WHEN THE HOUSE MEETS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19481, 30 November 1928, Page 8

WHEN THE HOUSE MEETS.

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION ON THURSDAY. WHAT WILL LABOUR DO ? [THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, November '29. Preparations are well forward for the opening of Parliament noxt Tuesday. The election of the Speaker of tho House of .Representatives will take place on Tuesday afternoon, after Parliament has been opened by Commission. It is expected that Sir Charles Statham will be reappointed, although "until the Labour Party caucus is held is will not be known whether that Party put forward a candidate. The new Speaker and the members of the House of Representatives will attend in the Legislative Council Chamber on Wednesday to hear his Excellency the Governor-General read the Speech from the Throne giving the reasons i'or calling Parliament together.

The Speech. It is expected that the Speech will be brief. On fprmer occasions when an extraordinary session of Parliament has been summoned to determine the state of Paj-ties, tho (Speech from the Throne has been long, and has contained reference? to the legislative programme which the Government of the day had intended carrying out. The present circumstances are not strictly in that there dogs not appear to be any doubt as to the position of the Government. Consequently, it is not anticipated that the Speech wijl say much more than that a General Election of members of the House of Representatives having .been held in November, Ministers have advised that a meeting of the General Assembly should be convened at the earliest convenient opportunity to consider and determine matters concerning the general administration of the affairs of the Dominion, and anv subjects which may appear to arise for letrislfitQrs' immediate attention. Brief reference may be made in the Speech to the economic and financial position of the Dominion. The Address-in-Reply debate will nrobably commence in the House of Representatives on Thursday. Tt is customary tq entrust > new members with the honour of moving and seconding the motion, "That a resnpetful Address be presented to his Excellency the Governor-General in reply to his Excellence's Snpeph." The mover next week will he Mr A. E. Ansell (Chalmers). and the seconder Mr A. W. Hall (HnuraVn. both new members. No-Confidence Motion. As Sir Joseph Ward will no doubt be recognised by the new Speaker as the Leader of the Opposition, he being able presumably to command 31 votes as against the Labour Party's 19, Sir. Joseph may give notice on Wednesday afternoon, when the Souse reassembles after hearing the Governor-General's speech, of his intention to move a noconfidonee amendment.

It' may be that the Address-in-Reply debate will commence on Wednesday night. No time has been definitely fixed yet, and in that casq Sir Joseph Ward would probably not speak until Thursday afternoon, as it is usual to take only the speeches of the mover and seconder on the first night. In any case it is almost certain that Sir Joseph s -speech will be begun on Thursday afternoon. Sir Joseph Ward will be followed by a Minister, and the debate will then continue until such tiriie as it is mutualjy agreed to take a -division. If Mr Holland moves an amendment to Sir Joseph Ward's amendment the first division will take place on Mr Holland's proposition., The real test will come later, »nd it is not disputed that the Labour Party will vote with the United Party to turn the Government put, although it may happen, as has been the case in the past, that in the preliminary skirmish (if any) the United and" Reform Parties will vote together against the Labour amendment. It is not likely that a new Chairman of Committees will be elected during the short session. Mr Hockjy, < who was chairman in the last Parliament, was defeated at the election , The Reform Caucus. The caucus of the Reform Party yesterday was quite an amicable gathering. Among those present was Mr A. Harris,' the member for Waitemata, who sjnee his difference with the Government over the RJotor Omnibus Traffic Act in 1925 has declined to attend caucus meetings. He did not stay throughout yesterday's meeting. It '8 understood that while friendly with the Party, he did not desire to siicmca wholly the position of ( independence which he has assumed, and therefore he refrained from being n party "to all the decisions reached. The caucus aid not do anything In the matter of appointing Party Whips. This will probably !kj done when Parliament assembles. MR HARRIS. WHY he left the CAUCUS. [THE PRESS Speeidl B<smco,l AUCKLAND, November 29. On his return from Wellington, where he attended the caucus of the Reform Party, Mr A. Harris, Jndepen. dent Reform ;member for Waijwnata, commented qn tho foot that he left the Whips' room whe«; the meeting reached tho Stage of deciding on certain policy moves in connexion with the forth rnmiug short session. Mr Harris said it was quite true that he left the room, but there >as no antagonism expressed or implied, -rr Uj.a elected as an* Independent Reform »» d !» tel U Mt K in leaving the deliberations when they h"d rSc£ed that stags In lu» pos.tion he was not pledged to every action of the Reform Party. LABOUR CAUCUS. The Cliristchurch . Labour members of Parliament will leave to-mor-row evening for Wellington to atfMl.i the caucus of the Party to .be held on Monday to discuss what action he Party will take during the short session of Parliament which .opens next Tuesday.