Editing Hal Colebatch (section)

==Agent-general again==

===Secessionism===
In January 1933, Mitchell offered Colebatch the position of agent-general again. Colebatch, believing his anti-protectionist efforts in the Senate to be futile, took the position, making him the first person to be agent-general for Western Australia twice. By this time, he was involved with the campaign for [[Secessionism in Western Australia|Western Australian secession]]{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=164}} and had joined the [[Dominion League]], an organisation advocating for secession.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=165}} He soon became one of the league's most prominent speakers, most notably delivering a speech on 13 February 1933 at the [[Perth Town Hall]] to an overflowing audience.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|pp=165–167}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58674642 |title=Ill Effects of Federation Closely Analysed |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=19 February 1933 |access-date=3 January 2023 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The anti-secessionist Federal League objected to Colebatch being associated with the pro-secession campaign as the agent-general is meant to be neutral, but he was still a senator and had not taken up the position of agent-general yet. He resigned from the Senate on 20 March 1933 and assumed the position of agent-general five days later.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=167}}

[[File:WA secession delegation.jpg|thumb|From left to right: [[Matthew Moss]], [[Keith Watson (politician)|Keith Watson]], [[James MacCallum Smith]] and Hal Colebatch on top of the [[Savoy Hotel]] in London holding the Dominion Flag{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=175}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Matthew Lewis Moss, H.K. Watson, James MacCallum Smith MLA and Sir Hal Colebatch on top of the Savoy Hotel in London display the Dominion flag. Battye Library [BA556/1] |url=https://webarchive.slwa.wa.gov.au/federation/popup/000757d.htm |website=State Library of Western Australia |access-date=3 January 2023}}</ref>|alt=Black and white photograph of four men dressed in suits standing on a balcony holding a large flag depicting the Union Jack with a black swan in the centre.]]

On 8 April 1933, the [[1933 Western Australian secession referendum|Western Australian secession referendum]] occurred,{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=170}} in which 66.23% of electors voted in favour of seceding.{{cn|date=January 2023}} The 1933 state election occurred on the same day, in which the Mitchell government was defeated by the anti-secessionist Labor party, led by Phillip Collier.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=170}} Despite having worked well with Collier last time he was agent-general, Colebatch's position was precarious due to his advocacy for secession.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=171}} Nevertheless, Collier chose to honour the electorate's wish by sending a delegation to London to ask the [[British Parliament]] for permission to secede.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=172}} Colebatch urged for Collier to be part of the delegation but he chose not to. Colebatch was instead leader with the other members being legal advisor Matthew Moss, chairman of the Dominion League [[Keith Watson (politician)|Keith Watson]] and vice-president of the Dominion League [[James MacCallum Smith]].{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=173}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/2878154 |title=Secession: London Delegation: Four Members: Two to go from Perth |newspaper=The West Australian |date=1 September 1934 |access-date=3 January 2023 |page=19 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Colebatch knew the chance of being successful was low but saw the situation as a useful bargaining chip in negotiations with the federal government as well as way to generate publicity for the state's grievances.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=173}} [[J. H. Thomas]], the [[Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs]], told Colebatch that the British Government had no intention on allowing secession but it would nevertheless receive the delegation courteously. This pleased Colebatch, who now did not have to worry about the intricacies and consequences of secession. When [[Edward John Harding]], the permanent under-secretary for the dominions, asked Colebatch if Western Australia really wanted to secede, he replied that the movement would subside if Western Australia received fairer treatment from the Commonwealth. The petition was presented to both houses of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] in December 1934 and was then referred to a select committee which determined that although the British Parliament had the legal power to pass an act for the secession of Western Australia, it would go against [[Constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional conventions]] unless the petition came as the "clearly expressed wish of the Australian people as a whole". As a result, the British Parliament rejected the petition.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=174}}

