THE SESSION

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24329, 7 August 1944, Page 4

THE SESSION

LIVELY DISCUSSIONS LIKELY OPENING OF DEBATE ON BUDGET (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 6. Friday’s vigorous debate on the Finance Bill shows that the House of Representatives is well into its stride, and that lively discussions are likely to continue during a session expected to last several more months. - , There will be an interlude tomorrow evening, when the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) will report on his mission overseas, and the afternoon will probably be devoted to Ministers’ answers to questions asked by members in the earlier part of the session. . ~ , , The Budget debate will be opened by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S., G. Holland) bn Tuesday, and will probably continue for about a month. Each member is entitled to speak for an hour on the Financial Statement, and almost all of them will exercise their right, unless there is some happening to change the course of the drawn-out debate. Friday’s discussion was one of the liveliest for years. The Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash), as Minister in charge of the bill, had a strenuous afternoon, dealing with the concentrated Opposition attack. Only a few other Government members took part, and he had to use all his resource in debating. The Opposition did not try to delay the passage of the bill, but examined every clause closely, calling for several divisions and moving several amendments, all of which were defeated.

Although the last week was a short one, it was notable not only because of Friday’s debate, but because of the presentation of the Budget/ and of the Prime Minister’s statement to the Dairy Board conference, on the Dairy Produce Agreement. This week will be an unusually long one of five days, so that over the fortnight the House will have sat for the usual total of hours.