ACTIONS OF LAST GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 18

ACTIONS OF LAST GOVERNMENT

FAILURE TO INTRODUCE' BILL MR FORBES REPLIES TO MINISTER TFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.! WELLINGTON, March 4. The failure of the last Government to proceed with legislation ior the exploitation of petroleum deposits along the lines laid down in the Petroleum Act o£ last year was emphasised by the Minister for Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb) in an interjection during the debate on the royalties issue in the House ol Representatives today. The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (National, Hurunui) was speaking of the anxiety of the Opposition to see a full investigation made of the oil resources of the Dominion, when Mr Webb asked why it was that the last Government had not brought down a similar bill. "You had one, I know that," said Mr Webb. Mr Forbes: I was not Minister for Mines then, so I do not know what was the intention. Mr Webb: Your Cabinet would not agree to the bill going to the House. Mr Forbes: I do not know about that, but if any Cabinet of which 1 was a member had attempted to introduce any proposal to deprive landowners of their rights, I would not have agreed. Mr Forbes caused a laugh also When, earlier in his remarks, he said that he desired to "pour water on troubled oil." He claimed that the Labour Party had adopted a futile attitude in alleging that political reasons coloured the views of the Opposition on royalties. Such a charge could be made —and had been made—on any discussion in the House. Attitude Criticised Mr Forbes looked '-on the proposal io confine the payment on royalties to the State as a case of • the State giving away legal rights to people and then resuming those rights without compensation, merely because the State felt that it must be done. But could that doctrine be adhered to in the present case without hardship? The Government was not perfect, and much that had been done in the past in the interests of the State was not necessarily right. Simply to plead the interests of the State did not perhaps justify the taking of these mineral rights and royalties.