SALES TAX BILL.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20789, 24 February 1933, Page 15

SALES TAX BILL.

THE COMMITTEE STAGE. MORE THAN 570 SPEECHES MADE. I [From Ovs. Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, February 23. The distinction of having made 55 speeches during the Committee stages of the Sales Tax Bill rests with Mr W. Nash (Lab., Hutt), who was the most prolific speaker among members of the Opposition during the 51-J hours that the House sat in Committee. Assuming that Mr Nash occupied the whole of his 10 minutes on each occasion, and Labour speakers usually spun out their remarks until they were rung down by the hell, he spoke for 9 hours 10 minutes. This performance was bettered only by the Minister for Finance (tho Jit. Hon. J. G. Coates), who made no fewer than 72 speeches in reply, to Labour critics. Again assuming that he spoke for the full 10 minutes on each occasion, Mr Coates held the floor for a period of 12 hours. A grand total of 571 speeches was made in Committee, and tho extent of the Labour obstruction may be gauged from the fact that Opposition members made 475 speeches. In comparison Government members' took little part in the debate, for apart from the speeches of Mr Coates only 24 were contributed from the Coalition benches. Next to Mr Nash Mr F. Langstone (Lab., Waimarino) did moat to prolong the Committco debate, his contribution being 38 speeches. Others in the Labour party who took their part well were Mr H. E. Holland 24 speeches, Mr J. A. Leo 31, Mr P. Frascr 24, Mr E. Semple 26, Mr J. O'Brien 28, Mr W. E.Barnard 26, Mr H. G. It. Mason 22, Mr E. J. Howard 22, and Mr C. Carr 20. Mr Coates had to tell the House ou 14 occasion that certain provisions in the Bill were merely rc-cnacting legislation already in the Customs Acts. Mr It. A. Wright was the only Government member to reach double figures, making 10 speeches, and there Voro only four others, apart from 'Ministers temporarily in charge of tho Bill, who spoke «Ot all in Committee. i