PARLIAMENT QUICK PASSAGE OF BILLS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27435, 23 August 1954, Page 3

PARLIAMENT QUICK PASSAGE OF BILLS

End Of Session May Be Hastened

START MADE ON DEBATING ESTIMATES (From Our ParHnmenimy Reporter) T ' WELLINGTON, August 22. Just how quickly Parliament can dispose of tiie business to be done in this, its last session before the General Election, was demonstrated test week. Oh Thursday, the first full day of the session that the House of Representatives has devoted to legislation, 19 Government bills were given a second reading, and four of them were passed through the committee stage. With the Estimates and legislation the only remaining business, it/is likely that the House will adjourn earlier than the end of September, which the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) has mentioned as the target! date. Forecasts of the day the session will end range between September 17 and October 8, but September 24 or October 1 appear to be favoured dates. ; ’ On the Order Paper there are 41 bills, and more are ready for introduction. Those already before the House do not contain many contentious proposals, and it is unlikely that in an election year any still to come will be very controversial. A start has been made on consideration of the Estimates, and they will now be before the House on Tuesdays and/Fridays. The first items to be taken were votes administered by the Prime Minister. Since Mr Holland announced that in future Minister’s written replies to questions would be taken only every third Wednesday, there has been a reduction in the number of questions from members. Wednesday this week will be the first Wednesday bf the session on which replies will not be debated.

Most of the annual departmental reports have been presented, and the House has had an opportunity of discussing some of them—an opportunity it did not have last year. With little time to elapse before the election. It is surprising that the Opposition has not yet moved a motion of no confidence in the Government. The division bells have not rung this session, and little legislation would seem to be sufficiently arguable to warrant a division. In fact, the Opposition has yet to make a concerted attack on the Government's policy or actions.