The Age, April 4, 1962, p. 6.

Canberra, Tuesday — A Liberal party backbencher, Mr C. R. Kelly (S.A.), tonight trenchantly attacked the Federal Government’s legislation to provide quantitative import restrictions to protect Australian industry.

In a 30-minute speech in the House of Representatives, Mr Kelly accused the Government of bowing to a well-mounted and unprincipled campaign by the Chamber of Manufacturers.

“For the Government to seek popularity in this way would erode the morale of the Liberal party and rightly alienate the support of export industries,” he said.

Mr Kelly’s attack was one of the strongest made by a Government member since the Menzies Government took office.

His speech stunned many Federal members and Ministers who listened to him in silence.

Opposition members jeered when Mr Kelly said that although he opposed the legislation he would not vote against it because the Labor party stood for even more stringent import controls.

Mr Kelly appealed to the Government to review the legislation, which he described as a complete negation of the principle of independent inquiry into tariff preferences.

He was speaking in the second reading debate of the Tariff Board Bills, which provide legislative machinery for the Government’s expanded temporary protection measures for local industry.

The bills will set up a special advisory authority to make recommendations to the Government on emergency duties and quantitative import restrictions.

The Minister for Repatriation (Mr Swartz) representing the Acting Minister for Trade and the Minister for Labor and National Service (Mr W. McMahon) were among Ministers who heard Mr Kelly’s speech.

The chamber quickly filled with Government and Opposition members when news of the speech spread in the lobbies.

“We have made a serious error if we think that only secondary industry, particularly protected secondary industry, can pick up the slack in employment,” Mr Kelly said.

“The manufacturing industry employs only a third of the work force.”

Mr Kelly said previous deputy chairmen of the Tariff Board had made several recommendations on emergency duties which had not been acceptable to the Government.

“Are the new advisers appointed under this legislation going to be more amenable to the Ministers and come quickly back with the required recommendation in their hot little hands?” Mr Kelly asked.

He said only one special adviser had been appointed so far (Sir Frank Meere), but the Minister could appoint as many advisers as he wished.

“If one adviser does not give the right answer, will another adviser give the right answer?” he asked.

Mr Kelly said he was not questioning the present Minister for Trade (Mr McEwen), but he objected to legislation which would allow a future Minister to appoint a special adviser who would give a desired recommendation.

“My objection to this bill is that it strikes at the morale and efficiency of the Tariff Board and anything doing that weakens public confidence in tariff machinery,” he said.

“Anything giving the Tariff Board less power and the Department of Trade more power should be regarded with grave suspicion.”

“Unless we stop temporary quantitative restrictions now they are going to be used as an argument for permanent quantitative restrictions later.”