A CLOSURE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20198, 28 March 1931, Page 14

A CLOSURE.

I 1 STANDING ORDERS OF THE I ' / ! HOUSE. i i - ' 1 PRIME MINISTER'S PROPOSAL. I (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELB&HAM.) WELLINGTON, March 27. ' The Prime Minister submitted to the House of Kepresentatives this evening proposals for the amendment of the Standing Orders of the House. The present rules governing procedure £n the New Zealand Parliament make no provision for any form of closure to j put an end to obstructive talking on 1 any question by a minority of 'members. Mr Forbes's proposal is that a , closure rule be adopted. I The Prime Minister gave notice to movfl that the Standing Orders be amonded by inserting the following new j Standing Order;— I (1) After a question (except a question already barred from debate under the Standing Orders) has been proposed from the chair either in the House or in Committee of the whole House, a motion may be made by. any member without notice, and whether any other member is ' addressing .the chair or not, "That the question be now put," and the motion shall be put forthwith and decided without amendment or de-' bate. ■■' (2) When a'motion "That the ques- ; tion be now put" has been carried arid the question consequent thereon has been decided, any. further motion may be at once made which may be requisite to bring to a decision any question already proposed. from the chair, and also, if an amendments, have been proposed'to & motion, clause, section, sub-section, schedule, or other matter nnder consideration when the motion "That the question be now put" is carried, such amendment or amendments, together with the original question, shall, subject to the provisions of Standing Order No. 155, be put forthwith and decided without further amendment or debate. (3) An affirmative vote of not fewer than twenty members shall be necessary to carry any motion under this Stand-, ing Order. , Mr P. G. ; Sullivan (Lab., Avon): It's the gag all right. ,'.•..,. Mr' W..E. Parry (Lab., Auckland Central): Let the people be the referee. After explaining the earthquake legislation Mr Forbes moved that his notice of motion - concerning the amendment of the Standing Orders should become' the first order of the day for to-mor-row. This' was opposed'.by Mr Fraser; who said there was no particular urgency for the motion. It had always been customary to give time for consideration of an alteration. The principle of the closure- had been turned down by the Committee on the Standing Orders, .and that was.a further reason: why members should be "given time to go into the matter. They should have •■ a chance to' examine how it worked in other parts of the Empire. . After other members had spoken a ' division was taken on the Prime Minis- - tor's motion, which wae adopted by 49 votes to 24.. . JMesars-Black, Fletcher, Wilkinson, and Hogan voted, with Labour, i <•'* :. ,-■■■?•.., ; .' The House' adjourned at 9.25 p.m. till 10 a.m. to-morrow.