BUDGET DEBATE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 18, 1 November 1932, Page 3

BUDGET DEBATE

URGENCY TO BE ASKED. PROGRAMME OF HOUSE FOR THE WEEK. (Special to the “Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, October 31. There is every prospect of the House finishing the Budget debate by to-night, and if this can be done the way will at last be open for a more intensive study of the Estimates and of the more important legislation of the session. k Fifty-one members have so far taken part in the Budget discussion and since the Labour Party has now almost exhausted its- speakers, the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) is confident that he will be able to make his reply before the House adjourns to-morrow night. To ensure that there may he no mishap, however, Mr Forbes said this evening that lie would probably ask for urgency on the debate to-morrow. After the Budget, the House will probably pass at once to tlie consideration of the Estimates. Their passage, however, will not he without difficulty, in view of the large number of economies revealed in the reduced votes. At the same time the value of any prolonged discussion on individual items will he lessened by the fact that seven months of the financial year under consideration have already passed, and approximately half the sums shown in the votes will thus have been spent before the House conies to consider them. Consideration of the Estimates will he spread over several weeks and will be taken in the House as opportunity offers. There will of necessity be a break in the debate on Wednesday, for that day has been set aside for the passing of the Customs Bill to give effect to the Ottawa resolutions of October 13. The House has already spread itself on the results of the Ottawa Conference, and the Prime Minister hopes that it will not spend a great deal of time on the formal Bill. The Labour Party lias already announced its intention to fight the Electoral Amendment Bill to- the limit of its powers. This measure, which may come down to-morrow, will provide for the permanent extension of the life of Parliament from three to four years, and the alteration o ftlie dates of the licensing polls to coincide with the General Elections.