels through which money is already passing, and to a lesser extent will be harmful. At the same time I hold the conditions prevailing at the moment, and which are likely to, continue for sometime to come, are such that in my duty to the State and the people I am compelled to introduce this, a tax of an emergency nature.
CABLEGRAM - SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
10 September 1914

Premier John Scaddan provided members with an update of the war received by cablegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, London, dated 9th September:
The following review of the war is sent for the information of your Ministers and for general publication. After one month of war command of sea is left unchallenged in hands of Great Britain and her allies...
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1915
Governor Major-General
Sir Harry Barron
GOVERNOR'S SPEECH
29 July 1915

His Excellency Major-General Sir Harry Barron, KCMG, CVO:

In opening the second session of the ninth Parliament I and my advisers, and indeed the whole of the people of this State, keenly feel the sadness of the times. So many of our brave citizens have heroically fallen upon distant battlefields, and so many others are waging manly war in dire trenches. Others are in transit or preparation to continue the struggle for the security of our Empire and the maintenance of British justice in the cause, not only of Britain, her dominions and dependencies, but in the cause of humanity itself. Never has the world seen such hosts in arms, and we trust that after the triumph of our cause, the like will never be witnessed again ...
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Premier John Scaddan
MESSAGE - WAR BETWEEN BRITAIN AND GERMANY, ANNIVERSARY OF DECLARATION
11 August 1915

I have received a letter from the Private Secretary to His Excellency the Governor, as follows:
Sir- I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to inform you that His Excellency telegraphed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies the resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly on the anniversary of the declaration of war, and has this day received the following reply:-
In answer to your telegram 7 August, it has been laid before His Majesty, who greatly appreciates the resolution of Parliament and people of Western Australia to continue the war to victorious end. (Sgd.) Bonar Law.
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1916

Premier Frank Wilson
CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT
July 1915
John Scaddan's government lost a "Want of Confidence in the Government" motion in the Legislative Assembly on 25 July 1915, and Frank Wilson was commissioned by His Excellency the Governor to form a new Administration, as announced in the Legislative Assembly on 1 August 1915.



LEAVE OF ABSENCE
27 September 1916
On motion bythe PREMIER:
Leave of absence until the end of the present session granted to the member for Gascoyne (Mr. Gilchrist), the member for Albany (Mr. Price), the member for Subiaco (Mr. B.J.Stubbs), and the member for Claremont (Mr. Wisdom) on the ground that they are on active service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth.

PREMIERS' CONFERENCE

Premier Hon. Frank Wilson left on 2 December 1916 for the commencement of the Premiers' Conference on 8 December 1916. After a delay, the conference commenced on 12 December 1916 and was again adjourned to recommence on 15 January 1917. The main matters discussed were the financial requirements of the States; the settlement of returned soldiers on the land; and the repatriation of returned soldiers.

Special consideration was given to the wheat crop of 1917-18,and the Prime Minister was authorised to negotiate for the sale of the same to the Imperial Government. Subjects of lesser importance considered at the conference were the taxation of state securities, uniform taxation machinery, preference to soldiers for government employment, uniform electoral rolls etc.

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Debate on conscription and freedom of speech, 3 October 1915
ADJOURNMENT - MILITARY REFERENDUM
3 October 1915

The PREMIER (Hon. Frank Wilson - Sussex) [4.56]: I move:

That the House at its rising on Thursday next, 5 October, do adjourn until Tuesday, 31 October, in order to give Hon. members an opportunity of participating in the Referendum Campaign.

The federal referendum on 'Conscription' was held on 28 October 1916, with the following question asked:

 
"Are you in favour of the Government having, in this grave emergency, the same compulsory powers over citizens in regard to requiring their military service, for the term of this War, outside the Commonwealth, as it now has in regard to military service within the Commonwealth?"
The 'No' vote won.
1917

