CLOSING BUSINESS OF SESSION

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24743, 7 December 1945, Page 4

CLOSING BUSINESS OF SESSION

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.), ' (WELLINGTON, December 7. Members of the House of Representatives had their heads turned for home when they met yesterday, and they showed disposition to clear the remaining hurdles of the session at a good pace. The Supplementary Estimates were passed in the afternoon and the House sat into the tea interval to pass the Appropriation Bill, involving £95,000,000, with practically no discussion after the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) had pointed out that it contained only what had already been passed in the Estimates and contained nothing but the usual clauses. ■«. The Superannuation Bill was introduced shortly before tea time, and the Minimum Wage Bill shortly after tea. The Linen Flax Corporation Bill was introduced at 9.35 p.m. The Opposition supported the Maori Social and Economic Welfare Bill and the Minimum Wage Bill, and they were passed fairly early in the evening. The House settled down to consideration of the Finance Bill at 12.50 a.m. The explanation of the 57 clauses took the Minister of Finance about three-quarters of an hour.

Mr W. S. Goosman (Opposition, Waikato), who followed, complained of "legislation by exhaustion" and expressed disappointment that there were not greater tax reductions.

The superannuation . scheme ■ for members of the House of Representatives has apparently been dropped for this session, -the reason apparently being Opposition objection to the proposal being 'introduced in the dying hours. The plan will now rirobably be referred to a select committee for consideration ' during the recess. The scheme envisaged was a contributory one, on a sliding scale according to length of service. However, the Finance Bill did include a provision fixing the remuneration of members.

Mr W. Sullivan (Opposition, Bay of Plenty), speaking to the second reading of the Finance Bill, said he wished to protest rgainst the clause fixing members' salaries and would vote against it.