I move amendment No. 1:—
Section 2. To add at the end of the section a new sub-section as follows:—
(2) This Act shall remain in force until the 31st day of March, 1936 and shall then expire.
I have not very much to add to what I said in reference to this amendment on the last day when I withdrew it in order to have a consultation with the Minister to see if we could get an agreed amendment. The Minister and some Senators were of opinion on that occasion that the period of one year was too short for the experiment. Consequently, I have given an additional six months and now propose that the Bill shall expire on 31st March, 1936. The Minister has put down an amendment giving it another year. I do not think that we can add very much to the arguments put forward on the last occasion in favour of the amendment, but it is a concession that the Minister has agreed that the Bill shall expire in 1937. I am confident and I am prepared to have a small bet with the Minister on it, that before 12 months have expired the Minister will be compelled to bring in an amending Bill because this is a completely new departure. He will find before the Bill has been working six months that a number of its provisions will have to be amended and consequently he will have to introduce an amending Bill. For that reason, I think he should agree to this amendment. If the Bill is a workable one and if, as we all hope, it turns out to be to the advantage of the farmers in the way of getting better prices for their stock, then there will be no opposition to the amending Bill; but if it turns out to be an impossible measure to work, one which is taking away all freedom from the farmers, then the sooner we have an opportunity of getting completely shut of the Bill the better.