SHIPPING BILL

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26869, 23 October 1952, Page 10

SHIPPING BILL

Opposition Deplores “Rushed” Passage MR HOLLAND DENIES CHARGE (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 22. During the third reading of the Shipping and Seamen Bill in the House of Representatives this afternoon the Deputy-Leader of the Opposition (Mr C. F. Skinner) referred to the late sitting during which the committee stages were taken last night, and said he hoped no further legislation of this type would be pushed through in this way. The House sat till 2.51 a.m. today to put the 515-clause bill through the committee stages.

The Opposition, although not wishing to hold up the passage of the measure unnecessarily, had been concerned that insufficient time had been available for its study, said Mr Skinner.

The Prime Minister (Mr Holland) said there could be no charge of rushing legislation through. The bill had been introduced on September 16. With the consent of the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Nash) the bill had been referred to a select committee of the House, and the committee had recommended that the bill proceed with certain amendments. Mr Nash said that one member of the committee had stated that a week would have been necessary to read the bill, and that week had not been available. “We couldn’t find anyone to explain the bill” he said. ♦ Mr Holland: That is only a matter of opinion. Mr Nash said that the Minister in charge of the bill, the Minister of Marine (Mr W. S. Goosman) had found it impossible to answer questions on the measure put to him. Mr Holland: That is unfair. Mr Nash said that the Minister had admitted he did not understand the full implications of the bill He hoped that a measure of this type would not again be placed before the House five weeks before the end of the session and put through the committee stages m the last week of the session. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake) said that the House was hearing the same speech on every bill introduced in the last month of the session.

Mr C. G. Harker (Government, Hawke’s Bay), who is Chairman of Committees, said he resented the suggestion that the measure had been forced through last night. He had taken care to allow every member who wished to speak to be heard.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE STOCK BILL BEFORE HOUSE WIDE POWERS GIVEN TO GOVERNMENT (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 22. The wide and drastic powers given to the Government and the Department of Agriculture to combat any outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease were recognised as necessary by those who had knowledge of the ravages of the disease, said the Minister, of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake), moving the second reading of the Stock Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The provisions of this important bill were designed to protect New Zealand chiefly from foot-and-mouth disease, he said. They also provided powers to stamp out the disease should it get a hold. The introduction of the disease would spell absolute disaster for this country, said the Minister. He warned farmers to be on guard against unusual symptoms in stock. The recent outbreak in Canada, he said, was believed to have started in October last year, but it had not been diagnosed till February. If the disease got a hold here it would be almost impossible to stamp it out. It had played havoc in the Northern Hemisphere this year. Air travel had added to the danger of its being introduced in this country, he said. Outlining the powers given to the Government, Mr Holyoake said that the Minister or the department, in the event of an outbreak or its threat, could define an infected area and prohibit the movement of stock within it, veterinarians could be conscripted to work within the area, and males over 18 within or close to the infected area could be called on to help in combating the disease. Power was also given to take over machinery and equipment. Provision was made to compensate for losses incurred. The bill was read a second time.