Mr Alexander Thomson


Premier Henry Lefroy
The conscription issue was not over.
MOTION - EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, COMPULSORY SERVICE
31 July 1917
Mr. THOMSON (Katanning) [3.36] I move:
That having regard to the overwhelming majority cast in this State in favour of conscription on the 28 October, 1916, this House is of opinion that it is the wish of the people of Western Australia that the Commonwealth Government should again submit to the people the question of compulsory military service, in order to meet the urgent need for recruits to reinforce our units at the front.
The Premier Hon Henry B. Lefroy was not impressed with the motion, particularly as the 1916 referendum had been defeated.
The PREMIER (Hon. H. B. Lefroy - Moore) [5.52]: Iregret that the hon. member has seen fit to introduce a motion of this character at the present time. I think it is well known to the Commonwealth Government that the people of Western Australia are in favour of conscription; they expressed that opinion during the referendum. That is well known and I do not see that the mere passing bythis Parliament of this motion will be of great assistance to the Federal Government. They have already had an expression of opinion from the people of Western Australia. To my mind, it is not desirable to discuss controversial matters of this character during the present short session of Parliament...
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Due to the lag in voluntary recruitment and the depletion of Australian forces, the Commonwealth Government held a second referendum on 20 December 1917 in which the Australian people were again asked:

Are you in favour of the proposal of the Commonwealth Government for reinforcing the Commonwealth Forces overseas?

 

Again, the question was defeated.


Mr Batholomew Stubbs




Following the death of Mr. Bartholomew Stubbs (Subiaco) on 26 September 1917 (lost in action in Belgium), a by-election for the seat of Subiaco was held on 10 November 1917. The by-election was won by Samuel McConnell Brown (Nat) who was elected with a majority of 117 votes.
1918

Premier Henry Lefroy
THE WAR - AN ARMISTICE
12 November 1918

The PREMIER (Hon. H. B. Lefroy - Moore) 8.51 am]: In moving the adjournment of this House, I should like to mention that I have just heard that the Germans have signed an armistice.

Members: Hear, hear!

Mr. Holman:That is a complete surrender.

The PREMIER: I hope the information is correct. I have it on good authority, and I trust that peace is not far off. If it is, I shall feel recompensed' for having remained here all night. At the same time, I do not look on it as a hardship to do my duty in this Chamber during the hours of the night. My son spent four days four night's without sleep during the great Russian debacle ; and his old father can spend a night without sleep in the interests of the country. I thank hon. members for the manner in which they have dealt with the business before the House during this long sitting. I again express the hope that the information which has come to me is correct, and that it will prove, indeed, more than correct, that we shall learn there has been a complete surrender of Germany, and that before long we shall have peace with honour and freedom to the world.

Members: hear hear!



Hon Philip Collier
Opposition leader Hon. P. Collier (Boulder) stated:
I have a pleasure which I am unable to express, in seconding the motion moved by the Premier for the adjournment of the House, I scarcely know what it is that I should like to say. I feel that I should like to make a speech, but my feelings are rather of a mixed nature. In fact, I feel that I should like to make a speech ; but, on the other hand, I feel utterly unable to make one. I have a feeling that, perhaps, the news is too good to be true. I understand that we have not had the news absolutely officially that an armistice has been signed, although, coming through the channel it has done, it ought to be reliable. This may be the day that will be the greatest day, possibly, in all history.Members: Hear, hear!

Thomas Walker
Hon. T. Walker (Kanowna) said:
I fear also that words cannot adequately express either my feelings of the feelings of this Assembly, or the feelings of the nation and the Empire, on an occasions like this.
He followed up his speech with a poem:

Go, bid the ocean cease to heave,
The river cease to flow,
Bid smiling spring retrace her steps
And flowrets cease, to blow;
Go, chase the wild wind to its home.
The lightning to Its nest:
Then, bid the car of progress stay
Whose boulders never rest.

Hon. Timothy Francis Quinlan
The Speaker adjourned the house, but before doing so stated:
Before putting the question hon. members will permit me to say I believe that few Parliaments can feel as proud as we do at this hour of the morning, after our arduous work, to know we are adjourning a Parliament belonging to the British 'Empire. We at least should be proud to know that we are able to adjourn our Parliament to meet again under the Empire.
Question put and passed, members standing.

[At the call of the Premier, members joined in singing "God save the King." Cheers were given for "Our Soldiers;" "Our Allies," "The Navy"and "General Foch."]
House adjourned at 9.20 am. (Friday.)