When Watson suggested armed rebellion if the petition was rejected, Colebatch issued a statement distancing the Western Australian government from these comments. The secession movement faded away after it was clear that the British Parliament was not interested.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=175}} Colebatch could consider the situation a win, despite having previously advocated for secession, as the federal government soon reduced import [[Duty (tax)|duties]] on several items and it established the [[Commonwealth Grants Commission]] to advise the government on the distribution of grants to the states. The federal government also began spending more on defence in Western Australia; it had spent almost nothing prior to that. It created the [[Fremantle Fortress]] on [[Rottnest Island]], which included [[BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun|9.2-inch naval guns]] to defend Fremantle.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=176}}

===Other===
In 1933, Colebatch issued an [[invitation to tender]] for the construction of a new generator at [[East Perth Power Station]]. He was frustrated when he was forced to accept a British tender rather than a German tender which was £40,000 cheaper because the German tender was subject to import duties worth more than £40,000. He also arranged the purchase of the [[MV Koolama (1937)|MV ''Koolama'']] and new railcars and trolleybuses.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=178}} After Australia increased duties on imported glassware, the Belgian Government retaliated by blocking imports on Australian goods, which affected the apple and meat industry in Western Australia.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=179}} Colebatch was able to convince the Minister for Commerce, [[Earle Page]], to negotiate with Belgium to reopen trade.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=180}} Colebatch also proposed an Australian Trade Council which was to consist of the agents-general and the [[Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom|high commissioner to the United Kingdom]]. This was accepted by the premiers in 1934 but did not eventuate as High Commissioner Stanley Bruce did not want to do so.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=180}}

Colebatch became a [[liveryman]] of the [[Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers]] in December 1935 and a liveryman of the [[Worshipful Company of Fishmongers]] some time later. He also became a [[Freedom of the City of London|freeman of the City of London]].{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=183, 219}} He represented Australia at the [[funeral of King George V]] and the [[coronation of King George VI]]. He was a member of the Council of the [[Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor]].{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=184}} When Collier decided he wanted Mitchell to be the next [[Governor of Western Australia|lieutenant governor of Western Australia]],{{efn|The position of lieutenant governor was used instead of governor from 1931 to 1948 as a cost-saving measure as lieutenant governors get paid less.{{cn|date=January 2023}}}} Colebatch negotiated with the [[Dominions Office]] for Mitchell to be appointed. Up until that point, all governors had been British-born and the British Government wanted to ensure that the appointment of Mitchell did not rule out appointing British governors in the future.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=188}}

In 1936, Colebatch was reappointed Agent-General.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=193}} He went on a tour of Scandinavia at the beginning of 1936, having received invitations from the Anglo-Swedish and Anglo-Danish societies to give a series of lectures on Australian products. He accepted the invitations on the condition that he was not paid for his lectures.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=194}} After that, he went to Germany with [[Albert Edward Heath]], the agent-general for New South Wales, and [[Arthur Balfour, 1st Baron Riverdale]].{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=196}} The official reason for visiting Germany was to go to the [[Leipzig Trade Fair]], but he also met with several anti-fascist Germans who sought to open Germany to trade with the outside world,{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=196}} as well as several Nazi political figures such as [[Hjalmar Schacht]]{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=197, 202}} and [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]].{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=203}} He later went on a lecture tour of England and Scotland for the [[Royal Over-Seas League|Overseas League]], where he urged for Britain to adopt conscription. When the [[Perth Trades Hall]] heard about this, it urged the state government to sack Colebatch.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=206}}

In mid-1937, Colebatch returned to Germany with Heath and G. H. Morrison, an Australian journalist living in Germany, to attend the [[International Chamber of Commerce]] in [[Berlin]].{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=208}} Colebatch described the event as propaganda designed to impress the delegates.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=210}} He was also given a tour of a labour camp and a concentration camp, possibly [[Sachsenhausen concentration camp|Sachsenhausen]]. Colebatch described the camp as "specially selected for display to visitors".{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=212}} In February 1939, he gave the centenary address to the [[Cobden Club]].{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=216}} Albeit keen to continue as agent-general, when Colebatch's term was up in 1939, a former Labor minister, [[Frank Troy]], was appointed in his place.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=216}} Colebatch then returned to Perth.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=220}}