BRIEF SESSION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 42, 19 February 1944, Page 7

BRIEF SESSION

PARLIAMENT TO MEET

SECRET DEBATE LIKELY

(0.C.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The meeting of Parliament which opens on Tuesday is expected to extend until the end of March, and will be followed by an adjournment until later in the year, probably in July. During the intervening recess, it is expected that the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, will visit London for the proposed conference of Empire Prime Ministers. Proceedings on Tuesday will be of a formal nature only. That day's opening, which will take place .in the chamber of the Upper House, will be performed by a commission of six Legislative Councillors, after which members of the House of Representatives will go to their own chamber to be sworn in and to elect a Speaker. For this office, the Government intends to nominate Mr. F. W. Schramm, M.P. for Auckland East. The ceremonial opening by his Excellency the Governor-Gene-ral, Sir Cyril Newall, with the Speech from the Throne, will take place on the Wednesday. Before a start is made with the Address-in-Reply debate, it is expected that the opportunity will be taken to pay tributes of respect to two former legislators who have died since the House was last in session. These are Mr. D. McDougall, a former member of the House of Representatives, and Mr. John Rigg, a former member of the Legislative Council. A secret session may also be held to enable members to hear the latest developments in the war situation and about New Zealand's war effort, while there are some aspects of the manpower situation which, for security reasons, may have to be discussed in secret. Members of the Government party have already selected their seats in the House. The new Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Roberts, has moved from the back benches to the seat previously occupied by his predecessor in that office, Mr. J. G. Barclay, who was defeated at the general election. Miss Mabel Howard (Christehurch East), who previously had a seat by herself on the back cross benches, will share a bench with Mr. C. R. Petrie (Otahuhu). The Opposition members have yet to choose their seats. There are at least four vacant seats in the Opposition front row, and there is some curiosity in Parliamentary circles as to whom the party intends to allocate these benches.