POLITICAL USE?

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 174, 24 July 1936, Page 9

POLITICAL USE?

MEMBERS' EXPENSES. MANUKAU BY-ELECTION. TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The possibility of the provision in the Finance Bill relating to the payment of travelling expenses for members of Parliament being used for political purposes was not overlooked by Mr. W. A. Bodkin (National, Central Otago), when speaking in the debate on the bill in the Houae of Representatives to-night. He contended that the clause was open to abuse as it stood at present, and he objected to it on those grounds. He agreed that a member of Parliament was the most poorly paid individual in the service of the State, and if he was called upon to give service outside the House it was onlyright that he should be paid for it, but he was not prepared to vote for the present clause in the bill. He mentioned the coming by-election in Manuand the fact that a number of Labour members wouid probably be travelling there to take part in it. The provision was open to abuse. It gave the Minister of Finance authority to pay the expenses of those members though the speaker did not think that the Minister would tolerate anything like that.

A Government member: Why say it?

Mr. Bodkin: The clause can be abused and while there is a possibility of it being abused, if it were to be used for party politics, I am going to vote against it.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash: It says it has to be on public service

Mr. Bodkin: I think the clause is wide enough to cover the case I have mentioned. If the Minister will tighten it up so that it would not be possible for members to take advantage of it when travelling for party purposes I will vote for it.

The next speaker. Mr. W. J. Lyon (Government, Waitemata), said he was sorry the Standing Orders would not allow him to say what he would like to say concerning the statement made by Mr. Bodkin regarding the power of the Minister to pay travelling allowances to members of Parliament. He had said that that power could be abused. That was an unreasonable attack on the Minister and was an insinuation.

"I wonder," ho added, "if the Ministers of the late Government who went down into Motueka to tafce part ! n an election campaign drew Ministerial expenses and whether they are now afraid that tbe Labour party will retaliate in kind. That isn't the method this Government intends to carry out in administering the affairs of this country."