Friday, 31st May, 1901
Free Trade, Tariffs, and the White Australia Policy.
- Duration:11 mins 43 secs
- Updated: Sat, 05 Apr 2025 20:21:39 AEDT
- Version: 16
Episode Summary
House of Representatives
Mr. McLEAN defended New South Wales' free trade policies, citing factory employment and cultivated land increases, while addressing taxation, land, and agricultural concerns. He argued free trade conflicted with a white Australia policy. Labor issues arose, with wage discrepancies debated. The discussion shifted to protectionism, black labor, and revenue tariffs. The session concluded with lighter moments concerning socialism and constitutional subsections, signaling the debate's closure.
Senate
The Senate debated the Address in Reply, focusing on prohibiting Kanaka labor. Senator Drake defended this, addressing statistical discrepancies and emphasizing the principle of a duty. Concerns arose about costs to the public and impacts on sugar producers. Later, the Senate addressed petitions from letter carriers, free travel for members, customs suggestions, Boer prisoner deportation correspondence, age range statistics, and Tasmania cable agreements. They adjourned until Wednesday.